NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
113
The accommodation, as above said, is ample, but the following may be enumerated
amongst the principal defects ; the want of a suitable broad
verandah on the south-west side of the building renders the
latter excessively hot in the summer months when temperature averages a maximum of
degrees 91. There is no dead-house, and this I consider a no little deficiency in an hospital,
not only for the removal of the dead but likewise for the performance of autopsies.
The hospital latrines are at a desirable distance from the hospital, and built of
permanent masonry ; receptacles are provided for the reception
of the excreta, which are removed daily ; deodorization and
disinfection are properly carried out. A small urinal placed in or near the hospital will
prevent the frequent practice of sepoys and others in hospital voiding urine on the ground
surrounding it.
The water from the hospital well is good, the sub-soil depth of which and the
influence of rain-fall on it is shewn in the subjoined
table :—
Locality
or desig-
nation of
wall.
Date and Hour of Measurement.
Distance sub-soil water
below surface of ground.
Rainfall from last date
of measurement.
Feet.
Inches.
Inches.
Cents.
H o s p i t a l w e l l N o . 1 4 p e r e n n i a l s u p p l y .
15th January 6 A. M.
... ... ... ...
13
5
......
......
15th February do.
... ... ... ...
15
1
......
......
15th March
do.
... ... ... ...
16
5
......
......
15th April
do.
... ... ... ...
18
2
......
......
15th May
do.
... ... ... ...
19
8
......
......
15th June
do.
... ... ... ...
21
8
......
......
15th July
do.
... ... ... ...
19
......
12
54
15th August
do.
... ... ... ...
18
......
5
95
15th September
do.
... ... ... ...
4
5
24
20
15th October
do.
... ... ... ...
5
6
3
75
15th November do.
... ... ... ...
......
......
......
......
15th December
do.
... ... ... ...
......
......
......
......
46
44
Accommodation and defects.
Conservancy.
Hospital water-supply.
Sickness, mortality and invalid-
ing.
9. The sickness during the year under consideration and
its comparison with that in the preceding year will best be seen
from a glance at the undermentioned table :—
Remained under treatment, 1st January 1876
... ...
25
Admissions during the year ...
do. ... ...
780
Total treated during the year
...
... ...
...
805
Do.
do.
do.
do.
... ... 1875...
... 1,035
Difference
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
230
The following are the result of the cases :—
Discharged to duty. ...
...
...
...
...
...
757
Sent for change of air on medical certificate
. . . . . .
5
Transferred to other hospitals
...
... ...
...
16
Died...
... ... ...
.
..
...
...
... ...
7
Invalided
.. ... ... ... ... ...
16
Remained under treatment on 1st January 1877 ...
...
20
Average daily sick in 1876 ...
...
...
...
...
18.4
Do.
do. in 1875
... ... ...
... ...
23.2
Percentage of treated to strength in 1876 ...
...
...
124.23
Do.
do.
do. in 1875
...
... ... 166.40
Percentage of deaths to strength in 1876...
...
...
1.08
Do.
do.
do.
in 1875 ...
...
...
1.77
Among the deaths was a case of remittent fever in which both the symptoms during
life and the post-mortem appearances simulated those of a case of enteric fever. In this case
the morbid appearances anticipated during life were verified at the post-mortem examination.
There were altogether 405 cases of malarious fevers treated during the year, being a percent-
age of 50.31 against 55.56 per cent. of last year ; and, with the exception of the case of the
remittent fever which terminated fatally, the majority of cases were of an intermittent cha-
racter of generally a mild quotidian type and uncomplicated with organic disease of the ab-
dominal viscera. I found these mild cases readily amenable to the antiperiodic influence of
sulphate of cinchonidine in doses of from grs. iii. to grs. v., especially if in combination with
some ferruginous preparation and vegetable tonics. In cases of severer type, in order to
avoid risks of experiments, I resorted to quinine, or to larger doses of from x. to xl. grs. of
B 196-29