28
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
Clothing.
8. There is no change in the clothing, and I need not
reiterate my opinions on that subject, expressed now for some
years.
9. The duties have only differed from last year in there being no line-building, but
earth-works instead, with about the same result in injuries
generally, but about half as to injuries of the lower extremities.
10.
There are no means of amusement, such as a gymnasium or wrestling ground,
which, as said last year, would be a very desirable addition to the
new lines.
11.
Of the hospital I have little to add since last report. Of the five principal defects
Duties.
Means of amusement.
Hospital.
then enumerated, two have been to a certain extent set right.
A temporary building of lath and plaster, containing three small
wards, each 10' x 10 ' x 10', have been erected for cases of contagious disease, and they answer
the purpose fairly. A wire fence of very slender proportions has just been erected all round
the hospital compound instead of the wall asked for. This answers the purpose but indiffer-
ently, as it can be climbed over with great ease ; and animals are unable to distinguish the
wires, and so are apt to run against it and damage it, as has already happened once. There is a
great want of trees round the hospital. I pointed this out soon after we took possession, and
the holes for them were made, but no trees have yet been planted.
12. The conservancy is as before. The water-supply has been happily changed to the
Kharakwásla system, but it has not as yet been brought into
the building ; there being two stand-pipes outside. This will, I
trust, be some day improved by pipes and taps inside the bath-
rooms.
13. The amount of sickness shows a decrease in the ratio of percentage to strength,
which has been 50, as compared to 58 . 8 last year. The
percentage of deaths to strength is the same, 0 . 8, and of deaths to
treated, a fraction higher,
n a m e l y , 1 . 6 t o 1 . 3 o f 1 8 7 5 . E i g h t m e n w e r e i n v a l i d e d — 4 a t a s p e c i a l c o m m i t t e e i n A p r i l , a n d 4 a t t h e a n n u a l g e n e r a l i n v a l i d i n g
committee in November.
Hospital conservancy and water-
supply.
Sickness, mortality, and invalid-
ing.
Principal causes of sickness.
14. As in former reports I give a short table of the
admissions in each class of disease :—
1876.
Admisssions.
Percentage of
admissions
to strength.
Ratio per
mille.
General Diseases...
Sub-Division A.
. . .
46
12.7
127.7
Do.
. . .
16
4.4
44.4
Diseases of the Nervous system
. . .
3
0.8
8.3
Do.
Eye
. . .
. . .
. . .
22
6.1
61.1
Do.
Circulatory system
...
1
0 . 2
2.7
Do.
Respiratory system
...
8
2.2
22.2
Do.
Digestive system
...
18
5.0
50.0
Do.
Urinary organs
. . .
7
1.9
1 9 . 4
Do.
Cellular tissue
...
1
0.2
2.7
Do.
Cutaneous system
...
19
5 . 2
5 2 . 7
Injuries ... ...
...
...
...
23
6.3
63.9
Total number of deaths
. . .
3
...
...
Percentage of deaths to strength . . .
0.8
...
...
This shows that out of the total of 169 admissions the sub-divisions A and B give 62
(last year it was 157). Of these, fevers only show 43 cases,—a very great decrease from 127 of
last year ; and I am inclined to attribute this in some measure to the freedom from malaria
of the new lines, though, of course, the very small rainfall has chiefly contributed to this un-
usual result. The next largest group is that of injuries, which gives 23,—14 of which are those