Location and movements of corps.
Detachments.
Exercise, amusement, and occu
-pation.
Marches.
Overcrowding.
Accommodation.
69
NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
H . M . ' s L e f t W i n g , 1 3 t h R e g i m e n t N . I .
AHMEDABAD.—In medical charge of Surgeon-Major G. YEATES HUNTER; strength 291.2
Duties and their effect on health.
1. The left wing of the 13th Regiment was located at
the camp at Ahmedabad during the entire year.
2. A detachment was stationed at Sádra, 24 miles dis
-tant, every 2 months, alternately, with the detachment of the 1st
Grenadier Regiment N. I.
3. The duty is not so light here as in Málegaon. The
marching of guards to and from the city, 3 miles off, seemed to
account for some cases of admission into hospital.
4. The Punjabis and Hindoostanis, as a rule, practise
gymnastics; a few Konkanis also do so. The chief amusement
and exercise are wrestling and gymnastics.
5. Marches none, except to relieve detachment at Sádra,
and a few escorts to Mysána and Baroda.
6. The hospital is situated on the north-east of the camp, and is at some little dis -
tance from the lines of the wing. A small ward of the 1st
Grenadier regimental hospital has been lent for the accom -
modation of the sick of the wing. The cubic capacity of the small ward allotted to the wing
is 13,244 feet, and, by placing the beds between the windows, 12 can be accommodated with
comfort.
Hospital and its surroundings.
There was not much overcrowding, except once or twice,
when ague was prevalent, and at pension time.
Insufficient. A separate building for contagious and infec
-tious cases and a female ward are great wants.
7. The total number of cases treated in hospital was 438; the total number discharged
was 407 to duty and 22 otherwise. The total number of deaths
was 3 in hospital, 13 men were sent away on sick leave, 30 were
invalided, and 1 was discharged the service by court-martial. The average daily sick was 1.25,
the percentage of treated to strength 150.38, the percentage of death to strength 1.03, the
percentage of death to treated 0.68, the percentage of daily average of sick to strength 41.2.
Ague of a mild kind was the principal cause of admission into hospital: 166 cases were treat
-ed in all; the disease, as a rule, readily yielded to 10-grain doses of quinine internally in the
more severe cases, and 2-grain, subcutaneously injected, in the milder.
Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.
Remittent fever.
Three cases were admitted into hospital during the year; all
recovered, treated with large doses of quinine and stimulants.
Cholera broke out in the wing in the month of June 1876. Thirteen cases of cholera
were admitted into hospital, of which 4 were privates, 5 fe
-males, 4 children. Out of the total number 7 died; 1 pri
-vate, 3 females, 3 children. The patients were isolated, and all needful sanitary arrange
-ments were made; but so serious was the outbreak considered, that on July 1st the
company in which the cases occurred was moved into camp to leeward of the station, and
on a well-selected site. I suggested that large fires should be lighted between the lines and
camp; and as all the cases had taken place on one side of a line of Native huts, I suggested
it should be destroyed, or, at all events, no longer occupied. In this line the commanding
officer, with whom I was at that time, discovered a large stinking hole under the stone used
for knocking washed clothes on, in front of one of the huts, which may have been used as
a cess-pool; orders were at once issued to search for any others there might be with a view to
checking such an unsanitary practice. It was found necessary on 1st September to move
part of the company into camp; the men, however, were brought in again after a few days, and
no more cases occurred.
In the month of May, 6 cases of choleraic diarrhœa occurred, one of which ended fatally;
this case was broken down in constitution by bad habits,
smoking ganjá, eating opium, and drinking liquor; 2 other
cases subsequently occurred and recovered, making 8 cases as the total.
Forty-two cases of chronic rheumatism in long-service men, of weakly condition, were
treated, of which 7 were invalided and 3 were sent away on sick
leave.
Malignant cholera.
Choleraic diarrhœa.
Chronic rheumatism.
Lumbago.
B 196—18
Twelve cases of lumbago were treated.