Epidemic.
17. There has been no epidemic.
29
POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
of the lower extremity, due to the nature of the men's work. The next largest, affections of
the eye, 22; of these 20 were conjunctivitis, of which there were only 8 cases recorded in 1875.
This would, therefore, be attributable to the much larger amount of dust there has been, owing
to the small amount of rainfall. The cutaneous and digestive systems, each with a total of 19
and 18, respectively, form the next largest group. Diseases of the respiratory system, 8, and
of the urinary organs 7, follow next. The rest of the classes show only one or two each.
Causes of mortality.
15. The causes of mortality were—
(1) Continued fever, rapidly going on to meningitis; (2) malignant tumour of
the mesentery, lasting 34 days; (3) aneurism of the aorta; none of which can be set
down as preventible.
The last case was totally unsuspected, there being no symptom whatever which could
have led to a correct diagnosis. The man was in hospital for slight cough—so slight that
there was a suspicion that he was malingering, but he was luckily not sent out. There was
no dyspnœa, no expectoration, and so consequently no examination of his chest was made.
On the second night after his admission he suddenly fell backwards while washing his mouth
and throat, and was found lying dead, with a quantity of blood beside him, which had been no
doubt expectorated. At the post mortem examination a very small aneurism was after con
-siderable search found at the back of the aortic arch, opening by a small aperture into the left
bronchus on a level with the bifurcation of the trachea.
16. The rainfall was very much below the average—15 inches 97 cents instead of 26
inches and has resulted in so much dust that I believe the
increased number of cases of conjunctivitis, as noted above, may
be ascribed to it.
Rainfall.
18. Vaccination has been carried on as carefully as it could be, but the failures seem to
have been greater than ever; and no operation seems successful,
unless the lymph is used from arm to arm. Whether this is due
to any climatic influence, such as the greater dryness which has undoubtedly prevailed, I have
not sufficient data on which to form an opinion; but I believe it might have been counteracted
had the native vaccinator, on whom we have to rely for our supply of lymph, exercised more
care and attention, and some little zeal in his work: if he had tried to keep up the arm to
arm supply, which I should think was not difficult in the bazaar, or even if he had sent quite
fresh lymph whenever requisition was made on him. What he has sent has in the majority
of cases failed; and he seems to have taken no pains to keep up the supply from arm to ar
m T w e n t y - s i x m e n w e r e r e - v a c c i n a t e d , o f w h i c h 1 7 w e r e s u c c e s s f u l .
19. The general health of the corps and its physique has been fairly good; but I have
detected latterly a certain amount of slight scorbutic taint, as
evidenced by purpleness of gums, for which there can no be cause,
except a want of fresh vegetables in the diet, and for which there is no excuse. The worst
cases were made to attend hospital and take lime-juice daily; the rest were warned to eat
fresh vegetables, especially potatoes, and monthly inspections of the whole corps were ordered.,
but up to the present there has been but little improvement, and some of the men have been
reported to the Commanding Officer for not obeying the instructions as to diet.
20. There has been no special treatment of disease. I tried salycine for a case of sub
-acute rheumatism, but it had no beneficial effect whatever; this
was, however, doubtless due to the fact (which was only after
-wards discovered) that it was gonorrhœal rheumatism. The man was so long ill with it that
he had to be sent to his own country for change. Cinchonidine sulphate has been adminis
-tered very systematically for the latter part of the year both by mouth and hypodermically,
and the conclusion I have arrived at is that for moderately severe cases of ague, or fever, it
answers very fairly; but as soon as the case goes beyond that, and becomes at all severe, it is
powerless, even in repeated hypodermic doses, given three times a day; whereas quinine given
in the same way, and to the same extent, checks the paroxysms in a very short time. The
following shows in tabular form the general result.:—
B 1 9 6 — 8
Vaccination.
General health.
Special treatment of disease.