117
NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
Vegetables were always procurable both in the bazaar and in the wing garden, which
latter was got up in 1875 by Lieutenant-Colonel Pierce, then
commanding the wing. As the regiment marched without any
relief, no means were left behind for its continuance nor any
one left in charge; and I fear there will be very little trace of this really useful institution
when the 24th Regiment arrives there from Delhi.
5. The ammunition boot as now worn without stockings is the cause of the frequent
admissions into hospital of men suffering from shoe-bite.
This would be in a great measure obviated if stockings were
issued to the men, or if, as adopted by some of the continental armies of Europe, rags were
folded smoothly over the feet.
Food, quality of, and whether
abundant and cheap.
Clothing.
Duties and their effects on health.
6. The duties consist principally of the ordinary parades,
musketry, and sentry duty, and has had no prejudicial effect on
the men's health.
7 . A m u s e m e n t s w e r e g o t u p d u r i n g t h e r a i n s f o r t h e m e n ( w r e s t l i n g a n d o t h e r a t h l e t i c
sports). Although some of the men take an interest in gymnas-
-tics, they will not voluntarily engage in them unless some en-
-couragement in the shape of prizes is given.
8 . A n e w l o c k - u p r o o m w a s b u i l t d u r i n g t h e p a s t y e a r ; i t g i v e s 1 , 3 0 0 f e e t o f c u b i c
capacity and 100 square feet superficial area, and is well venti
-lated by means of gratings.
9 . T h e h o s p i t a l i s a c o m p a r a t i v e l y n e w o n e , a n d i s a m p l e f o r t h e s i c k o f t h e w i n g o f a
regiment. At no period of the year was there overcrowding.
The building itself, site, &c., have been fully described in for
- m e r r e p o r t s , a n d i t i s , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e o u t - b u i l d i n g s , a l l t h a t c a n b e d e s i r e d .
The hospital latrines are good. Excreta is carried away and buried to the north
of cantonment and outside camp limits; one sweeper is kept
on the hospital establishment, and is always at hand, and twice
a day removed the excreta.
Close to the hospital is a large pucca built well, the water of which is very pure
and abundant at all seasons of the year; it is well protected by
a chunam coping, and there is no source of impurity.
10. There were in all 360 admissions into hospital during the year; of these the
greatest number was from intermittent fever, viz., 199. Chronic
rheumatism gives the second highest number of admissions, 40;
then follows bronchitis, 21; contusion, 19. There were 4 cases of dysentery, the same of
syphilis (primary and secondary), 1 case of small-pox, and 1 case of remittent fever. No
case of hepatitis occurred.
Two deaths occurred during the year. Nine men were invalided and 7 sent on
medical certificate to their country. None discharged by court-martial.
11. The principal cause of the large number of admissions from intermittent fever
was, as previously remarked in former reports, the fact of the
men being located for the previous year in the very malarious
station of Mehidpore, at which station every regiment suffers severely from malarious fever
at all seasons of the year, and the men's system is so saturated with the poison that from
time to time they get renewed attacks. The number of admissions under the head of contusion
(or shoe-bite) was mainly occasioned by the long march from Agar to Nusseerabad, and from
the practice of the sepoy walking in thick ammunition boots without socks or some protect-
ing covering for the foot. The case of small-pox occurred in that of a man returning from
furlough in the Konkan, at which place small-pox prevailed during the early portion , of the
year, and he doubtless contracted it there or at some village on his way to rejoin his regi--
ment. He was at once isolated, and the usual methods adopted to prevent contagion, and
fortunately the disease was confined to him alone.
12.
As previously remarked, there were 2 fatal cases, 1 caused by remittent fever
on the line of march; this man had previously suffered from
frequent attacks of remittent fever in Mehidpore and Agar,
and also was ill when the march commenced. The second fatal case was in that of an
old man recommended for pension: he had suffered from time to time from ague, rheumatism,
and bronchitis, and for some months before his death great wasting of the body. An attack of
dysentery supervening on his already exhausted system was the actual cause of his death.
B 1 9 6 — 3 0
Exercise, amusement, and occu-
pation.
Lock-up rooms and cells.
Hospital and its surroundings.
Conservancy.
Hospital water-supply.
Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.
Principal cause of sickness.
Principal causes of mortality.