21
POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
were treated. These patients came into hospital with pain in the lumbar region. They
are men who have been frequently attacked by ague (1 having been attacked seven times
during the year) and rheumatism. These are mostly old and weak. One was invalided under
syphilis secondary, 3 for old age and debility, and 1 for rheumatism. There were 2
admissions from sciatica ; 1 of these suffered also from ague and erysipelas. They were
slight cases. One case of dementia from smoking ganja was admitted ; symptoms on admis-
sion—talking nonsense, insomnia, would take neither food nor medicine. These symptoms
gave way to a seeming feebleness of the mental powers. His health was otherwise good.
He cooked his own food, ate plenty, and talked reasonably with the other patients, but would
speak neither to hospital assistant nor to myself. He was discharged cured. Twenty-one cases
of conjunctivitis were treated. They were all slight cases, with the exception of one who
suffered also from gonorrhœa, orchitis, and primary syphilis. Another case was admitted four
times before with this disease. He was admitted also four times with ague. He was in a
debilitated condition, and was invalided under this head. There were admitted 16 cases of
bronchitis ; they were very slight cases ; 1 case was invalided under this head. Three cases of
pneumonia were treated. These were very severe cases. They were kept in a temperature of
from 80˚ to 90˚, saturated with agueous vapour, and the lungs, skin, bowels, and kidneys kept
acting freely. They all made a good recovery. There were 12 cases of dysentery, the same
as last year. They were not formidable cases. There was one case of umbilical hernia. He
had suffered five years from it. It was becoming larger. He was invalided, as he was generally
unfit for military duty. Three admissions from splenitis occurred, 1 man three times. He had
enlargement of the spleen, slight pain over the under region of the liver, a general puffiness
of the body and œdematous feet. As he is in a very weak state, and making no progress to
wards recovery in hospital, he will be sent to his home for change of air. Under diseases of the
urinary organs, 13 cases were admitted—6 from gonorrhœa, 3 from phimosis, and 4 from
epididymitis. None of these cases, with the exception of the following, was severe. It was
complicated with orchitis and conjunctivitis ; the other 2 with phimosis, for which operations
were performed. Under diseases of the cellular tissue there were 11 cases—5 abscesses and 6
guinea-worm (same as last year). These were cured in the usual way. They occurred in
Mahrattas from the Konkan. There were 74 admissions from injury, 1 case of wound of the penis
caused by shooting at a snake with a gun loaded with water, and not applied to the shoulder
as usual. The penis was separated from its upper attachments to the pelvis, but the arteries
and urethra escaped. It was returned and kept in its site by stiches and strapping. The
patient made a good recovery. All the others under this head and that of contusions were
slight cases, and call for no further remarks.
11.
Fifty-four were invalided : 40 were invalided from old age and debility, 1 from fever,
5 from rheumatism, 1 from scurvy, 1 from syphilis, 1 from
disease of the eye, 1 from asthma, 1 from hernia, 2 from osteal
hypertrophy, and 1 from enlargement of the testicle ; 11 patients were sent to their homes
for change of air.
12.
The principal causes of sickness are supposed to be heavy duties and insufficient
nourishment, which in men who have acquired the malarious
taint would be productive of attacks of ague, under which head
the greatest number of admissions have occurred.
13.
It has been carefully carried on during the year ; the following table will show the
result. The lymph has been good ; it is renewed when necessary
from the staff hospital :—
Vaccination.
Re-vaccination.
N u m b e r o f p r i m a r y o p e r a t i o n s .
Successful.
Unsuccessful.
Number of persons
operated on.
Successful.
Unsuccessful.
101
1 0 1
...
104
103
1
13. From the numbers invalided during last year and the year under report, and from
the late liberality of Government, the general health and physi-
que of the men will, no doubt, become gradually and generally
improved.
B
1 9 6 — 6
Invaliding.
Principal causes of sickness.
Vaccination.
General health and physique of
the men.