3
GENERAL DISEASES.
Group A.
Sub-group I—Small-pox.— Nine cases of small-pox occurred, four at Bangalore
and five at Secunderabad. One of those at the latter station proved fatal. Of
other eruptive fevers, ten cases occurred from which no deaths resulted.
Enteric Fever.—Enteric fever caused 104 admissions with 32 deaths. This
disease did not occur to any large extent at any one station except at Bangalore
and Secunderabad ; the former had 38 cases, the latter 41 ; Upper Burma contributed
seven admissions and three deaths from this disease, and although this division of
the command was not included in the statistics of the previous year, this year
shows a decline as compared with last year of 40 and 3, respectively, in the absolute
number of admissions and deaths from enteric fever, and of 4.88 and 0.71 in the
ratios per mille of strength. The comparative immunity from enteric fever enjoyed
by the troops in Upper Burma is remarkable. The disease was distributed and
almost isolated. The seven admissions occurred thus : at Bhamo 1, Salenmyo 1,
Shwebo 2, and at Myingyan 3. The Administrative Medical Officer reports : "The
cause was, in no instance, traceable ;" and he continues : "the general freedom
from enteric fever throughout the country is most remarkable, considering its
insanitary condition; indeed it may be said to be practically non-existent. In
Mandalay not a case occurred, yet the European troops were located within the
city walls, on the site of the old Native town, in which noisome and neglected
cess-pits in thousands covered the whole area, and were the only means adopted for
the disposal of excreta by the Burmese."
Other Continued Fevers.— Other continued fevers caused 835 admissions with
but one death which occurred at Myingyan, a case of simple continued fever which
proved fatal by hyperpyrexia. The admissions under this heading give a ratio of
59.33 per mille of strength as against 60.32 for last year.
Cholera .—Fifty-four cases of cholera were admitted to hospital with 40 deaths,
or per mills of strength 3.84 and 2.84 as against 8 and 7 in actual numbers in the
previous year, or in ratios per mille 0.60 and 0.60. Only two cases of cholera
occurred in the Madras Presidency, namely, one at St. Thomas ' Mount and one at
Bellary ; the remaining cases occurred in Upper and Lower Burma. The greatest
prevalence was in the second quarter of the year, and the greatest number at any
one station was 15 at Mandalay,
Dysentery .—Dysentery accounts for 789 admissions and 15 deaths, or 56.06
and 1.07 per 1,000 of strength compared with 62.1 and 0.85 in the previous year.
Of the admissions for the present year, 88.90 was contributed by Upper Burma,
and 86.03 by Lower Burma. Secunderabad comes next with 59.08 and Bangalore
district with 35.79.
Sub-group II—Malarial Fevers.—These caused 3,450 admissions and 30 deaths,
or 245.15 and 2.13 per mille this year against 139.04 and 0.43 in the previous year.
This large increase is mainly due to Upper Burma which furnishes 960.67 admis-
sions and 12.93 per mille of strength with 24 deaths, or a mortality of 12.93 per
mille. The Nagpore district comes next as a malarial district with 449.76 per
mille of admissions but no death ; then the Bangalore district with 139.32 per
thousand, Lower-Burma with 119.43 per thousand, and Secunderabad With 79.97:
Sub-group IV.—Venereal disease caused a total admission of 3,957 cases with
two deaths. In the previous year the figures were 2,954 and 1. The ratios per
mille for the two years were 251.66 admissions and 0.09 deaths in 1887, and
281.18 admissions and 0.14 deaths in 1888, showing an increase of over 30 cases
per mille of strength in the latter year. Omitting troops on the march, Upper
Burma gives the largest rate of venereal disease in proportion to strength, viz.,
337.28 per mille. Reporting on the prevalence of venereal disease in Upper Burma,
the Administrative Medical Officer of that division observes : "The ratio of venereal
diseases of all kinds has been abnormal, and much deterioration (in some cases
amounting almost to entire destruction) of the health of the men has resulted,
With the exception of Salenmyo, the troops at all stations have suffered heavily
from these complaints in their primary and secondary stages, thereby materially