PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
171
68 admissions, of these 32 were due to bronchial catarrh, 20 to bronchitis, 12 to pneumonia,
and 4 to pleurisy, being much below the admissions of 1877. After the unhealthy autumn
would have expected many cases of acute lung affections, but we were fortunate so far in
having had a dry cold weather, not a drop of rain having fallen in October, November or
December, and 0.03" in September.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Seventeen deaths occurred in hospital (13 at
head-quarters and 4 at detachments), being at the rate of 2.80 per cent. The 13 deaths at
head-quarters were from the following causes :—dysentery (5), pneumonia (3), ague (2), and
acute bronchitis, chronic Bright's disease, and general debility (1 each). Dysentery was very
prevalent. This disease of a sub-acute type at first yielded readily to treatment ; but had a
great tendency to pass into a chronic state. When all medicines were found unavailing, the
only chance for the patient being, when he could bear the long trying journey to the rail, to
send him on sick leave. Most of the deaths under dysentery were from the chronic disease.
XXI. Special observations and remarks. —Dera Ismail Khan, cantonments, city and part
of the district, suffered severely from the fever which appeared to prevail all over the Punjab.
The fever was the ordinary ague of a mild form, but very difficult to get rid of. Cinchona
alkaloid was principally used in its treatment; it appeared to have a good effect, but there was
a number of cases where it, quinine, and everything else failed, change of climate being the
only thing. The men dislike the cinchona alkaloid, and complain that it gives rise to various
anomalous dyspeptic symptoms The experiment was tried of sending a number of recruits
who suffered frequently from fever up to Sheik Budin, a hill sanatarium near by, but the
change did not appear to benefit the men much.
Principal
causes of mor-
tality.
Special ob-
servations
remarks.
3r d Regi ment , Punj ab I nf ant r y—Der a I s mai l Khan.
I. Medical Officers.—Surgeon P. H. O'Connor held medical charge of the
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
. Kohat, Dec. 1871
.
154.4
1.5
3.
18'74
.
Ditto
. . .
147.
1.08
2.9
1875
. Edwardesabad, Jan. 1875
210.05
2.56
4.81
1876
.
Ditto
.
. .
150.4
2.43
3.59
1877
.
Ditto
.
.
.
108.94
1.48
2.62
Average
.
154.16
181
3.38
1878
. Dera Ismail Khan, March
1878.
212.56
3.01
6.05
regiment from 1st J anuary
to 30th April, and Surgeon
R. J. Taaffe, from 1st May
to 31st December.
II. Location and movements.
— T h e r e g i m e n t w a s a t E d w a r d e s a b a d
from 1st January to 6th March,
on which date it left for Dera
Ismail Khan, arriving there in
10th March. On 16th December
it again moved to Dera Ghazi
Khan, which it reached on the
26th October, and where it was
stationed at the close of the year.
III. Topography and physi-
cal geography. —As described in
former reports, the station of
Dera Ismail Khan was again in
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movements.
Topography
and physical
geography.
considerable danger this year from the River Indus cutting both above and below cantonments.
When the regiment left Dera Ismail Khan, the river had apparently again changed its course
and was reported cutting at the opposite bank. The station of Dera Ghazi Khan was completely
inundated last August, owing to the extreme height of the summer floods breaching the station
bunds in several places. The entire lines were swept away, and almost all the houses in canton-
ments were either destroyed or seriously injured. Some few buildings have escaped, but in every
instance this was due either to the use of pucka brick foundations or to the elevation of the
buildings above the ordinary level of the station. The only buildings escaping in the lines were
the cavalry hospital and the magazines. The height of the flood varied from 2 to 4 feet
according to the different levels. On the subsidence of the water, the ground was naturally left
in a thoroughly saturated condition. At any time there is, I may say, almost no natural drain-
age, and artifical drainage would be next door to impossible. The water-level is within 6 or
8 feet from the surface at present, but for some time after the floods it was much big-her.
V . L i n e s , b a r r a c k s a n d n u t s . — V e r a n d a h s u r g e n t l y r e q u i r e d , m o r e e s p e c i a l l y d u r i n g t h e
hot months. The lines at Dera Ghazi Khan, as before stated, have been destroyed. by the floods;
and the regiment is and has been in camp on station parade ground since 26th October.
VIII. Water-supply. —At Dera Ismail Khan good and sufficient, obtained from pucka
built wells in vicinity of lines. Level of water about 13 feet below surface. The majority of
the men resort for bathing purposes to the river, which is quite close to the lines. Clothing
all washed in the river. At Dera Ghazi Khan water-supply as before. Quality and quantity
good. For some time alter the floods the well-water was muddy and discoloured from
a d - m i x t u r e o f f l o o d w a t e r . N o m a t e r i a l d a m a g e h a s b e e n d o n e t o t h e w e l l s , a n d t h e w a t e r i s n o w
Lines,
barracks and
huts.
Water-supply