102 MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
them; in a very short time theybecame weak and emaciated. In the latter half of December,
When exposed to the bitter cold and hard frost in the Bolan Pass, and at Quetta, many-
men contracted pneumonia. They had not the constitution to withstand the disease, and several-
men succumbed to it. One-fourth of the whole regiment (129 men). were left at the base
hospital at Quetta as unfit to proceed to the front, and most of their diseases were induced by
insufficient and unwholesome food, insufficient clothing and bad drinking water. At the com-
mencement of this year, some striking instances of the ultimate effect of bad and insufficient
food occurred at Khelati-i-Ghilzi. Several men complained of swollen feet. I suspected at
first that it might have been caused by wearing the putties too tightly, or by exposure to
cold ; but there were no marks of pressure on the legs. The feet were equally swollen, and
there was no burning pain as though they had been touched up by the frost. The disease was
simple œdema, the effect of an impoverished condition of the blood, induced by insufficient and
unwholesome food. All the cases ,became perfectly well by putting them on an improved diet
while in hospital. On a hard march like the one the regiment went through, the food of the
native soldier ought-to be supplemented by a diet of meat. In cantonments the native soldier
is accustomed to eating meat, sometimes as often as three and four times a week ; and in an
extremely cold climate, making long marches, it is necessary to give meat occasionally with,
farinaceous food. The men themselves were very anxious to buy meat, and wished to buy a
flock of goats to accompany the regiment as far as Quetta, but it was not sanctioned; and in
the barren country we passed through it was impossible to purchase anything. A supply of
rum was applied for at Mooltan, but it was not sanctioned. A tot of rum issued not indiscri-
minately, but to weakly men at the recommendation of the medical officer, would have benefited
them, and in a cold climate like Beloochistan or Afghanistan it would not have caused any
injurious effect.
Clothing.
Sickness,
mortality and
X. Clothing.—Clothing in cantonment sufficient ; on service the 10 seers of baggage allowed
for each fighting-man (native officer extra) included 1 country blanket, 1 red coat, 1 rezai,
1 wadded jacket, 1 pair ammunition boots, 1 pair warm socks for, wear on snowy nights on
d u t y , & c . , 1 p a i r w a r m p y j a m a s . A d d i t i o n a l c l o t h i n g w a s s a n c t i o n e d b y G o v e r n m e n t , c o n s i s t i n g
of 1 English blanket, 1 warm woollen jersey, 2 pairs socks, 1 waterproof sheet. None of the.
above were issued till the following spring, when they were perfectly useless, and the waterproof
sheet has not been issued at all. The clothing and bedding, which the men could get into the
10 seer allowance, was much less than is worn by the native soldier in an ordinary cantonment
in India, and during the bitter cold and hard frost of December, was totally inadequate to
protect him in the slightest degree ; and many men succumbed to chest diseases, and others
were left at Quetta whose services I have no doubt would have been saved to the regiment, if the
extra clothing bad been issued at the proper time.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment:—
Present
. .
. .
.
.
.
. . . 674.50
Absent
. . . . . . .
. .
.
48.83
Total .
. 723.33
P E R I O D .
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
STATION.
From
To
A dmis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sinus. Deaths. Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters, Jullundur . 1st Jan. 1878. 30th Sept. 1878
524 1,504 17 43.37 287.02 3.24 8 . 2 5
"
Mooltan . 1st Oct. ,, 13th Nov.
,,
" on march to
K a n d a h a r .
14th Nov. „ 31st Dec „
Detachment, Fort Loodiana 1st .Jan. „ 8th Oct. „
105
117
1
5.33 144.74 1.23 5.07
„
Fort Phillour .
„
„
„
„
39
63 ...
1.40 226.46 ... 3.60
Depôt, Jullundur
. .
1st Oct. „ 31st Dec. „
104.61 51
5
6.13 193.33 19.03 5.85
Detachment on march to
Quetta.
26th Nov. „ 23rd „ „
76
30 ...
2.5 514.52 ... 3.29
TOTAL .
. . .
. . .
674.5 1,770 23 49.8 262.41 3.41 7.38
Number of deaths in hospital 23; out of hospital 9; total 32; per cent. of total strength . 4.42
„ invalided
.
. .
.
. . .
. 15;
„ „
. 2.07
„ sent on sick leave . . . . . . .
27; ,,,,
. 3.73
„ of days spent in hospital 18,330; per admission . . 10.53 ; per man of total strength
. 25.38
,,,,
on sick leave 4,260 ; per man
. 158; „
,,
. 5.89
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . 31.27