Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
42
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment :—
Present
.
. . . . . . . .
. . 359.08
Absent
. . . . . . . . .
. . 309.31
Total . . 668.39
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
s i o n s .
Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters and Left Wing
at Banda.
1st Jan. 1878 31st Dec. 1878 359.08 402
6 10.58 111.92 1.66 2.94
Number of deaths in hospital 6; out of hospital 0; Total . 6; per cent. of total strength . . .89
„ invalided
. . . . . . . . . 0; „
„
.
. . 0
„ sent on sick leave . . . . . . . 6; „
„
.
. . 8 9
„ of days spent in hospital 3,650; per admission . 9.04; per man of total strength . . 5.46
„
„ on sick leave 1,170; per man
. 195; „
„
. . 1 . 7 5
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . 7 . 2 1
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Medical
Officers.
Meteorology.
Water-supply
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Ague is the chief cause, the district being a very ma
-
larious one. Cholera usually pays a yearly visit to Banda. It attacked the regiment at the
end of August, but left it at the beginning of September.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Cholera caused three deaths, including the subadar
-
major. In three cases attacked at the time of the cholera epidemic, a man died of diarrhœa, a
private died of hepatitis after an illness of eight days, and a musician died of nephritis after
an illness of six weeks; his kidney disease was evidently of long standing. He was a man of
46 years of age and 28 years service.
XVIII. Epidemics.—An epidemic of cholera appeared at the end of August and left in
October. The men and families moved into camp on August 23rd, and returned to the lines
9th September. A subadar-major, 2 men and a bearer were attacked and died; 9 women were
attacked, 3 died; 11 children were attacked, 7 died. Total attacked 24; total deaths 14. The
first case occurred in the families on 22nd August, and the last case, also in the families, on
19th September.
5th Regiment, Bengal Cavarly—Nowgong.
I. Medical Officers. —Surgeon-Major T. G. Skardon (Bengal Service) held
medical charge from the
1st January up to 14th
March, Surgeon P. A. Weir
from the 14th March to
the 21st August, Surgeon
Maurice Smith (Madras Ser
-
vice) from the 21st August
up to 1st September, and
Surgeon W. Gillies (Bengal
Service) from that date till
the 31st December.
IV. Conservancy.—The local
punchayet have taken the conser-
vancy of the station in hand, and
a tax is levied on all servants and
others making use of private latrines, proportionate to their wages, to pay for the proper removal
of night-soil. The arrangement seems to have been carried out successfully.
VI. Meteorology.—The rainfall throughout the year has not been sufficient; total amount
collected 26.38 inches. In consequence of an insufficient fall for two years, the tanks in the
neighbourhood are below their usual level, and the well water is now also much below the usual
level. In the lines the water is now fully 29 feet from the surface. The regimental bazar still
occupies its objectionable position, described in last year's report. In consequence of the
repeated representations made concerning the desirability of its removal, the cantonment com
-
mittee decided to remove it so far back as May last, but in consequence of a doubt as to
sufficient funds being forthcoming the work is not yet done. It is my intention to ask the
civil medical officer to press the matter before the cantonment committee, in order to have it
removed before next rainy season. The same remarks apply to the position of the stables for
native officers' horses (described in last year's report).
VIII. Water-supply. —From three pucca wells in lines, and one adjacent to hospital.
Their position is described in last year's report. There is no perceptible source of contamina
-
tion. Quantity sufficient. Quality good. The level of the sub-soil water is low, as I have
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
. Jhelum, Nov. 1871 .
45.1
1.1
1.5
1874 . Ditto
69.47
.87
1.78
1875 . Ditto
. 127.23
.87
2.43
1876 . Nowgong, Feb. 1876 . 168.71
.22
3.66
1877 . Ditto
91.58
.21
2.61
Average . .
100.41
.65
2.39
1878 . Nowgong . . .
136.55
.22
2.91