SIRHIND DIVISION.
105
rapidly increased in the numbers attacked, and I believe it was only owing to the timely remov-
al of the regiment from the island that prevented it being completely prostrated by the disease;
as it was it took a fortnight at sea to break the strength of the complaint, and at one time on
the final leaving at Larnaka, there were, with a strength of 524 sepoys and 105 camp-followers,
101 men on board the steam-ship St. Osyth admitted and under observation for the fever. The
accommodation for the sick was not sufficient to admit all the cases into hospital. It became
the practice to call the disease remittent fever at Cyprus in the returns submitted, but I could
not and cannot subscribe to the doctrine of the summer fever at Cyprus being a remittent fever,
and differ from the high opinion of Dr. Sullivan in considering it an intermittent fever purely.
It May be a curious coincidence of ardent or heat fever and malaria, for after the fever had
lost its continuous character, and when the strength of' the disease was broken, an intermit-
tent type was assumed. This was observed in many of the cases at sea where they had begun
at Cyprus as a fever constantly or without any remission or intermission and ended as agues
with shivering and periodical returns. It was not uncommon to get relapses of the complaint,
and this continued till some few days after the arrival of the regiment at Cawnpore on the
20th September. There was great prostration with the fever, severe headache, and much
bilious vomiting. The majority of the cases were slight and of three or four days' duration,
but several were very severe, and many very persistent, leaving the men very anæmic and
broken in health, which a change to India alone cured. There were no deaths from the fever ;
the vomiting was the most distressing symptom present, and was checked most by effervescing
draughts and stimulants ; quinine and cinchona febrifuge could only be given when the force
of the fever had abated. Stimulating diaphoreties were freely used for the first few days.
The following is a table of the Cyprus fever in the 31st Puniab Native Infantry :—
P e r i o d o f a t t a c k .
No. of
cases of
fever.
Total ad-
missions
from all
causes
Strength of regi-
ment .
No. of fever
cases to ad-
missions per
cent.
No. of fever
cases to
strength per cent.
OF THE 185 CASES
Occurred
at Lima
- soel in
camp.
At sea on
board
transport.
At Cawn-
pore (re-
lapses.)
From 28th July to 22nd September
1878,—57 days.
185
240
720
77.08
25.7
52
119
14
The regiment arrived at Cyprus on the 28th July, and to the 4th of August, or for eight days,
it was free from the fever. From the 5th to 13th August 11 cases occurred ; then it began tc
increase rapidly in numbers, and from the 14th to the 20th August, the day the regiment em-
barked. to return to India, 52 cases occurred in the seven days. There was a delay of three days
at Larnaka, Cyprus, for the purpose of taking in provisions for the voyage, and in these few days
the greatest number occurred. On one of the days 101 men, including camp-followers, were ill ;
but more than half were slight cases of the disease, and were discharged cured in a few days,
as there was no hospital accommodation for them. From the 21st of August to 22nd September,
which includes the three days at Larnaka, 22 days at sea on board the St. Oysth and 8 at
Cawnpore, 90 cases occurred; and 33 cases in the detachment on board the Marina which
Surgeon Manser in charge returned as remittent fever ; total 123 cases. Sickness was very great
in this part of the Punjab, and the weakly men suffered much in consequence in November and
December.
V III. Epidemics.—A severe epidemic of ague raged in the station and district of
Jullundur from the flooding of the country during the rains. The epidemic was severe during
October, November and December, and caused a great deal of mortality. The 31st Punjab
Native Infantry, though previously subjected to great sickness from dysentery at Malta and
fever at Cyprus, escaped the deadly influence of the disease, and in comparison suffered a great
deal less than the European troops in the station and the inhabitants of the place.
23rd Bengal Regiment, flatibe Enfantrg (Pioneers)—Simla.
I. Medical Officers.—Surgeon-Major E. Taylor held charge of the head-
quarters of the regiment
throughout the year. Sur-
geon R. Smith held charge of
the depôt at Umritsur the
greater part of the year.
II. Location and movements.—
The head-quarters of the regiment
was at Umritsur from the 1st of
January to the 24th of February ;
on the march from Umritsur to
Simla from the 20th of February
to the 19th of March; at Simla
from the 20th of March to the
29th of September ; left Simla on
the 30th of September to join the
Koorum Field Force ; marched to
Umballa, then by rail to Jhelum ;
B 1
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873 . Jhelum, February 1873,
from Rawal Pindi.
58.9
. 2 1.9
1874
. Jhelum .
.
7 5 . 3 2
. 7 2 2.3
1875 . Ditto.
89.69
. 8 5 2.89
1876 . Ditto . . . .
170.49
. 6 4 3.92
1877 . Simla . . . .
107.91
. 5 8 3.17
Average . .
100-.46
. 6 0 2.83
1878 . Simla, marched on active
service in Afghanistan,
30th September.
140.64
1.28
3.71
Epidemics.
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movemenst.