20
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invalidin g . —Strength of the regiment
: —
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
393.62
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
6 4 . 0 9
Total
.
.
. 457.71
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PEE CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM .
From
To
strength. Deaths.
Admis-
sions . Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Segowlie. 1st Jan. 1878 31st Dec. 1878 299 .43
218
4
8.19
72.80 1.33
2.73
Detachment at Goruckpore.
Ditto
. 30th Nov. ,,
48.8
14
...
.72
31 .34 ...
1.47
Ditto
Benares
.
Ditto
. 31st Dec.
, ,
10.8
...
...
...
. . . ...
. . .
Ditto
Dinapore .
Ditto
.
Ditto
.
16.5
5
...
.24 30.30 ...
1.45
Ditto
Barrackpore 1st Nov.1878
Ditto
. 132.4
24
...
3.48 108.76 ...
2.62
TOTAL
.
...
...
393.62
261
4
9.73
66.30 1.01
2.47
Number of deaths in hospital, 4; out of hospital 0; total
4; per cent. of total strength
.
.87
,, invalided . . .
.
.
.
.
.
22;
„
, , .
.
4 . 8 0
, , s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e
..
. . . .
6;
,, , ,
. .
1.31
.
.
73
,, of days spent in hospital 3,543; per admission.
13 . 57; per man of total strength
.
7.74
„
on sick leave 539; per man
. 106.5;
„.
, , . .
1.39
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
9.13
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Epidemics.
Special obser
vations and
remarks.
Princpal causes of sickness. —There were 261 cases admitted during the year. Of
these, 90 were of fever, mostly intermittent, though including continued and remittent. Next
in order of frequency come injuries, 55, then bowel complaints, of which there were 38. The
other causes of sickness are, from the cases being few or isolated, unimportant. The injuries
were all more or less connected with cavalry duties, and have for the most part been less severe
than in former years, except in two cases of concussion of the brain and one of fracture of the
base of the skull. The latter was caused - by the man (a duffadar) being thrown from his horse
on a pucca road and pitching upon his head, and ended fatally in a few hours; the cases of
concussion progressed favourably. There were three other deaths in hospital during the year,—
two from bowel complaint, dysentery and diarrhœa in men weakly from sickness contracted on
detached duty. The other death was from phthisis in a Sikh. No death occurred out of hospital.
XVII. Epidemics. —No epidemic occurred.
XXI. Special observations and remarks. —The general health of the corps has been satisfac-
tory throughout the year. Cases of goitre have occurred frequently, as in previous years, mostly
amongst recruits and camp-followers. Children and young persons up to the age of 25 are
chiefly affected. After that age it occurs but comparatively seldom. All the cases have been
treated by the biniodide of mercury ointment as before. In the district a large proportion
of the people suffer from this disease, and Cretins may often be seen, as noticed by Dr.
Hutchinson in his inspection report for 1877. The term, boad, however, therein mentioned,
appears to be applied to idiots generally with or without goitrous swellings. Gaigah-boad
denotes those with both afflictions.
Medical
Officer.
Drainage.
Clothing.
1st Regiment, Native Infantry-Benares.
I. Medical Officer.—Surgeon-Major Andrew Paterson held medical charge
of the regiment during the
year.
VI. Drainage.—The drainage
worked well during the heavy
rains that we had at Benares.
It is a noted fact that the natural
drainage in this station is most
perfect. Seldom after a heavy fall
of rain for hours was there seen
water standing about the lines, so
speedily was it carried away.
X. Clothing. —The uniform for
both winter and summer are suit-
able for climate and season. There
is one article of which the sepoy
should be supplied, and that is
socks. It is lamentable to see so
many men rendered unfit from the want of them by " blister of feet."
YEAR.
Station.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
. Goruckpore .
.
.
160.7
1.17
5.44
1874
.
Ditto
.
.
.
88.7
.43
3.84
1875
.
Ditto
. . .
181.61
.42
5.58
1876
.
Ditto
.
.
.
74.89
.42
2.33
1877
. Benares, March 1877
.
97.56
1.28
2.74
Average
.
.
120.69
.74
3.58
1878
. Benares, marched on relief
to Meean Meer, Nov.1878
86.84
1.41
2.95