Diet and
food supply.
Duty and
employment.
Hospital.
132
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
This is most unusual in Peshawar, where the cold weather rains usually set in about the 20th of
N o v e m b e r .
IX. Diet and food-supply. —There has been abundance of supplies in the regimental bazaar.
Latterly grain has become very dear owing to the want of rain. The men feed very well, as a
rule no cases of underfeeding came under my notice.
XI. Duty and employment. —At Peshawar the duties have been very severe owing to the
numerous escorts and patrols required since the beginning of the operations in the Khyber Pass.
The health of the regiment has not been very good latterly, and the severe duties and the
exposure they entail have undoubtedly increased to a considerable extent the number of admis-
sions from fever and chest affections. The continuous nights in bed have heen 3.62.
XIV. Hospital. —There is only room for 20 men in the hospital, while the number of sick
ranged between 30 and 60 since the 1st October. The men were put up in tents near the
hospital. The hospital is kept warm by two large fires, and the doors are supplied with good
purdahs.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment :—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 3 9 8 .
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 61.10
Total
.
. 459.10
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT, OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
From
To
Admis-
Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters camp at Sher.
gashi.
1st Jan. 1878 5th Feb. 1878
236
21
1
4.82 90.13 4.3
2.04
,,
at Peshawar. 6th Feb.
31st Dec. „
347
705
10
16.51 225.4
3.19
4.44
Depôt at Peshawar
.
. 1st Jan.
„
5th Feb.
„
143
15
1
7.91 106.25 7.19
5.53
Detachment at Shuhkudder
18th April „
5th June „ 5 0
45
. . .
.94 207.91 ...
1.88
10th Aug. „
20th Sep. „
25th Oct. „
28th Dec. „
Detachment at Michnee .
30th Mar. „
4th June „
48
88
2
3.04 391.31 8.88
6.33
.10th Aug. „
20th Sep. „
25th Oct. „
25th Dec. „
Detachment at Mackeson . 12th Nov. „
Ditto
23
4
. . .
.57 144.25 ...
2.47
TOTAL
.
. . .
. . .
398
878
14
18.42 220.6
3.51
4.62
Number of deaths in hospital 14; out of hospital 4; total
18; per cent. of total strength .
.
3.92
,,
invalided
8 ;
„
,,
.
1.74
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
10;
„
.
.
2.17
„
of days spent in hospital
6,801; per admission
7.74; per man of total strength .
. 14.81
,,
,,
on sick leave 1,079; per man
. 107.9;
„
.
.
2.35
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
.
17.16
A comparison with former years will show that the mortality during 1878 has been greater
than it was ever before, while the number of admissions is considerably above the average of
former years:—
PER CENT, OF STRENGTH.
Admissions.
Deaths.
Daily sick.
Average of five years ending in 1875 .
.
.
.
.
161.78
.4
5.57
Year
1876 .
.
.
.
.
277.92
2.19
7.75
„
1877 .
.
.
. .
109.71
.43
3.09
„
1878 .
.
.
.
.
220.6
3.92
4.62
Principal
causes of
sickness.
XVI. Principal causes of sicksess. —The great increase in the number of admissions is
owing to the prevalence of malarious fevers, which caused 688 admissions out of a total of 878.
The general prevalence of fever during the year has been probably due to the heavy rains
which occurred in July and August.
i
There was no increase in the admissions from this Cause
till about the middle of September. The disease in itself was of a mild type, and none of the
severe symptoms commonly attributed to " Peshawar fever" were developed ; but owing to
the frequency of the attacks many of the men, especially the old soldiers, are in a very debili-