iv
the actual number of days passed. in hospital was 1,071,932 ; 1,649 men also
proceeded on sick leave-and were absent from duty on that account 213,406
days. The grand total represents 3,520 men daily absent from duty on account
of sickness, representing in other words five battalions of 700 men each.
The same proportion for 1877 was 3.17 battalions ; 1876, 3.51 ; 1875, 3.6 ; 1874,
3.5. The constantly ineffective ratio of sick to strength present has never
before reached 5 per cent.
11. Each case admitted into hospital was detained there under treatment
10.5 days, a figure which is moderate and scarcely removed from an average of
several years in which admissions were fewer ; this is due, as was explained in
last year's report, to the vast majority of admissions being from ague in different
forms; a disease which multiplies admissions rather than retains men long
under treatment. The average absence of men who were sent to their homes
on medical certificate for change of air was as nearly as possible the same as
for 1877, viz., 129.4 days.
12. The total number of deaths was 1,592; and of these 1,166 occurred in
hospital while under medical treatment ; and in addition there were 68 who
died out of hospital, that is, killed in action, by accident, suicide, or from
any other form of death which took place before medical aid reached them ;
358 men died while absent from the colours, either on sick leave, or on private
furlough, or whose sickness, if any, was not recorded.
13. The average strength of European officers attached to the Native Army
in 1878 was 639.6 ; among these 313 were placed on the sick list and 12 died.
The percentage of the former was 48.9, and of the latter 1.8. In 1877 the
figures were 45.7 and .83 respectively ; but in that year only 2 officers met
with violent deaths, whereas in 1878, 5 officers were killed from gunshot
wounds and 1 from fracture. Of the 313 admitted, there were agues 94, re-
mittent and continued fevers 20, diseases of the digestive organs 53, surgical 36,
rheumatisms 6, general debility 6, gout 10, other diseases 88. Besides the
6 deaths already noted, 2 occurred from dysentery, and 1 each. from.acute
gout, remittent fever, typhus fever and gastritis.
14. The further subdivision of the Native Army into artillery, cavalry and
infantry, which has been admitted into the annual report for some years, has,
under my direction, been now discontinued. No sufficiently useful purpose
seems to be answered by continuing these statistics indefinitely ; it is sufficient
that the figures are at hand for future reference and already covers a sufficient
length of time to answer all practical questions.
STATEMENT NO. V
Showing the Constitution of the. Army and Death-rate according to Age.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
UNDER 25 YEARS. 25-40 YEARS.
ABOVE 40 YEARS.
Number
per cent. Death- rate. Number per cent. Death- rate. Number
per cent. Death- rate.
Artillery . . . 30.84 .58 49.37 1.44 19.79 5.40
Cavalry . . .
30.53 1.41 53.26 1.38 16.20 2.97
Infantry . . . 34.26 2.38 56.88 2.86
8.85 3.30
Regular Army
. 33.74 2.22 56.70 2.61 9.56 2.94
Central India Force . 26 92 1.25 55.35 1.70 17.73 3.
Punjab Frontier Force 35.77 2.61 54.07 2.85 10.16 4.60
TOTAL . . 33.48 2.18 56.01 2.57 10.42 3.25
15. In Statement No. V the constitution of the Army as regards age, and
the mortality in three
selected stages is given,
viz., youths, adults, and
old soldiers. A glance at
these figures will shew
that the days when se-
poys continued to serve
on until they were worn
out have passed away ;
only 10 per cent. of the
men who enlist serve
beyond 40 years of age;
33.4 per cent. are youths
under 25 years of age ;
56 per cent. are between
25 and 40. The mortali-
ty exhibits a correspond-
ing advance according
to age, viz. , 2.18, 2.57,
3.25 per cent. respect-
ively. The variations in this table between different arms of the service,
and also between the several component sections of the Army, are open to so
many disturbing influences that practical lessons cannot be educed from the
figures.