XX. Recommendations .—.N one.
Recommenda-
tions.
151
PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE:
In the action of the 2nd December, 18 men were wounded, or 4.5 per cent. of the numbers
engaged ; and on the 13th December, 11 or 2.5 per cent. of those engaged. Out of 20 wounded
men under treatment at the close of the year, 15 (or 75 per cent.) have returned to duty at the
date of this report.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality .—Sixteen deaths took place this year, against 7 in
1877. Of the above. number,. 9 took place in the head-quarters' on field hospital
at Koorum, and 7 took place out of hospital. Of these latter, 5 were killed in battle, 1 man
was murdered at Thull, and 1 Man committed suicide at Abbottabad. The 9 men who died in
hospital died of the following diseases :—phthisis 2, pleurisy 1, pneumonia 1, dysentery 1, relap-
sing fever 1, encephalitis 1, and gunshot Wounds 2. The increase of mortality was almost
wholly due to the field service on which the regiment was engaged. Since the regiment
has been on service, namely, from the 2nd October, 10 men have died, namely, 5 men killed in
action, 2 died of their wounds, and 2 from disease.
XVIII. .E p i d e m i c s
. — O w i n g t o t h e a b s e n c e o f r a i n i n t h e e a r l y p a r t o f t h e y e a r , t h e r e w a s
a complete failure of the spring crops. throughout the Hazara district, and a severe famine
followed. From the early months of the year severe distress and sickness prevailed, till in
April a virulent epidemic of Cyprus and relapsing fever raged among the starving population
of Hazara, and was not extinguished' even in August last, as two typical cases of typhus fever
then fell under my own observation when Civil Surgeon of Hazara. As regards the men of
the regiment generally, this epidemic seemed to have little effect, though it was very fatal not
only among the district population, but also among the hospital servants and medical staff
employed on famine duties. Even among the women and children of the regiment, some of
whom must have been pinched by the high food rates prevailing, nothing approaching to an
epidemic occurred. There were only two cases of relapsing fever among the men and one of
typhus fever among the women of the regiment. The late Surgeon-Major Johnson,a most
accurate observer, ascribed both cases of relapsing fever to underfeeding ; and it is.unquestion
able that during the famine the men who had families to feed must have felt the prevailing
distress, themselves and their families, more than the unmarried sepoys, for the Government
compensation grant did not reach the men's families. Both cases of relapsing fever were
married men.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
XIX. Vaccination.—No men were vaccinated during the year, all the recruits either having
been vaccninated or had bad small_pox before their enlistment.
Vaccination.
• XXI. Special observations and remarks.—The regiment lost two British-officers last year.
Surgeon-Major J. R. Johnson, in medical charge, fell a victim to typhus fever contracted in the,
discharge of his duties as Civil Surgeon of Hazara. The type of fever by which he was attacked
was very virulent, the symptoms from the earliest gave small hopes of a favorable, issue, and
he died on the fourteenth day of the disease This officer had been for many years connected with
the 5th Goorkha Regiment, and the universal regret expressed at his death, as also the Punjab
Frontier Force Brigade order by the Major-General Commanding, bear flattering and well
deserved testimony to the esteem in which he was held. Captain Powell, Wing Officer of the
regiment, was wounded in action in the Mungear defile on the 13th December. A small bullet
fired from above struck him in the back between the scapula and spine and lodged. There was
little or no bleeding at the time, and this officer professed himself but little hurt and gallantly
continued to lead his men till compelled to desist by pain and dyspnœa. In a few hours
symptoms of wounded lung sheaved themselves, but the actual course and lodgment of the
bullet could not be made out owing to the small external opening and slanting direction of
wound towards chest forbidding all exploration. He lingered till 18th December, his death
being probably due to internal hæmorrhage during the march to Koorum. After death the
course of the bullet was found to be downwards, forwards, and a little outwards, and it entered
the cavities of chest a little below inferior angle of scapula, fracturing two ribs in its course and
driving a large piece of one of them into the lung. The cavity of the right pluera was partially
filled with blood, and the lung collapsed. No sufficient search for bullet was made. Twenty-
nine men were invalided during the year from the following diseases :—
Special
observations
and remarks.
Broken down constitution
.
. .
.
.
.
. 13
Old age
.
.
. .
. . .
.
.
.
. 5
Asthma
.
.
. .
.
. .
. .
.
. 3
Anæmia .
.
. . . .
.
.
.
. . 1
Total
.
. 22
The above men having completed 15 years' service were invalided by annual committee;
while theunder-mentioned being short-service men were awarded gratuities by the quarterly
committee :—
Phthisis and pneumonic-phthisis
. .
. .
. . 4
Physical debility
. . .
. .
.
.
.
.
1
Chronic bronchitis . .
. . .
.
.
. . . 1
Enlargement of spleen .
.
. .
.
.
.
.
. 1
Total
.
7