Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
34
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
consequently had some days to go without cooked food. The river water too was very muddy
owing to the season, and superadded to these drawbacks. More than one break-down occurred
in the transports, causing further delay and difficulty. Owing to the high heat in the hold
of the flat too, some of the provisions went bad, and had to be replaced. In consequence of
these disadvantages the general health of the regiment broke down before reaching Allahabad,
and it continued very sickly for about a month after its arrival there.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment :—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 575.45
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
•
.
109.72
Total
.
. 685.17
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL
NUMBER OF
Daily
averag
number
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admis-sions Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Cachar
marching to and at Alla
- habad.
1st Jan. 1878 31st Dec. 1878
523. 16 1,098
10
41.17 209.88 1 . 91
7.86
Detachment at Monierkhal
Ditto .
. 3rd Sept. 1878
40 . 81
46
2
1.25 167.23 7. 28
3.06
Detachment at Noarbund .
Ditto .
.
Ditto
. .
36.87
4
...
.05
16.07
...
.13
TOTAL
. . .
...
575.45 1,148
12
41.81 199 .49 2.08
7.26
Number of deaths in hospital 12; out of hospital 5 ; total.
17 ; per cent. of total strength
.
2.48
, ,
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
21 ;
„
, ,
3.06
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
21;
„
, ,
3.06
„
of days spent in hospital 15,261 ; per admissions
13 . 31 ; per man of total strength
.
22.27
,,
on sick leave, 2,465 ; per man
. 117 . 38 ;
„
, , 3.59
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. . .
25.86
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Inspection.
The sickness was greater, the mortality and invaliding less, than in the previous year.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Of the deaths in hospital, dysentery caused most
during the year,—5 in head-quarters hospital, and 1 in detachment hospital. In many cases
it was of a very acute character, and ran a very rapid course in spite of remedies. Remittent
fever caused 2 deaths,—1 in head-quarters, and 1 in detachment hospital ; the former case
succumbing to serious apoplexy. Ague, complicated with dysentery, phthisis pulmonalis,
acute bronchitis, and jaundice with complications, caused 1 death each. Of the deaths out of
hospital, 2 occurred at the Munipore outpost,—1 reported from cholera, and 1 from phthisis
pulmonalis. Three deaths occurred on sick leave ; cause of death unknown.
Inspection. —This regiment, stationed at Silchar, was inspected by Deputy
Surgeon-General DeRenzy on the 29th July 1878, who considers the site un-
healthy. The huts, hospitals, and other buildings, occupy the ridges of low hills ;
the valleys being inundated during the rains. The water-supply is open to sus
-picion ; the wells are nominally protected from pollution, but in reality the men
stand fair over the gratings when drawing water, and dripping may at any
time carry back tainted materials. Much foul tank-water is also drunk. The
latrines share the remarks common to them everywhere in the eastern provinces.
Mr. DeRenzy highly commends the gymnasium of the regiment, and considers
the training in it has benefited both the physical and moral character of the
sepoys. Vaccination has been a failure. The medical arrangements were all
satisfactory.