4
MILITARY DEPARTMENT, 18TH SEPTEMBER 1878, No. 4838.
occurred in the Royal Artillery, St. Thomas' Mount, on 6th May. This man's child
died of cholera four days previously. No cause for the attack in the latter is
assigned.
Two cases occurred at Bellary, viz., one in 43rd Regiment and one in the
Royal Artillery; both recovered. In the former, which occurred in February, no
satisfactory cause could be traced; in the latter, which occurred in July, the patient
was in the habit of frequently visiting the Native town, where cholera was rife. Of
the cases recorded at Bangalore, three occurred in the Royal Artillery and two in
the 14th Hussars. One of the former and both of the latter proved fatal. Those
in the Royal Artillery occurred in June. No cause could be traced. The two
cases in 14th Hussars occurred on 1st and 24th February respectively. The first
named was admitted in the morning for a small hœ morrhoid, operated upon some-
-time before but which had not quite healed. In the evening, he was seized with
purging, choleraic symptoms set in soon after, and he died the following morning.
No cause could be assigned, except that cholera was rife in the neighborhood. The
second case was that of a married man who had attended the funeral of the above.
He was attacked on the 24th February, and died in twelve hours. Seven cases
—three fatal—were recorded at Secunderabad, viz., five, with two deaths, in 12th
Lancers, one in 2/16th Regiment, recovered, and one in 44th Regiment, fatal.
Relative to the cases in 12th Lancers, the Principal Medical Officer of the circle
writes as follows :—"The regiment had just come out from England, and arrived
at Secunderabad on 5th February. On the following morning, four men were
seized; all belonged to the same troop. One of these was under treatment in
hospital at the time for another disease. On the 8th, a fifth case was admitted, and
with it the disease disappeared. On the 6th and 7th February, diarrhœ a was very
prevalent among the men, and fears were entertained that a serious outbreak was
about to occur. On the night of the 8th, the wind changed to the north-east; no
fresh case occurred, and the diarrhœa abated. The regiment had arrived at a
station in which the disease existed, and being of necessity fatigued by a long
railway journey, the conditions were present that exposed the travellers to the
danger of infection."
The case recorded in 2/16th Regiment occurred on 17th June, was of a mild
nature and recovered. Its origin could not be traced. That recorded in 44th
Regiment was admitted on the evening of 11th March, and proved fatal in thirty
-six hours. This man was one of a draft recently joined, and had only been eighteen
days in India. The cause could not be ascertained. Two cases occurred at Poona
-mallee, and one proved fatal. The first was admitted on the evening of 6th Janu
-ary, and died the following day. He had been absent "on pass" to Madras from
the morning of the 3rd January until the evening of the 5th, and had been drinking
heavily. On the morning of his attack, he is stated to have eaten of some curried
liver purchased from a Native, but it was observed that several other men had
partaken of the same food with impunity. The second case at this station was
admitted on the morning of the 3rd October, and recovered. No cause could be
assigned. Of the two cases recorded at Wellington, one was admitted on 6th
April and recovered. He had arrived from Secunderabad two days previously, and
attributed his attack to drinking some dirty water en route. The second case was
admitted on the morning of the 24th July. He had been ill from 9 P. M. the pre
-vious night. The case terminated fatally the following evening. The origin of the
attack could not be traced, but the man is reported to have been very intemperate.
Three cases—two fatal—occurred "on the march." Of these, two were in a
small party of invalids proceeding by boat from Tonghoo to Rangoon in June 1877.
The first occurred on 25th June and recovered, the second on 27th June and
terminated fatally in ten hours.
The Apothecary in charge of the party could assign no satisfactory cause for
the attacks. The third case occurred on 5th November, also in a man proceeding
by boat from Tonghoo to Rangoon, and proved fatal on the third day. No cause is
assigned.