2
MILITARY DEPARTMENT, 19TH AUGUST 1880, No. 5253.
As in the comparison first made (that with the preceding year), the last also
—that for a ten years' period—shews a lesser prevalence of sickness coupled with a
higher mortality and invaliding, than in the present year. During the ten years
comprised in the period, there has been an advance in nearly everything connected
with the sanitary well-being of the soldier ; he is now sent to India at a somewhat
more mature age and after a very careful medical examination as to his fitness ; in
many instances he lives in better barracks, cooler and more commodious than
those formerly occupied ; the articles composing his food are better of their kind ;
the barrack supply of water is carefully and probably is effectually protected from
pollution, and in other matters having relation to health, clothing, amusements,
duties, &c., there has been a steady elimination of hurtful influences. It might
confidently be expected that the more favorable conditions in which the soldier is
now placed would justify their costliness by the improved health of the force in the
present year, and surprise may naturally be excited when it is seen that coincidently
with the most perfect expression of sanitary care, there has been a greater preva-
lence of sickness. In explanation it might be said that, even if there is more sickness,
it is an improvement when in spite of this, fewer soldiers die, and fewer are invali-
ded from its consequences ; if the death rate for the ten years' period taken had held
in 1879, twenty soldiers more would have died, and if the invaliding had been in the
same proportion, thirty-five more would have been sent home as results of sickness
in the year. But as efficiency in the conservation of the health of a military force
will be judged rather by the greater or lesser amount of sickness in it, than by the
ultimate results of that sickness in death or disablement, a sufficient cause for the
increased sickness in 1879 must be sought.
When the proportions of the various illnesses in 1879 are examined, it is seen
that the kind in which the largest excess of prevalence on that of the ten years'
period occurs is in what are called paroxysmal fevers ; these, though always very
numerous, have years of aggravated prevalence—epidemic years depending on
meteorological phenomena, whose influence is little lessened by the means hitherto
used to countervail their action. The year under notice was one of those years ; in it
ague was present as an epidemic at various stations in the Command, and the men
attacked by it were in more than double the proportion of that for the ten years'
period ; the contrast is therefore virtually between an epidemic and a non-epidemic
period. The excess of sickness was also partly due to the greater proportion of
venereal diseases amongst the men—this is one-third higher in the present year
than that for the period quoted.
The influence of season in relation to sickness and mortality is shown in the
following table :—
Months.
A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h f o r t h e M o n t h .
A d m i t t e d i n t o H o s p i - t a l d u r i n g t h e M o n t h
,
D i e d d u r i n g t h e m o n t h .
R e m a i n n i n g i n H o s p i - t a l o n t h e l a s t F r i - d a y o f t h e M o n t h .
A n n u a l R a t e o f A d m i s - s i o n s p e r 1 , 0 0 0 o f t h e S t r e n g t h .
A n n u a l R a t e o f D e a t h s p e r 1 , 0 0 0 o f t h e S t r e n g t h .
R a t e o f r e m a i n i n g o r o f c o n s t a n t l y s i c k .
January . . .
9,956
1,107
12
684
1309. 2
14.20
68.7
February . . .
9,931
929
13
594
1219.5
17.06
59.8
March . . .
10,274
1,040
8
537
1191. 9
9.17
52.2
April . . .
10,325
1,198
8
655
1411. 7
9.43
63.4
May . . .
10,604
1,242
20
615
1379.05
22.22
58.0
June . . .
10,623
1,257
13
613
1439. 6
14 . 90
57.7
July . . .
10,593
1,379
32
725
1532.7
35 . 59
68.4
August . . .
10,569
1,382
21
665
1539.6
23 . 40
62.9
September . . .
10,480
1,262
23
720
1465.2
26 . 69
68.7
October . . .
10,577
1,341
8
697
1492.8
8.91
65.9
November . . .
11,206
1,330
7
817
1444.4
7.60
72.9
December . . .
10,951
1,270
8
629
1365.5
8.60
57.4
Average Annual Strength
. . .
10,507
14,737
173
662
1402. 6
16 . 47
63.0