PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
149
eaten after a long fast, remained undigested, producing colic, have and dysentery; while the
weight of their accoutrements, over 33 lbs. each man, must have added to the fatigue of march-
ing, especially in a hot sun. On the 27th November the regiment reached Koorum Fort, and
at daybreak on the 28th marched for the Peiwar Kotul, about 18 miles distant, and found the
Afghan army posted on its crest. In the reconnoisance which followed, the regiment lost one
sepoy wounded. At daybreak on the 2nd December, after marching throughout the whole of the
previous night over very difficult ground, the regiment gallantly led the attack on, and captured
the Afghan position on the Spingawai Kotul. Two sepoys were killed and 18 wounded on
this day. Subsequently the regiment marched to Ali Kheyl in the Hariah valley, and formed
part of the force that reconnoitered to the foot of the Shuturgurdan Pass, 11,500 feet above
the sea. On the 12th December, General Roberts led a small part of his force, among them
the 5th Goorkhas, back to Koorum by an unfrequented route on the south-west Of the Hariah
valley, and which passing through difficult and mountainous country led into the Koorum
valley on its extreme west. It was while passing through the Mungear defile leading into
this valley that the regiment was attacked on the 13th December by the Munguls, a marauding
tribe living in the neighbouring hills, and three sepoys killed, and one officer and 11 sepoys
wounded. Captain Powell, who was the officer wounded, and one sepoy subsequently died of
their wounds. On the 19th December the regiment returned to Koorum Fort, and active opera
-tions ceased. From the date the regiment left Thull till its return to Koorum on 19th De
-cember, a period of 27 days, 5 men were killed in action, and 1 officer and 30 men wounded
out of 30 wounded 8 were so slightly injured as not to require treatment in hospital.
X V. Sickness, mortality and invaliding . —Strength of the regiment:—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 698.23
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
. .
.
.
.
. 47.96
Total
.
. 746.19
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMB
ER OF Daily
avenge
sick.
PERCENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
s i ons .
Deaths,
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
aveage
sick.
Head-quarters with Jowaki
Expedition.
1st Jan. 1878 . 17th Mar. 1878 357.64
54
1
7.30 72.47 1.29 2.04
,,
at Abbottabad 18th Mar. „ 1st Oct. „
714.23 418
3
27.99 107.88 77 3.98
Koorum Field
Force.
2nd Oct. „ 31st Dec. „
561.15 403
4 28.73 288.03 1.69 5.11
Wing at Abbottabad . . 1st Jan. „ 17th Mar. „
319.35
39 ...
8.82 58.68 ...
2.76
Detachment at Abbottabad 2nd Oct. „ 31st Dec. „
91.52
29
1
7.18 127.70 4.43 7.84
TOTAL
. .
. . .
. . .
698.23 943
9 27.52 135.04 1.28 3.94
Number of deaths in hospital 9; out of hospital 7; total .
16; per cent. of total strength . . 2.14
„
invalided .
. . .
.
.
. .
29;
, ,
,,
. .
. . 3.88
„
sent on sick leave
. .
. . .
.
.
..
2; „
, ,
.,,
, , .
27
„
of days spent in hospital 10,008; per admission . 10.61 ; per man of total strength . . 13.41
”
on sick leave 222; per man
:.. 111;
„
, ,
. .
29
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
. 13.70
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Taking into consideration the field service on which
the regiment has been employed for more than five months of the past year, the health of the
men has been in the main good, though as was to be expected the number of admissions had
increased considerably and stands higher than in any year from 1873. The following table
gives the total number of admissions and daily average sick in each year for the last six years,
as also the chief causes of sickness during the same period :—
Principal
causes of
sickness.
YEAR.
Total
admissions
of year.
A D M I S S I O N S F R O M
Daily
average
number of
si ck.
Fevers.
D i s e a s e s o f c h e s t .
D i s e a s e s o f b o w e l s .
D i s e a s e s o f e y e .
B l i s t e r o f f e e t .
W o u n d s i n b a t t l e .
1878
. . .
.
.
. .
943
489
30
85
66
83
22
27.52
1877
. . . .
.
. .
614
301
38
32
35
45
4
24
1876 .
.
.
.
.
.
. 777
427
27
48
48
5
...
25.63
1875 .
.
. .
.
.
.
618
303
29
29
34
5
...
27.82
1874 .
.
.
.
.
.
. 673
332
21
44
26
4
...
2 6 .
1873 . .
.
.
. . .
685
300
38
63
32
5
...
2 1 .
N 1