Medical
Officers.
Sickness,
mortality and
invalding.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Inspection.
shoes on, and this was a great source of discomfort to them as their feet were much cracked by
the cold, and the sand got into the fissures and made them swell and inflame ; ammunition boots
and socks would have added to their efficiency and been a great comfort to them.
Note. —There was no inspection of this regiment.
Inspection.
9th Regiment, flatibe Infantrg—Meean Meer.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873 . Lucknow, Feb. 1870 .
129.5
3.
5.5
1874 . Morar, Jan. 1874
.
158.4
1.14
6.49
1875 . Ditto
. . .
120.1
. 4 2 4.82
1876
Ditto
. . .
136.85
1.56
3.64
1877 . Meean Meer
. .
252.32
1.56
6.14
Average
.
159.43
1.53
5.32
1878 . Meean Meer
. .
316.78
2.96
9.98
I. Medical Officers. —
Surgeon-Major A. K. Reed,
of the 26th Punjab Native In-
fantry, held. medical charge
of this regiment from 1st
January till 13th February;
and Surgeon A. H Williams,
from the 14th February till
the 31st December.
XV. Sickness, mortalily and
invaliding.—Strength of the regi-
ment :—
Present. . . . 643.03
Absent .
.
. 65.88
Total . 708.91
S T A T I O N .
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER A.NNTISI.
From
To
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admis
- sions. Deaths. Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters, Meean Meer 1st Jan. 1878 31st Dec,1878 619.87 1,938 12.
62.34 312.64 1.93 10.05
Detachment, Umritsur
. 28th Oct. „
Ditto. 88.95
99 1 .
7.24 624.93 6.29 8.13
TOTAL
...
. . .
643.03 2,037 13.
64.23 316.78 2.02 9.98
Number of deaths in hospital 13 ; out of hospital 8 ; total
21; per cent. of total strength . 2.96
„
invalided . . . . . . . .
17; „ .
„
. 2.39
„ sent on sick leave
. . . . . .
37; ,,
„
. . 5.21
„ of days spent in hospital 23,445; per admission .
11.5; per man of total strength . 33.07
„
„
on sick leave 4,551; per man . . 123. ; „
„
6.41
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. 3 9 . 4 8
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Malarial fevers were the cause of nearly 78 per cent.
of the admissions into hospital, the actual number being 1,588; 4.6 per cent. (or 95 in number)
of the cases admitted were on account of dysentery. Bronchitis produced 63 and pneumonia
26 admissions into hospital. On account of blisters of feet there were but 22 admissions.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Pneumonia was the cause of more than half of the
deaths in hospital, 7 men having succumbed to this disease. Two cases of remittent fever
proved. fatal. The other four deaths were from ague ( a), phthisis, bronchitis and dysentery,
respectively.
Inspection .—The regiment was inspected by Deputy Surgeon-General
W. B. Beatson, M.D., on the 10th May 1879. It is to be observed that this regi-
ment has been at Meean Meer throughout the year, and its medical history
should, therefore, serve as a useful standard of comparison with troops who were
longer or shorter in the field during 1878. The huts are considered by the in-
specting medical officer to be defective, being ill-ventilated and over-crowded ; but
this will be obviated when new sets for 200 men, now being built on a better
plan, are. occupied. The water and food-supply was good and sufficient. Duties
have been ordinary ; clothing ample ; hospital :accom.modation ample. Never-
theless the admission rate had been very high, and 13 deaths occurred, of which
7 were from pneumonia. The hospital records and visitors' book were all written
up, and showed attention to details.