Topography.
Drainage.
Clothing.
Duty.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Recommenda-
tions.
RAWAL PINDI DIVISION.
125
Fort Koorum reached on the, 25th idem. Some hours before sunrise on 28th November, the re
- g i m e n t f o r m i n g p a r t o f a n a t t a c k i n g c o l u m n , s t a r t e d f o r t h e A f g h a n c a n t o n m e n t o f H a b i b
Killa, near the entrance to the Peiwar Pass, and took part in the assault on that position on
2nd December. For the remainder of the year the regiment was divided into wings and loca-
ted in the vicinity of the Peiwar Pass at the village of Peiwar, and at Habib Killa. On the
26th December the head-quarters and right wing marched for Hazir Pir Ziarut on the road
to Thull, and there encamped on 28th December.
III. Topography. —For information respecting the Meeranzai and Koorum valleys, I would
refer to Dr. Bellew's Journal of a Mission to Afghanistan in 1357.
VI. Drainage. —This is a point always carefully attended to in selecting ground to
encamp on.
VIII. Water-supply.—Water of excellent quality is plentiful in every part of the Meeranzai
and Koorum valleys, and is procured from local springs and streams having their source in the
Sufed Koh range of mountains. The principal of these is the River Koorum, which waters the
Koorum valley through its whole extent.
1X. Diet.—After crossing the frontier into Afghan territory on the 21st November, the
daily ration was supplied by Government. The men bought meat as opportunity offered, but
vegetables were generally scarce and with difficulty procurable. Illness from this want was
mostly prevented by a liberal use of lime-juice. Owing to the prevalence of fever in Novem-
ber a supply of rum was procured and served out; and it was also obtainable by those who
wished for it during the winter months.
Water-supply.
Diet.
X. Clothing. —Some addition was made to the warm clothing of the men when the cold
weather set in, and few, if any, of them suffered from the inclemency of the last two months
of the vear.
XI. Duty. —Occasionally on service this has been excessive, though it has at no time
caused injury to health. The continuous nights in bed have averaged 4.25.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment :—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 382.97
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
72.42
Total
.
. 455.39
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
A d m i s -
s i o n s .
Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Admis-
sions.
Deaths.
From
To
Head-quarters at Jhelum . 1st Jan. 1878. 25th Sep. 1878
399.89
403
2
10.38
137.24
1.89
2.59
„
on service . 26th Sep. „ . 31st Dec. „ .
332. 21
221
...
1 0 .
250.31
...
3.01
Depot at Jhelum
.
. 27th „ „ .
Ditto
.
51.27
46
...
9.77
341.12
...
19.05
Detachment at Koorum . 30th Nov. „ . 26th Dec. „
76.
20
„.
6 .
355.66
...
7.89
Peiwar
. 26th Dec. „ . 31st „
„ .
56.
10
. . .
5.16 1085.87
...
9.21
TOTAL
.
.
...
...
382.97
700
2
13.54
182.78
.78
3.53
Number of deaths in hospital 2; out of hospital 2 ; total
4; per cent. of total strength.
.
.87
,, i n v a l i d e d
. . . . .
14 ;
,,
, , .
3.07
,,
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
6;
,,
,,
.
1.31
,,
of days spent in hospital 4,943 ; per admission .
7.05 ; per man of total strength.
.
10.85
,,
,,
on sick leave 476; per man .
.
79'33 ;
,,
,, .
1.04
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
.
11.89
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Of the total (701) admissions, 486 were caused by
malarious fever. Many of the men had repeated attacks of it during the autumn and winter
months. Dysentery was rather prevalent in December owing to the very low temperature
experienced at the Peiwar Pass ; there were 48 admissions for this disease, and all made good
recoveries. Though a part of the regiment was under a heavy fire at the attack on the
Peiwar Kotul on 2nd December, none of the men were hit. Local injuries, chiefly contu-
sions, caused 63 of the remaining admissions.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Of the deaths in hospital, one was due to pneumonia,
one to erysipelas of the leg and thigh, and a third, that of hospital-assistant Heera Lall (not
included in the above table), to chronic bronchitis and diarrhœa. Of the deaths out of hospital,
one was a case of accidental drowning, and the other of heat-apoplexy.
XX. Recommendations. —The health of the camp-followers of this regiment has not suf-
fered in any great degree from exposure while on service, although for a considerable part of
G 1
Principal
causes of
sickness.