PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
157
keep up with the regiment; the men were consequently Without great-coats or bedding for
t h r e e n i g h t s , a n d w i t h o u t f o o d f o r t h e l a s t c l a y a l s o . T h e n i g h t s w e r e v e r y c o l d a n d w i n d y ,
and I have no doubt that the seeds of many a fatal illness were there sown. On the 24th the
regiment marched to Lundi.Khana, 11 miles distant,—water-supply very good ; and on the 25th
arrived at Dakka, where the greater number of the men were housed in the lines in the fort,
which had been lately occupied by the Amir's troops. The fort of Dakka is situated on low
ground, about a quarter of a mile from the Cabul River, whence the water-supply is taken; the
soil is very damp, water being found at a depth of about 6 feet from the surface, and the lines
into which the sun scarcely ever penetrated had a damp, unwholesome smell like a cellar; they
were moreover exceedingly filthy when first occupied ; the ground inside the fort was full of
pits into which all kinds of refuse had been thrown, and altogether the place was in an ex
- t r e m e l y u n s a n i t a r y c o n d i t i o n . D u r i n g t h e t i m e t h e r e g i m e n t r e m a i n e d a t D a k k a t h e n i g h t s w e r e
Very cold, the ill-effect of which was enhanced br a dense mist which rose from the river after
sunset. Under such a condition of untoward circumstances, and taking into consideration the
effects of previous ilness from fever and dysentery and the hardships they had more recently
undergone, it is little wonder that the men suffered so severely during their period of occupa-
tion. On the 13th December the regiment was ordered to proceed to Basawul, about 10 miles
on the road towards Jelalabad. As this was reported to be a drier and healthier place than
Dakka, all the sick were removed there in the hope that a change would benefit them ; but
although the number of admissions diminished, this change had little or no good effect on
those who were already suffering from disease. On the 18th December the regiment marched
to Chardah, 10 miles; a good part of the road lay through a grassy plain ; water-supply from a
stream very good. On the 19th a march was made to Ali Boghan, 14 miles; the road traversed
a very stony and barren country nearly the whole way, camp was pitched on the banks of the
Cabul River. On the 20th the force arrived at Jellalabad, about 6 miles from Ali Boghan, and
has remained there up to date. The site chosen for the camp was in the midst of cultivated
ground, about a quarter of a mile from the river and a mile and a half to the east of the city ;
the position allotted to the regiment was on a field, which, having been recently irrigated, was
very damp; this circumstance was brought to the notice of authorities, but for military reasons
the site was not changed. In order to obviate, as far as possible, the evil consequences which
might be anticipated from the dampness of the soil, sand was spread thickly on the floors of
the tents ; dry grass was provided in abundance, and frequently changed ; and in fine weather
the sides of the tents were opened up, so as to admit the sun and air freely.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment :—
Present .
.
.
. .
.
. .
.
.
.
. 6 4 8 . 9
Absent .
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . .
.
.
9 4 . 8
Total
.
. 7 4 3 . 7
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
FER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions .
Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths. Daily average
sick.
Head-quarters at Turi and
Kohat.
1st Jan. 1878 3rd Oct. 1878
661.1
837
4
43.20 168.03
. 8 0 8.58
,, at Camp.Jum-
rood.
4th Oct.
„ 20th Nov. „
362. 236 ...
41.3 495.74 ... 11.43
,, on Cabul field
service.
21st Nov. „ 31st Dec. ,,
478.2 257
30
67.2 478.41 55.83 14.05
Detachment at Bahadur
Kheyl.
13th Mar. „ 7th June „
59.
7
...
.6 49.77
...
1.01
Depôt at Kohat
. . . 4th Oct, ,,
31st Dec. ,,
221.7
209
11
62.8 386.61 20.34 28.32
TOTAL .
648.9 1,546
45
59.9 238.25 6.93 9.24
Number of deaths in hospital 45 ; out of hospital 6; total .
51; per cent. of total strength
6.85
„
invalide
d
. . . . . . .
.
13;
,, ,, .
1.75
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
44;
„
,, .
5.91
„
of days spent in hospital 21,899; per admission
. 14.16;
per man of total strength
29.44
, ,
,, on sick leave 4,450; per man
. 101.11;
„
,,
.
5.98
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
35.42
p r i n c i p a l
causes of
sickness
.
XVI.Principal causes of sickness. — D u r i n g t h e f i r s t p a r t o f t h e y e a r , a n d u p t o a b o u t
the middle of August, the regiment enjoyed as good health as usual; but about that time
fever of the intermittent type made its appearance, and the sick list increased rapidly. This
fever seems to have been general throughout the Punjab, and in all probability owed its
origin to the heavy floods which had taken place a short time previously. The disease was
not of a severe character, nor was it in itself iu any case fatal, but it was obstinate in yielding
to treatment as are malarial fevers generally on the North-Western Frontier, and in conse-
quence of the very scanty quantity of quinine now allowed by Government, nearly all the
cases had to be treated with cinchona febrifuge, the result being that many men remained
P
1