Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
CENTRAL INDIA.
57
IV. Meteorology.—The most remarkable features in the meteorology of the year were the
excessive high range of temperature of all but the last month of the year, and the. drought
which prevailed till the end of June; many wells in the station becoming dry, and causing
great inconvenience and some apprehension on that account.
VII. Conservancy remains in the unsatisfactory state so frequently reported on—vide
reports for the years 1872 and 1873, and my special report to the Deputy Surgeon-General,
Saugor Circle, dated 12th December 1872.
IX. Diet and food-supply. —Supplies abundant and of good quality, except vegetables, which
are scarce and dear, especially during the hot weather, and it is then usual to have several admis-
sions for spongy and bleeding gums, which I have attributed to slight scorbutic taint ; at all
events, they usually quickly get well under the use of lime-juice and astringent washes for the
gums. This year, however, a case of unusual severity occurred and ended fatally, the man
showing marked signs of scorbutic cachexy.
X. Clothing.—As described in last year's report. My experience corroborates that of Sur-
geon-Major Odevaine, as to the great advantage of native shoes for marching under ordinary
circumstances. I accompanied the battalion seven marches to Itarsi, and during that time not
a single man suffered from foot-sore. I consider it doubtful, however, whether the native shoe,
of bad material and workmanship, will stand the rough work of marching in a stony and hilly
country and the frequent contact with wet snow. Probably for such work the ordinary ammu-
nition boot, which should however be worn with stout woollen socks, will be found most suit-
able.
Meteorolgy.
Conservancy.
Diet and
food-supply.
Clothing.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaiding.—Strength of the Bho p al Battalion :—
Present .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 832.2
Absent .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
99.9
Total
.
. 932.1
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
A d m i s -
sign
Deaths.
Admi s-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
Head-quarters at Sehore
. 1st Jan. 1878 25th Nov. 1878
767.
914
9
21.00 132.2
1.3
2.7
Ditto
on field service 26th Nov. „
31st Dec.
„
550.6
97
1
17.00 170.41
1.8
3.06
Detachment at Indore .
. 1st Jan.
„
22nd Nov. ,,
55.1
115
. . .
2.84 233.6
...
5.1
Ditto at Sehore .
. 26th Nov. „
31st Dec. „
207.6
29
1
14.10 141.5
4.9
6.7
Ditto with Agent, Gov-
ernor - General for Central
India
.. . 1st Jan.
,
1st Mar.
„
19.4
3
. . .
.45
94.04
...
2.3
Detachment at Hoti Mar-
dun
.
.
.
. 22nd Dec. ,, . 31st Dec.
„
246.
22
1
7.57 326.3
14.7
3'
T O T A L
. . .
...
832.2
1,180
12
25.2
141.79
1.44
3.02
Number of deaths in hospital 12; out of hospital 4; total 16; per cent of total strength
.
1.71
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
22 ;
„
, ,
.
2.36
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
. . 2 0 ;
.
.
2.14
„
of days spent in hospital 9,198 ; per admission
. 6 . 9 ;p
e r m
a n o ft
o t a l s t r e n g t h
.
9.87
, , , , o n s i c k l e a v e3
, 2 6 0 ; p e rm
a n
. . 1 6 3 ;
„ .
.
3.49
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
. 13.36
It will be seen that the sickness has been .94 per cent. in excess of that of last year, both
y ears having been unusually unhealthy. The mortality amounted to 12 in and 4 out of
hospital.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —The man who died of scurvy had bleeding gums
and gummata in the inter-muscular spaces; he belonged to the class of men, of which happily
there are not many in this battalion, who starve themselves to save their pay. As soon as this
was discovered, he was carefully fed in hospital and had stimulants, but too late to save his life.
XVIII. Epidemics. —All the towns and villages under the Bhopal Political Agency are in a
deplorable insanitary condition. In the former, open privies are universal, and the regulations
for removing ordure appear to be very defective. In most of the villages opium is cultivated,
—a crop which requires heavy manuring, and the manure, consisting of ordure and refuse of
every description, is left rotting in and around the villages till required for use, the stench
arising therefrom being usually insupportable.
XXI. Special observations and remarks. —Since the 22nd July every case of malarious fever
admitted to hospital, with the exception of 100 treated with cinchona febrifuge in the interval of
obtaining a second supply of triple febrifuge, has been treated with the latter drug. Up to the
end of the year 313 cases were so treated, with good results; in no instance was it found neces-
sary to have recourse to quinine.
Inspection. —The Bhopal Battalion was inspected at Jubbulpore on the 5th
December 1878 by Deputy Surgeon-General Perkins. The regiment was at
the rest camp en route for the north-west frontier service. The physique of
the men was "strikingly good. " The service equipment for the hospital
'Special
observations
and remarks.
Inspection.
P