EASTERN FRONTIER DISTRICT.
31
hospital at Gauhati ; one died of inflammation and eventual rupture of spleen, the result of an
accident. There is no doubt that the spleen tissue was ruptured at the time of the accident,
but that the dense thickened capsule remained entire. The man lived for three days, when
from distention of spleen substance from hæmorrhage the capsule burst on the fourth day ;
the capsule had become softened in the parts which ultimately gave way. The accident was
caused during exercise, after a heavy meal of rice, in the gymnasium. The man slipped on the
horizontal bar and fell with his left side against the bar; the spleen was evidently crushed
between the bar on one side and the hard stomach full of rice on the other. One man died
of abscess of liver. While on duty, some months before, with a survey party in the hills,
he had evidently suffered from suppurative inflammation of liver (returned as ague by the
hospital assistant); nearly three months after this illness he returned to Gauhati, and was
admitted for abscess of liver. While I was watching for indications of its exact site with a
view to operating, the abscess ruptured on the man's turning in bed one day, and he sud-
denly died. The third death was from anæmia ; he had been on furlough, away from his
corps, and had been ill for some months. He returned in an almost dying condition from
exhaustion of anæmia, was at once admitted, but died the next day.
Epidemics.
X VIII. Epidemics.—There were no epidemics, but one case of chicken-pox occurred.
One case of cholera was admitted to hospital at Tezpur; the man recovered.
Vaccination.
XIX. Vaccination. —During the cold weather of 1877-78 and that of 1878-79, I had
all the men paraded, and inspected them with regard to protection from small-pox. Those un-
protected or not satisfactorily protected were all successfully vaccinated or re-vaccinated. The
women and children were similarly done as were the inhabitants of the regimental bazar.
During both these cold seasons, 76 cases of vaccination or re-vaccination were done in all.
All the primary vaccination cases were ultimately successful ; several, however, had to be done
more than once before they took satisfactorily. The wing, as at present constituted, is well
protected against small-pox.
Inspection.
Inspection.—The Left Wing, 44th Native Infantry, at Gauhati, was inspect-
ed by Deputy Surgeon-General A. C. C. DeRenzy on the 23rd January 1878 :—
Mr. DeRenzy, in the first instance, notices the unfavourable site of the town
and cantonments as regards its surface drainage. The level falls away from
the riverside ; hence, when the Brahmaputra is in flood, a large area is swampy
nor is there any possibility of getting rid of the accummulated rainfall. The
nearest approach to a remedy is by expediting its delivery when the river flood
diminishes, and a project of this nature is being considered. The sepoys' huts,
instead of being raised above the ground, which must necessarily be always
damp with such excessive surface saturation, are on the contrary dug out
from the inside, the earth having been used in the wattle and daub construction
and in periodical plastering. The water-supply is also objectionable. The river
water is the best ; but it is nearly half a mile away, while tanks which hold the
contaminated surface drainage of the place are near at hand. Mr. DeRenzy
expresses his great surprise that the simple, wholesome, and comparatively in-
expensive project of tapping the river bank, conveying the cool, sweet supply
through iron pipes into filtering cisterns, and thence through hydrants about the
station, has not yet been done. There are no latrines, and the men resort to the
jungles. The hospital has a latrine with a pucca floor which has become infil-
trated with urine and was " not very sweet." It is said there is a difficulty in
procuring sweepers. On a later visit in December 1878 reports that the huts
had been much improved as to their sanitary construction ; indeed, the lines
were newly rebuilt. The medical service of the regimental hospital is reported
to be in excellent order.
43rd Regiment, (Assam) Native Infantry—Dibrugarh.
me
dical
Officers
I. Medical Officers. —Surgeon J. O'Brien held medical charge of the corps
from January 1st to January
31st ; Surgeon-Major J. B.
White, from February 1st to
December 31st, excepting
the interval from August
16th to November, during
which period that officer was
absent on privilege leave, his
place being filled by Surgeon
W. Conry.
Drainage.
VI. Drainage.—The drainage
system of cantonments consists of
open surface sewers reticulating
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
. Gauhati
.
.
.
178.5
2.9
6.1
1874
. Shillong, 3rd January ,
141.5
3.6
6.3
1875
.
Ditto
134.86
1.57
5.31
1876
.
Ditto
97.54
2.28
4.03
1877
. Ditto
•
•
•
107.71
.90
3.52
Average
.
132.02
2.25
5.05
1878
. Dibrugarh •
.
•
142.26
1.24
3.92