EASTERN FRONTIER DISTRICT. 23
EASTERN FRONTIER DISTRICT.
( INCLUDING THE STATIONS OF SHILLONG, GAUHATI, DIBRUGARH AND CACHAR.)
Average daily strength present during the year
. . . . . Infantry, 2895.95
Average daily sick per cent. of average strength .
.
. . .
„
5.29
Ratio of mortality „ „ „
.
”
1.94
The excellent medical reports of the 42nd Native Infantry—Surgeon
J. Wilson, M.D. ; 43rd Native Infantry—Surgeon-Major J. B. White ; 44th
Native Infantry—Surgeon J. O'Brien, M.D. ; 44th Native Infantry, Left Wing—
Surgeon E. G. Russell, M.D., are all very interesting, carefully worked out,
and evincing high medical acquirements.
42nd Regiment (Assam), Light Infantry—Shillong.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
. Dibrugarh . . .
144.05
1.4
3.5
1874 . Gauhati . . .
112.02
4.9
3.4
1875 . Ditto
. . .
143.67
1.78
4.47
1876 . Ditto
. . .
200.94
1.83
5.05
1877 . Ditto
. .
172.82
2.58
5.66
Average .
154.74
2.50
4.41
1878 . Shillong . . .
135.41
2.24
4.85
Medical
Officers.
I. Medical Officers. —Surgeon J. Wilson, M.D., was in medical charge of
the regiment throughout the
year with the exception of
a short period of absence,
when he was detached to the
temporary medical charge of
the 18th Native Infantry at
Buxa, when Surgeon J.
O'Brien, M.D., 44th (Sylhet)
Light Infantry, officiated
for him. Surgeon L. R.
Dawson was in medical
charge of the Naga Hill
Field Force until it rejoined
head-quarters in April.
VIII. Water-supply.— T h e w a t e r - s u p p l y , t h o u g h o n c e o r t w i c e i n t e r r u p t e d o w i n g t o a
breach in the water-course, continues the same as last year. It is for the most part good, but
in the rains still liable to contamination from the road side and from the compounds through
which the water-course passes. The well under the right wing and bazar is still open, and by
an analysis made lately was seen to contain a large amount of chlorides and a considerable
numbe r of a ni ma l c ul æs ge ne r a l l y o f a r o u n d i s h o r s l i g h t l y o v a l s h a p e . I t i s f r e e a t t h i s s e a s o n
from suspended matters, but is a most suspicious source in the rains. Unfortunately it would
be useless to close it up, as a tank close by is still more suspicious, and it would take the place of
the well. The men have been cautioned not to use this water, and in the rains sentries are
stationed to prevent them from doing so. The patients in hospital are not allowed to use the
water of the stream that runs, as noted last year, through the cemetery, but take their supply
from the hill stream that flows beneath the village of Sumy, for though there may be danger of
this being contaminated by the village drainage, yet it is less likely to be so than the water-
course, and at the late analysis I found it, as far as the means of analysing at my disposal went,
absolutely pure.
X. Clothing.—Nearly all the men now clothe themselves in accordance with the Shillong
climate, and all recruits are compelled to supply themselves with proper clothing. The men
now are provided with a very good, stout, useful boot supplied by a London firm, but without
stockings no boot that can be made will so fit as not to produce blisters and abrasions. There
has been a great diminution in the number of blisters of feet during the year, owing probably
in part to the fact that there has been very little marching, but chiefly because nearly all the
men wear stockings. A good many men just come from furlough are now suffering from the
march up from Gauhati to Shillong, showing that even the native shoe caused blisters as well
as the larger boot of European shape.
Water-supply.
Clothing.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment :—
Present. .
.
.
.
.
.
. .
765.8
Absent.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
7 9 . 6
Total . . 845.4
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.