Principal
causes of
mortality.
Inspction.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment :—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
.
.
377.1
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . .
.
87.4
Total
.
.
464.5
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
140
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Ague (a) (5) ; remittent fever (1) ; hypertrophy of
the spleen (2) ; pneumonia (2) ; bronchial catarrh (1) ; primary syphilis (1) ; diarrhœa (1) ;
total (13). Two died out of hospital, cause of death unknown.
Inspection. —The inspection of the 22nd Native Infantry by Deputy Sur-
geon-General Allen, C. B., took place at Peshawar on the 19th March 1878. He
remarks :—" The general health of the men is indifferent. The regiment suffered
much from malarious fever during the autumn. Duty had been severe. The
married lines were overcrowded. The hospital gloomy ; ventilation indifferent.
Inferior quarters are provided for the hospital-assistants." The hospital establish-
ment and servants were well behaved and efficient, and everything that could
be done had been done for the comfort and welfare of the patients by the
medical officer.
11th (Prince .of Males' Own) Regiment, Bengal Lancers—Nowshera.
Medical
Officer.
Location and
movements.
Duty and
employment.
Marches and
set vice.
I. Medical Officer. —Surgeon-Major R. Power held medical charge of the
regiment during the year.
II. Location and movements.—
The regiment was stationed at
Nowshera from the 1st January to
the 17th November, when it march-
ed on service with the Peshawar
Valley Field Force.
X. Clothing.—On service each
man is allowed 20 lbs. of baggage;
in this he includes a good thick
razai, choga, poshteen, durrie,
country blanket, mirzai, an Eng-
lish jersey supplied by Govern-
ment, puttees, gloves, socks, &c.
He is further to be supplied by
Government with a waterproof
sheet, when his bedding and clothing will be complete and ample for any climate.
XI. Duty and employment. —The duty at Nowshera did not exceed the ordinary routine,
but on service it was always severe and sometimes excessive, especially at Shaghai, where the
men, having completed one tour of duty, had, for several occasions, to go on another.
XIII. Marches and service.—The regiment marched from Nowshera on active service on the
17th November, and arrived on the 19th at Jumrood. On the 21st November the regiment march-
ed with the force, attacking Ali Musjid through the Khyber Pass, and halted for the day on the
Shaghai heights in rear of the 40-pounder Battery, 13-9 Royal Artillery. On the 22nd it marched
1½ miles nearer to Ali Musjid, and encamped on the right bank of a stream which higher up passes
near the Ali Musijid fort, and which is said to contain antimony is excess. Here was found some
excellent spring water issuing in large quantities from several places in the hill-side. One of these
springs was cleaned out, surrounded by a stone wall, and used solely for drinking purposes. The
river water, besides containing antimony, was contaminated with decaying animal matter. The
bed of the river near Ali Musjid formed the cemetery for the Amir's troops, the dead bodies in
some instances appearing above the sand. On the 26th November the camp was attacked at night,
by the Zukka Afridis without any loss to the regiment. On the 27th it marched back to
Shaghai. On that night and the two subsequent ones the camp was fired into and the men were
continually on the alert, and here they began to suffer. The drinking water was indifferent,
nights bitterly cold, duty excessive, the number of nights in bed was reduced to a minimum
(under one), no animal food was procurable, the men were harassed by night attacks of the
enemy, and it is not to be wondered at that they suffered from diarrhœa, dysentery, fever and
chest affections, for which one officer and twenty–four men were sent to the rear for change of
air. On the 14th December the regiment marched back to Hurree Singh-ki-Burj, 13 miles and
nearly midway between Jumrood and Peshawar. On the 17th it marched back to Shaghai ; 18th
Lundi Dotal, 12 miles ; and on the 20th it arrived at Fort Dakka, where it was encamped to the
end of the year. Fort Dakka, situated on the right bank of, and only a few hundred yards
from the Cabul River, cannot be said to be a healthy position for troops. It is built on moist,
marshy ground, the subsoil water is quite close to the surface, the walls of the fort are damp,
and the ground between it and the river is marshy. The Amir of Cabul's troops are said -to
have died in large numbers when quartered there.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1873
. Mean Meer, Oct. 1872
228.8
.4
5.4
1874
.
Ditto
.
.
.
99.1
1.5
2.8
1875
.
Ditto
.
.
.
160.5
1.09
4.19
1876
. Nowshera, Mar. 1876
.
112.38
.89
3.21
1877
.
Ditto
. . .
113.8
.21
3.61
Average
.
142.91
.82
3.84
1878
. Nowshera
. . .
167.59
2.15
4.92