138
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL,
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
.
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admis- sions.
Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Peshawar
from Jowaki and Afghan
Campaigns.
1st Jan. 1878
31st Dec. 1878
513 .75
916
24
17.84 178.29 4.67
3.47
Detachment, Fort Mackeson
1st Jan. „
22nd Feb. „
41
7
1
.93 117 . 49 16 .73
2.26
4th July „
10th Aug. „
32
6
...
.94 180
...
2.93
,,
„ Shubkudur
9th Mar. „
26th April „
90
4
...
.20 33 .07
...
.22
4th June „
6th July
„
90
3
. . .
.65 39. 2
...
.72
24th Oct. „
14th Nov. „
90
33
. . .
8.40 608 . 22
...
9.33
,,
„ Michnce .
4th June „
4th July
„
89
8
...
1.21 105.47
...
1.36
24th Oct. „
14th Nov. „
89
17
...
3.41 31.7
...
3.83
,
„
Cherat . 2nd July „
24th Aug. „
111
8
. . .
.8 49.6
...
.70
,,
„ Abazai . 28th Sep. „
16th Nov. „
178
89
...
5.81 365.
...
3.26
Depôt at Peshawar
.
. 1st Jan.
„
25th Jan. „
156.12
16
...
23.63 149.5
...
15.13
TOTAL
.
.
...
...
601.56 1,107
25
19.90 184.02 4. 15
3.30
Number of deaths in hospital 25; out of hospital 12; total
37; per cent. of total strength
.
5.24
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
14;
„
,,
.
.
1.98
„
sent on sick leave .
. . .
.
.
.
.
20;
„
,,
.
.
2.83
„
of days spent in hospital
7,264; per admission .
6.56; per man of total strength
. 10.29
, ,
,,
on sick leave 2,388; per man .
. 119 . 40;
„
,,
.
3.33
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
.
13.67
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes
of mortality.
Special obser
- vations and
remarks.
Inspection.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness :—
Ague
gave
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 638 admissions.
Dysenter
,,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
99
,
Diarrhœa
, ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
61
, ,
Bronchitis
, ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
43
, ,
Blisters of fee ,,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
46
, ,
Boils
, ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
38
,
Pneumonia
, ,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
25
, ,
XVII. Principal causes of mortality :—
Ague (a )
was the cause of
.
.
.
. 10 deaths.
Pneumonia
, ,
, ,
.
.
.
.
. 5
, ,
Dysentery
, ,
, ,
.
.
.
.
.
2
, ,
Diarrhœa
, ,
, ,
.
.
.
.
.
2
, ,
Bronchitis, pleurisy, cystitis, acute rheumatism, general debility, and gunshot wound accounted
for one
death each.
XXI. Special observations and remarks. —The death-rate, number of admissions, and daily
average sick per cent of strength, show an increase over 1877. This increase took place chiefly
in the latter part of November and during December. From the 25th November to the 31st
December there were 197 admissions and 14 deaths ; 6 of the deaths were from malarial fever com-
plicated with pneumonia and diarrhœa, 5 from pneumonia, 1 from bronchitis, 1 from dysentery,
and 1 from general debility. This large number of admissions and high rate of mortality were,
in my opinion, due to the effects upon men whose constitutions were weakened by a four
years' residence in the Peshawar Valley; to undergo, almost before the sickly season was over,
a difficult and tedious march from Peshawar to Lundi Khana without tents, sufficient food, or
adequate clothing, in a climate which was very hot by day and bitterly cold by night ; to the
extreme cold during November and December at Luudi Khana, rendering chest complaints
common and the difficulties of treating them properly in tents very great.
Inspection.—This regiment was inspected on the 19th March 1878. Deputy
Surgeon-General Allen, C.B., reports that " all the arrangements for the comfort
and welfare of the sick were satisfactory." The records were complete, the
instruments in good order, medical history sheets filled in, and the case-book
written up to date. The hospital subordinates had behaved well, and carried on
their duty satisfactorily.