Vaccination and re-vaccination.
Invaliding and its causes.
16
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
7. The hospital is very good, and built of pucka masonry on an elevated stone plinth.
The main ward, which alone is occupied, accommodates 22
pa t i e nt s a t , 100 s qua r e f e e t pe r ma n ; t he r e s t of t he pa t i e nt s
live in the verandah. There are two other rooms, each capable of holding 8 patients, one at
each end of the main ward. Of these one is occupied by a dementia patient, the other is
taken up by the office. There are also two other smaller rooms next the office at the west
end, which serve as a dispensary. The office room is to be vacated at once for patients,
and the office removed to the dispensary, while the latter is to be transferred entirely to the
small room beyond. This I think will be a great improvement, for the hospital receives not
only the sick of the 25th Regiment, but also those of the Aden Troop and of the Sappers and
Miners. The surroundings are very good indeed with the exception of the latrines, which
require fresh paving. This is a subject now under the consideration of the proper authori-
ties, and will I hope be looked to without delay.
8. The general health of the men has been very good, lately not so much so. This is
to be attributed to the change of season and the occurrence
of some cases of dysentery and diarrhœa. I am not sufficiently
long in charge to know much of the physique of the men individually, but as a body I think
they are a fine enough lot.
9. Scurvy and ulceration are noted accompaniments of residence in Aden. There is no
Influence of climate on health.
quate ; they should at least get 10 or 12 oz., or as fresh vegetables are not easy to obtain in
Aden, some allowance should be made of preserved vegetables, such as potatoes, &c. A cer-
tain amount of correspondence has passed with head-quarters on this subject, but nothing
has yet been done. The Deputy Surgeon General, in his Annual Report, only noticed 18
cases of scurvy among 296 men.
10. Ague gave 247 admissions, boils 51, contusion 41 (mostly shoe bites), diarrhœa 39,
dysentery 29, scurvy 10, bronchitis 25, colic 20, rheumatism
29, debility 14, primary syphilis 5. These are the most impor--
taut, and ague as usual heads the list, contributing nearly two-fifths of the whole. The large
proportion of boils may be interesting as bearing particularly on the moist climate of Aden.
There were only 10 cases of scurvy pure and simple ; but this can easily be accounted
for by the men, while suffering from this disease, becoming liable to contract other
diseases, for which they are admitted into hospital and returned as such. Diarrhœa and
dysentery are not particularly high and do not require any comment. The small amount
of colic is very satisfactory. The same remark applies to rheumatism in this instance.
11. There were only two deaths during the year under report ; one of these occurred
in hospital from phthisis pulmonalis, the other suddenly from
fatty degeneration of the heart, while deceased was on guard at
the Main Pass.
12. None. A few scattered cases of small-pox occurred in the settlement ; but did
Hospital accommodation.
General health and physique.
doubt scurvy prevails to an ordinate extent in this regiment.
The men get 7 oz. vegetable per diem, but this is quite inade-
Details of treated.
Mortality and its causes.
Epidemics.
not spread nor affect the men of the Regiment.
13. There were 17 cases of vaccination. There is no note in the hospital of any
unsuccessful case, so they must all have been successful. The
vaccinations were carried on partly at the hospital, and there
were no re-vaccinations.
14. There were only 12 men invalided, and from the
following causes :
Worn out
7
Splinitis
1
Worn and debilitated
2
Rheumatism and debility
2
15. The hospital latrines should be looked to, as it is difficult to keep them clean, and
they are the occasion of much nuisance. But this has been
brought to the notice of the authorities, as I have remarked
elsewhere. The scurvy question also has already been alluded
to. The full complement of 1st Class Hospital Subordinates should be supplied to the
hospital. At any rate there should be a 1st Class Hospital Assistant and one Native Medical
Pupil. The latter is at this time of the year at ball practice during the most important part
of the day. I cannot say much about these subordinates, but they appear to require a
good deal of looking after.
16. I have no remarks to offer under this heading.
Requirements and recommend-
ation.