6. The incidence of sickness and mortality as regards Divisions gives a
Incidence of sickness and
mortality.
preponderance in the Northern, where the percentage
ratios of admissions and deaths to average strength
present were 200 . 1 and 1 . 6 respectively. The rates of
admissions vary much in this Division and range from 346 . 6 per centum amongst
the 11th Regt. N. I. at Bhooj, to 76 . 4 amongst the 18th N. I. at Deesa. The
admission rate in the Bombay Division was 162 . 5 per cent., but much of this is
due to the lare number of admissions in the 1st Regiment Light Cavalry, which
took part in the Malta expedition ; in this Corps they averaged 216 . 9 per cent.
to strength present. The admission rate in Sind was 153 . 9, the highest rate
being that in the 30th N. I. at Jacobabad, viz. 230 . 9. In the Poona Division
the admission rate was 140 . 8, and the highest prevailing iu any one Corps was
that in the Sappers at New Jhansi, 272 . 1. The death rate in hospital in these
three last-named Divisions, calculated on the average strength present, gave
percentages of 0 . 8 in the Presidency and Aden, 1 . 3 in Poona, and 1 . 2 in Sind.
7. The disease causing the greatest number of admissions was malarious
fever. Under this head 59.7 per centum of the total
admissions for the whole Presidency are returned,
being 16 . 1 per cent. in excess of 1877, when the rate
was 436. This admission rate from malarious fevers varies in the different
divisions, and ranges from 67.8 per cent. in the Northern to 48.9 in Sind. In
the Presidency it was 54 . 4 and in Poona 55.5 During the year 1877 the
percentages under similar conditions for the division as above enumerated were
45 . 3, 42.1, 40.0, and 43 . 9 respectively. The divisional rate of increase over 1877
was as under :—
Presidency Division
14.4 per cent.
Poona
, ,
1 1 . 6
,,
Northern
, ,
2 2 . 5
,,
Sind
,,
9.3
,,
The increase in this disease has been pretty general, and medical officers
have nearly all arrived at the same conclusion as to its cause, viz. an
excessive rainfall. In the Northern Division it was very severe and unduly
so in the 10th Regiment at Neemuch, the 11th Regiment at Bhooj, the
16th Regiment at Nusseerabad, and the 28th Regiment at Rajkote. The
percentages of admissions from this cause on the total treated in these corps
were 85 . 7, 77 . 2, 75. 3, and 73 . 5 respectively. In the Presidency Division returns
the Regiments suffering most from malarious fevers were the 1st Regiment Light
Cavalry, the 17th Regiment N. I., Surat, the 21st N. I., Bombay, and the 26th
Regiment N. I. Both the 1st Regiment Light Cavalry and the 26th N. I. took
part in the Malta and Cyprus expedition, while the 17th N. I. and the 21st N. I.
were stationary at Surat and Bombay respectively. In the 1st Light Cavalry
the percentage of fever admissions on the total treated was 66.7, in the 26th
N. I. it was 62. 1, in the 17th 58 . 5, and in the 21st N. I. 62 . 5. In the last named
Regiment malarious fever has been steadily on the increase for the past two
years. In the Poona Division also some of the corps suffered considerably from
malarious fever. Amongst the Sappers at New Jhansi it caused 53.4 per cent.
of the total admissions; in the 3rd N. I., Kolhapur, it caused 60 . 0 ; in the 4th
Rifles, at Sattara, 59 . 1; in the 5th and 8th N. I., both at Poona, 67.3 and 68.4
respectively ; and in the 14th, at Belgaum, 59 . 7. In the Sind Division, too,
fevers prevailed to a greater extent than has been known for some years, and
its prevalence, especially in Upper Sind, has been attributed to the floods which
took place towards the fall of the year.. The Regiments which suffered most
were the 19th N. I. at Kurrachee and the 27th N. I. at Hyderabad. Those
Regiments that are stationed at Jacobabad suffered much more than in previous
years. The ratios of admissions in the 19th and 27th were 67.1 and 60.9 per
cent. respectively. The percentage of deaths on the total admissions from this
disease, taking the Bombay Army as a whole, was very trifling, being only 0.3.
Diseases.
Malarious fevers.