68
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
the most part, remaining only a few days in hospital. 186 cases were registered as febricula.
Four cases of cholera were admitted, one in June who died, and three in August, all of whom
recovered. Six cases of small-pox occurred ; all recovered. Dysentery and diarrhœa fur--
nished 13 and 31 cases respectively, hepatitis 2, both of which recovered, one case of phthisis
ended fatally, other respiratory diseases furnished 25 admissions only. 14 admissions were
registered under the head “ scurvy” (13 of which occurred in December), and some others, as
already mentioned, show traces of the disease. 12 cases of venereal disease were admitted,
and 36 eye affections ; rheumatism, contusions, &c. furnished their usual quota. 20 men
were granted sick leave to their own country for periods varying from one to six
months.
10. Nine deaths are registered as having occurred in hospital, one each from ague,
Mortality and its causes.
cholera, phthisis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and disease of the
liver, and three from debility.
11. These have been duly attended to ; the hospital records show 26 primary opera--
tions, all successful ; and 87 re-vaccinations, of which 58 were
successful.
12. Thirty-five men were invalided during the year ; of these 16 were time-expired
men (over 32 years’ service) ; of the remaining 19, 12 were
invalided for general debility, accompanied in some instances
with deafness, defective vision and chronic rheumatism, 1 for lumbago, 1 for defective vision,
1 for heart disease, 1 for secondary syphilis, 1 for dementia, 1 for deafness, and 1 for general
unfitness for service as a soldier.
13. Under this head I venture again to urge the introduction into the native army of
Vaccination and re-vaccination.
Invaliding and its causes.
Recommendations and require-
ments.
Surgeon General Longmore’s “test-dots” for the visual examina-
tion of recruits, and to call attention to my remarks on the
subject in my annual reports on the regiment for 1873 and
1874. I also beg to repeat the suggestion made in my report for 1874, that the compound
of every native hospital should be provided with a brick-oven in which (by lighting a fire
underneath) the bedding, clothing, and uniforms of patients affected with contagious disease
might be subjected to a sufficiently high temperature to thoroughly purify and disin-
fect them.
Inspection by Deputy Surgeon General -WYLLIE.
Inspected 8th January, 1879. This hospital I found much better ordered than at
previous inspection, the management now being in more competent hands ; and I was satis-
fied with what I saw, fully realizing efficiency and good organization in its different arrange-
ments. Buildings unchanged ; quarters for Assistants are about to be provided, and the
floor of the hospital to be re-laid. The objectionable proximity of a native village, as noticed
before, has been less felt of late, now that proper conservancy has been strictly enforced, and
nuisance from this cause is no longer complained of. The temporary lines, in occupancy
at last visit, have recently been removed, and the men are now quartered in the permanent
lines latterly occupied by the 22nd ; they have been much improved, cubage increased, floors
raised, and some defects as regards sullage from family quarters are now about to be
remedied. Health relatively has been well maintained, considering the excessive rainfall ;
for although there was a large increase under ague, yet the daily ratio of sick to strength
was very little more than in previous year, significant of the cases having been comparatively
of little account.
H. M.’s 23rd Regiment N. I.
MHOW.—In Medical charge of Surgeon J. SIMPSON, M.B.
Average Strength
704
Do.
Present
682
Admissions
1,084
Daily Sick
28.4
Deaths in Hospital
7
Do. out of do.
3
Invalided
43
Sick Leave
18