46
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
9. The rainfall (viz, about 47 inches), though heavier than last year's, was not much
above the average (about 35 inches). Nevertheless fever was
prevalent, remarkably so in the other corps stationed here, but
not quite so much in the cavalry, who are much further away from the tank. Thus every
man in the Royal Artillery had fever without exception. Out of 329 cavalry soldiers, 292
only were attacked.
10.
There were 449 admissions from fever. They were treated almost exclusively with
20 to 30 grains of quinine every morning. This I purchased, to
supplement that allowed by Government. There were very few
re-admissions, viz. 81 had the fever twice, 74 three times, and only 40 more than three times,
out of 292 individuals attacked; the rest (97) were cured without a return of the disease. In
the other regiments, although the cases were hardly more numerous, every man was re-
admitted over and over again. The fever, as is usual in Neemuch, was not at all of a lethal
type. It was worst during the rains, and was four times more frequent in its attacks than
usual. Dysentery and lung diseases show no increase to speak of—12 and 2 cases respectively
—a very small percentage. Injuries were less numerous this year. The above remarks and
figures do not include a squadron at Nusseerabad. Including the figures of the Squadron at
Nusseerabad, the number of admissions amounted to 992 ; of these 554, or more than 50 per
cent., were from ague, 32 from rheumatism, 29 from conjunctivitis, 18 from dysentery and
19 from diarrhœa.
11.
One boy was seized with sudden and copious hœmoptysis (bursting of an aneurism ?)
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
Details of treated.
Mortality and its causes.
and died shortly after. No post mortem was allowed by his
friends. One man shot himself in the lines at Nusseerabad.
12.
Cholera lasted during a whole year, having first appeared November 1877 and
Epidemics.
ed out of a total of 16. In the staff only 2 cases out of 5 Europeans got well under my
charge. Only a few native followers were attacked, and comparatively few even in the
bazar and villages. Pettenkoffer's theory was again found inapplicable to this epidemic,
it having begun in November last and attained its acme this September and November,
when the subsoil water was at its highest, almost. It is curious that in the neighbour-
hood of a well (No. 30) which (in spite of my many and repeated recommendations
for all wells to be so) had neither been covered nor reflagged around the mouth,
cases of cholera occurred. The water in this well was declared " suspicious" by the
Government Chemical Analyser. This Regiment, for the second time, absolutely escaped
from the epidemic, being further from the foci of contagion, which are at the north
end of camp among the Europeans, or in the arsenal where old cholera tents have
been stored, or in the barrack stores where old cholera-camp bedding, &c. &c. has been
kept. I will therefore not extend these remarks to a greater length, but refer to my cholera
reports for 1875, 1877, and 1878, together with my short history of cholera in Neemuch,
since 1861. It will be then seen that cholera appears, on an average, every fourth year
inclusive. The extreme prevalence of fever may be looked upon as an epidemic. Whether
its outbreak be due to importation or to telluric, vegetable, animal or meteorological poison
or influences, was not satisfactorily made out. The resuscitation of old germs seems to be
probable.
13.
Since 1873 the whole regiment had been re-vaccinated. All recruits were vaccinated
or re-vaccinated, unless the lads had marked signs of small-pox,
or could prove recent vaccination. Some operations, as usual
amongst re-vaccinations, utterly failed. There are no failures among children, for they are
operated on again and again till protected (secondary vaccination). Number of children
vaccinated 63 ; number of recruits and men re-vaccinated 2.
14.
Of the thirty-six who were invalided, two brothers showed tubercular leprosy,
one old man had chronic tumour of testicle, and one chronic
bronchitis; the rest were old and worn out.
15.
1. Immediate building of the new latrines (sanctioned) near the haystack. 2. The
abolition of the old masonry latrines, which are too close to
the wells. 3. The abolition also of private latrines, and the
non-toleration of any cesspools in the courtyards or elsewhere, as I have constantly recom-
mended (almost entirely carried out). Doing away with courtyards in the syces' lines, and
if public bathing places and proper female latrines could be substituted, the doing away of
these courtyards also even in the married soldiers' quarters, or at least the enlarging of them
(the courtyards). New lines of huts larger and further apart, &c.
ended in the same month of 1878. The type was the severest
I have seen. In H. M.'s 68th Regiment only 2 cases recover-
Vaccination and re-vaccina-
tion.
Invaliding and its causes.
Requirements and recommendations.