Mortality and its causes.
Epidemics.
Vaccination and re-vaccination.
14
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
7. No changes have taken place in the hospital building and its surroundings since
last year’s report. Its present hygienic condition is fair.
There is but one large ward, with accommodation for 25 beds
without any overcrowding. The front and back verandahs
can hold 15 cots each without inconvenience.
8. The general health of the men has been indifferent. The average number of daily
sick was 38.2. In the previous year it was 35.9, but the
admissions during the year under consideration were 1,323. In
1877 only 710 cases came under treatment. Fevers, complicated with chest affections,
were chiefly the diseases treated. The long and short service men and the young recruits
all suffered equally. In Bombay the latter were often in hospital. With regard to the
physique of the men in general, this is very unsatisfactory. A great majority of the sepoys,
principally Mahrattas, Mochees, and Purwarees, of ten years’ standing and upwards, are
of short stature, weak in constitution, without stamina, and ought, in my opinion, never to
have been enlisted. At the inspection of the Regiment in Bombay last July by the Surgeon
General, about 20 per cent. of the men were found unfit for active service. Since the
Regiment left Ahmedabad, some fine lads have been enlisted. Each man on joining is
inspected by the Commandant and carefully re-examined by the Medical Officer.
9. The regiment having but lately arrived at this station, I am not able to state what
Hospital and its immediate
surroundings, &c. &c.
General health and physique.
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
influence the climate or local circumstances may have on health,
except to mention that a few days after the lines were occupied
there was a daily increasing number of men going into hospi-
tal with ague, rheumatism, and lung diseases.
10. Malarious fevers again swell the number of admissions. There were 585 c ases
Details of treated
which came under treatment, as follows :—
Name of Station.
Malarious Fever,
Admissions.
Ahmedabad
99
Bombay
241
Poona
162
On Line of March
50
Belgaum
33
Total
585
These cases of fever were chiefly of the intermittent type, and at the last three stations
they were complicated with chest affections. There were 108 cases of chronic rheumatism,
lung diseases 107, wounds and accidents (such as cases of shoe bite admitted during the
march from Poona) 190, venereal diseases 39, contracted in Bombay and Poona. There
were 41 cases of catarrhal ophthalmia and 10 of small-pox.
11. There were three deaths from intermittent fever,
diarrhœa and acute bronchitis respectively.
12. There has been no epidemic.
13. Thirty-nine children were vaccinated and seven were
re-vaccinated. In every case arm-to-arm vaccination was adopted.
14. Seventy-eight men were invalided, for the following causes, viz. fevers 2, eye diseases
1, chronic rheumatism 15, lung diseases 13, varicose veins 6, long
service and worn-out men 41.
15. A separate building near the hospital for the treatment of special or contagious
Invaliding, and its causes.
Requirements and recommend-
ations.
diseases is a great want. As I firmly believe that the numerous
cases of fever, catarrh and rheumatism that yearly come under
treatment are chiefly owing to the men lying down on damp
ground in their huts, sometimes only a mat intervening, I would recommend that cots
or charpoys be issued to the regiment.
16. I have nothing particular to remark under this head. Cinchona mixed alkaloids
and quinidine were used in mild cases of malarious lever.
In some patients they brought on gastric irritation. In severe
cases quinine was obliged to be used.
Special observations, sanita-
tion, &c.