74
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
11. Excluding cholera, from which there were 3 deaths in hospital and 1 out of
hospital, the mortality from other causes has not been high, there having
been only 3 deaths, viz. 1 from pneumonia, 1 bronchitis and
1 scurvy. In the last named cause scurvy was the primary affection, but death resulted
from complications arising out of the scorbutic diathesis, heart disease and general dropsy
having supervened, and where the immediate cause of death was clearly shown from the
post mortem examination.
12. Eleven cases of cholera occurred in the lines and were treated, some in the conta-
gious hospital and others in a provisional hut erected for the
purpose to leeward, and at a distance of 300 yards from the
lines. The circumstances in connection with each case were minutely investigated at the
time of its occurrence, and all available precautions taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
The first two cases occurred, 1 on the 30th March and 1 on the 25th May, when Surgeon
Howell was in medical charge, but no satisfactory evidence could be adduced as to the source
of contagion in either case. On the 7th June a death from cholera occurred midway between
Mehidpur and Oojein, in an escort party returning from Oojein, where cholera was then raging.
When the remaining men of the escort arrived at Mehidpur on the 8th, they were not allow
- e d t o g o i n t o t h e l i n e s , b u t w e r e p u t u n d e r c a n v a s a t s o m e d i s t a n c e o f f , a n d e v e r y p r e c a u t i o n
taken to prevent communication with the lines. Two days after their arrival, and when they
were still in quarantine, a woman was attacked with cholera, but from a thorough investiga-
- t i o n i t a p p e a r s t h a t s h e h a d n o p e r s o n a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n w i t h t h e m e n o f t h e e s c o r t . T h e
next case occurred 12 days later, namely on the 22nd June. The patient was the wife of
a Subedar and, as in the last case, no reliable evidence could be found pointing to the source
of contagion, although it is likely that the case had some connection with the preceding.
Next day this woman's child was attacked, and here the source of contagion was evident.
Four days later another case occurred, the patient being a private, and in this also it was
affirmed on all sides that no personal communication had taken place with either of the last
two cases, and no other source of contagion could be discovered. Seven days later two
more cases occurred, equally devoid of proof as to personal communication with an affected
person or place. On the 8th of July, four days after the occurrence of the last two cases,
a child was attacked, and 3 days later a private's wife. In neither case was there any
evidence of communication with an affected person or place. The last case occurred on the
25th September, and in this instance too great an interval of time had elapsed to justify an
inference that it had any connection with the preceding. Of the eleven cases which occurred
five were fatal. It is exceeding difficult to obtain any trustworthy information relative to
the occurrence of cases of cholera in the native town; during the past year I did not hear of
a single case having occurred there. Four cases of small-pox occurred, three in February
and one in April. In one case the patient was a woman and in another a child. They had
all been previously successfully vaccinated, and, except in the case of the woman, the disease
was of the discrete form.
13. Eighteen persons were primarily successfully vaccinat--
ed, and of 197 re-vaccinations, 100 were successful.
14. Eight men were invalided during the past year, i. e. 2.14 per cent. to strength.
The causes were one each for emphysema, defective vision from
old age, defective vision from amaurosis, varicose veins, general
tuberculosis, caries of right tarsus, and two for general debility. In none of these cases was
influence of the climate of Mehidpur the immediate cause.
15. A dead-house and post mortem dissecting table should be provided for the hospital.
There is no filter at the hospital, and as the quality of the
water is frequently very bad, a filter should be supplied.
16. From what has already been said, it will be seen that the year under observation
has not been an exceptionally unhealthy one for the station,
although the amount of sickness has been very considerable.
With the exception of last year, the average daily number of sick
has been lower than in any year since 1870 in this station.
From what I can discover from former reports, it does not appear that the amount of rainfall
has so decided an influence on the sick rate as might be supposed. Thus in 1873 the 25th
Regiment had an average daily sick of 10.2 per cent. to strength and the rainfall was 35.45
inches, and there is no mention of flooding having occurred. In 1875 the rainfall was 40
inches, while the daily average sick per cent. to strength of the 10th N. J. was 6.6. In 1876
the site of the lines was inundated during the rains, still the amount of sickness from
malarious fevers was only slightly above the average. In the year under observation the
rainfall was above the average, viz. 36.95 inches, the amount of sickness from malarious
fever was below the average. I believe that much of the comparative healthiness which the
Right Wing of the 24th N. I. has enjoyed during the last two years it has been stationed here,
Mortality and its causes.
Epidemics.
Vaccination and re-vaccination.
Invaliding and its causes.
Recommendations and require-
-ments.
Special observations, new ex-
- p e r i e n c e s i n t r e a t m e n t , s a n i t a t i o n ,
&c. &c.