Epidemic.
Vaccination and re-vaccination.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
Years.
Station.
Rate per cent. to Average Strength present of
Admissions.
Daily Sick.
Deaths in Hos-
pital.
1876 . . .
Rajkot . . .
70.0
2.5
.8
1877 . . .
Do. . . .
61.5
2.4
.8
1878 . . .
Do. . . .
239.1
7.4
1.7
Average . . .
123.5
4.1
1.1
1879 . . .
Rajkot . . .
306.5
7.7
.9
1. The head-quarters of the Battery have been at Rajkot throughout the year. Seventy
-three men were transferred to No. II. Battery, and left for
Porebunder en route to Kurrachee on the 7th November.
20
Location and movement.
Lines and their surroundings,
present condition, hygienic and
otherwise.
Conservancy.
Water-supply.
2. The general description of the lines has been given in
former reports. They are clean, well ventilated, and in fair
repair.
The drainage is all surface.
3. No defects in the conservancy of either the lines or the
latrines has been noticed.
4. The water-supply has been ample during the year
under review, and apparently wholesome.
5. Grain was very dear till after the monsoon; but now it is at a fair price. Vege
-tables are expensive. No change has been made in the clothing
since last report.
6. The gunners' duties are necessarily heavy, but not apparently prejudicial to the
health of the men. The men are given to taking exercise and
amusing themselves in various ways.
Food and clothing.
Duties, exercise, and amuse
-ments; their effect on health.
Hospital and its immediate
surroundings, present condition,
hygienic and otherwise.
7. The defects in the hospital buildings were pointed out
in last report, and nothing has been done to remedy them yet.
The hospital itself is in good repair, well ventilated, and clean.
8. The general health during the year under review compares unfavourably with that
of the year 1878, there being 328 admissions during the year
1879as compared with 287 during the year 1878. The majority
of the gunners are fine, big men, and the drivers, though smaller in build, are not deficient in
physique.
General health and physique.
Influence of climate or local
circumstances on health.
9. The great prevalence of intermittent fever during the
year was doubtless owing to the heavy rainfall of the year 1878.
10. The following diseases gave the greatest number of admissions during the year:—
fevers gave 193, of which 187 were for intermittent fever, and
6 for febricula; injuries 44, of which 28 were of the lower
extremity; affections of the respiratory system 12, of which 7 were for bronchial catarrh,
3 for acute bronchitis, 1 for lobular pneumonia, and 1 for pleurisy; affections of the digestive
system 7; venereal affections 16 (7 syphilis, 6 primary and 1 secondary, 7 gonorrhœa, and
1 bubo, 1 stricture); and affections of the cutaneous system 20.
1 1 . T w o d e a t h s o c c u r r e d d u r i n g t h e y e a r , o n e i n h o s p i t a l f r o m b r o n c h i a l c a t a r r h ,
complicated with pneumonia, and one, while on sick leave,
from general debility.
Details of treatment.
Mortality and its causes.
12. None.
13. Eight primary vaccinations were performed. All
were successful. Of three re-vaccinations, one was successful.
14. Sixteen men were invalided during the year, on the following grounds:—13 for
general debility, 1 for cataract, 1 for imperfect sight of the
right eye, and 1 for varicose veins.
Invaliding and its causes.
Requirements and recommend
-ations.
15. The requirement alluded to in last report has not yet
been looked to. I would again direct attention to it.