21
POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
and practise running, leaping, &c., and small prizes are given to the most successful. Some
of them also make articles of clothing, furniture, and fancy articles for the annual Soldiers'
Exhibition ; and there are schools, which are well attended by the boys and girls of the regi
-
ment. Such amusements have a good effect generally on the health of the men, and prevent
numbers of them from loafing about in the bazaars, and getting into bad habits.
7. The hospital is well built, and raised on a plinth about two feet from the ground,
has a very good stone floor, and is roofed with double tiles. It
consists of two wards, with a surgery and office room between,
is very well lighted and airy, affords accommodation for about thirty-five beds, and is
provided with a very good cook-room and store-room. The hospital compound is very
small, and immediately adjacent to the Staff lines, and also to a row of small houses which
are occupied by conductors and other Government officials and their families, and which is
a bad arrangement both for the patients in hospital and the occupants of the houses. The
hospital was originally built, I believe, for a store-room, and was condemned a year or two
ago, and a site for a new building settled on, but as yet nothing has been done; but, now that
the new lines are finished, the building of the new hospital should be at once begun.
The present quarters for the servants are not pucka-built, but temporary, and always
require repairs, and there is no dead-house or separate ward for contagious diseases ; there
is also no guard-room for the hospital guard, who during the cold and rainy seasons have to
sleep either in the verandah or in the hospital. In the case of any contagious disease break
-
ing out tents have to be applied for. The ventilation is very good. There is generally no
overcrowding, but lately the number of fever cases has increased, and some of the milder
cases are treated in a tent. The conservancy of the hospital is well looked after.
In front of the hospital is a small flower-garden, which affords an agreeable lounge for
convalescents.
8. The general health of the regiment has been very fair during the year. A good many
of the men have suffered, as previously stated, from the dear
-
ness of provisions, and from their having been employed in
building the lines. The physique of the regiment is also fair, but a good many are men
who were enlisted during the Mutiny of 1857, and, having been considerably over the usual
age when enlisted, are now beginning to show signs of old age and general breaking up.
Hospital and surroundings, &c.
General health and physique.
Influence of climate, &c., on
health.
9. As to the influence of climate on health there is no
-thing particular to remark.
10. The total number of cases treated during the year was 961, of which 951 were
admitted from the 1st January to the 31st December, which,
compared with those treated in 1876, shows a decrease of 376,
the number treated for that year being 1,337. The decrease seems chiefly to have occurred
in the smaller number of cases of ague, rheumatic affections, diarrhœa, pleurisy, and syphilitic
complaints. The most prevalent diseases, have been malarious fevers, of which 517 were
under treatment, and 502 discharged ; of rheumatic affections 39 cases treated, syphilitic
affections 30, diseases of the lungs 40, diseases of the stomach and intestines 37, and cutaneous
affections 39 cases. Of injuries and contusions 119 cases were treated, and 117 discharged.
The greater number of these were contusions of the upper and lower extremities, and shoe
-
bites. There were 30 cases of conjunctivitis under treatment, generally of a very mild cha
-
racter, and 29 were discharged; and of minor operations 28 were performed. The average
daily number of sick was not large, being 24.3, the daily number being, however, on many
occasions much over this, as many as 40 having been on several occasions under treatment,
and tents having to be used for their accommodation.
11. There were six deaths during the year, three of which were from fever of a remit
-
tent form, and which latterly took on symptoms of a typhoid
nature ; one was from acute hepatitis with fever, one from bron
-
c h i t i s , a n d t h e s i x t h f r o m d e b i l i t y a n d c h r o n i c c a t a r r h .
Details of treated.
Mortality and its causes.
Epidemics.
12. There has been no epidemic in the regiment.
13. Vaccination has been carried out as carefully as possible. 101 cases have been oper
-
ated on, of which 83 were successful, and 18 unsuccessful. Re
-
vaccination was also performed in 10 cases, of which 7 turned
out successful.
14. The number of men invalided was 30 ; of these 17 were cases of old age and debil
-
ity, 8 were cases of rheumatic affections, 1 disease of the nerv
-
ous system, 1 melancholia, 1 disease of the eyes, 1 disease of
the lungs, and 1 scorbutic affection. Eleven men were sent away on sick leave.
Vaccination and re-vaccination.
Invaliding and its causes.
6 m