4
Total
Treated.
Died in
Hospital.
Eruptive fevers
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
266
4
Continued fevers
...
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
8,951
7
Malarious fevers
...
...
. . .
...
. . .
6,832
53
Rheumatic affections ...
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
1,965
2
Diseases of the eye ...
...
...
...
...
. . .
644
. . .
Diseases of the lungs
. . .
. . .
. . .
743
38
Diarrhoea
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
760
13
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
761
21
Skin diseases ...
...
...
...
...
. . .
2,191
. . .
The diseases chiefly instrumental in swelling the sick roll were, according to
numerical frequency, as follows :—Continued fevers, malarious fevers, skin
diseases, rheumatic affections, and bowel complaints. In the previous year's
report continued fevers did not appear in the list of the chief causes of sickness,
but, as already explained, dengue unfortunately gave them this prominence in
1872. Amongst the chief forms of diseases, malarious fevers, diseases of the lungs,
dysentery, and diarrhœa were the most fatal. The following statement shows
the comparative mortality of the principal causes of sickness :—
Total percentage
of Deaths from each
Disease to the Total
of each Disease
Treated in 1872.
Diseases of the lungs
..,
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
5.92
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
3.54
. . .
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
2.36
E ruptive fevers
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
1.50
. . .
Malarious fevers
...
...
...
..•
. . .
. . .
...
0.89
Rheumatic affections
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
0.20
Diseases of the eye
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
Continued fevers ...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
0.10
Skin diseases
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ..
10. Invaliding and sickness .—The subjoined statement shows the numbers
invalided or sent on sick leave under the principal disease :—
Number Invalided
during the year.
Number sent on
Sick Leave during
the year.
Malarious fevers
...
...
...
...
. . .
6
90
Rheumatic affections...
...
...
...
. . .
6 7
8 4
Diseases of the eye ...
...
...
...
... ...
25
8
Diseases of the lungs
...
...
...
...
. . .
23
52
Diarrhœa
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
2
2 8
Dysentery
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
4
18
Malarious fever was by far the most fertile source of sick leave, and next to
that rheumatic affections and diseases of the lungs. As in the previous year's
report the chief causes of invaliding were rheumatic affections, regarding which
there is always a suspicion of syphilitic taint. No less than 25 men were invalided
for diseases of the eye, and 23 left the army on account of lung disease. The
total number invalided during 1872 was 520, or 10 in excess of the number for
1871, and the men who obtained sick leave in 1872 were 110 in excess of
the number thus sent away during the preceding year.
The mean annual strength of the army during the year 1872 was 29,806,
so that the actual decrement per cent. from invaliding and deaths during the
year was as follows :—
Decrement from invaliding ...
...
...
...
...
. . .
1.74
Do. deaths
...
...
...
...
...
. . .
1.24
11. Influence of nature of duty and of caste on health and mortality .—The
following figures contrast the ratios of sickness and mortality in Cavalry and
Infantry during 1872.