Changes.
Pensioned.
Causes of
mortotality.
28
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
Vaccination.
Vaccination.—Vaccination of the corps is as follows according to the following table : —
Return of Vaccination in the 41 st Regiment M.N.I . for the year ending 31 st December 1872.
N a t i v e C o m m i s s i o n e d a n d N o n - c o m m i s s i o n e d O f f i c e r s a n d R a n k a n d F i l e .
R e c r u i t s .
R e c r u i t s a n d P e n s i o n e d B o y s .
FAMILIES.
FOLLOWERS.
N o n - c o m b a t a n t s .
W o m e n .
CHILDREN.
M e n , N o n - c o m b a t a n t s .
W o m e n .
CHILDREN.
A g e n o t e x c e e d i n g 6 M o n t h s . F r o m 6 m o n t h s t o 1 4 y e a r s .
A g e n o t e x c e e d i n g 6 M o n t h s .
F r o m 6 M o n t h s t o 1 4 Y e a r s .
Strength on the last day of the year
659
39 55
78 689 30 973 117 141
3 116
Number who bore marks of previous
successful vaccination
3 0 0 9 38
48 310 ... 496
63
65 ...
78
Number who bore marks of small-pox
301
17
7 30 369 ...
30
54 73 ...
11
Number unprotected either by vaccina
tion or small-pox
58
13 10
...
10 30 177 ...
3
3
27
Cases of small-pox during the year
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
General sum-
mary.
The large number shown as unprotected is due to want of a proper supply of lymph.
On three occasions I received some from the Superintendent of Vaccination, but each time
the tubes either got broken or the matter was unfit for use, the tubes not being hermetically
sealed.
General Summary.—The average strength of the regiment throughout the year was
as follows :—
Europeans
71\11\2
Natives
6 7 1 ¾
Changes.—The Officer Commanding left on furlough to Europe in March.
Enlisted
31
Pensioned. —Native Officers 2, Havildar 1, Fife Major 1, Naigues 3, Privates 23.
Causes of mortality.—The causes of mortality, epithelial cancer of tongue 1, aneurism
of aorta 1, pneumonia 2, intussusception 1, general debility 2. One man died at Kistna-
gherry while on sick leave, cause not known, and another died suddenly in the lines, disease
unknown.
Deaths in hospital
6
Out of do
3
Total
9
which gives a ratio of 13.63 per 1,000.
Admissions from dengue
562
D e a t h s
...
Total admissions
773
Total number of deaths in hospital
6
Epidemic.
Epidemic .—Dengue fever suddenly appeared among the men of the regiment on the
morning of September 9th, when 16 reported sick. The history of all were as follows :
— T h e y w e r e q u i t e w e l l t h e e v e n i n g b e f o r e , a n d r e t i r e d t o r e s t a s u s u a l . A t e a r l y m o r n i n g ,
without any premonitory warning, they awoke with burning fever, intense head-ache. When
they presented themselves at hospital, their symptoms were an undescribable appearance of
either wretchedness or prostration, skin hot and burning, temperature 101° F. Countenance
suffused, eyes congested, pulse from 96 to 108, tongue coated with prominent papillæ,
or bright red, complains of intense pains in head, lumbar region, and larger joints ; no rash
on any. From the symptoms and appearances which I have noted, I came to the conclu
sion that the disease could not be any thing but dengue. I asked the Civil Surgeon to see
the cases ; but, as I have stated, there being no rash and temperature only 101° F., he con
sidered that it was not dengue, but a form of remittent, due to the filthy state of regi
mental lines for want of proper drains. Dengue for nearly 12 months previously had
been in Calcutta, and for sometime before the outbreak in the regiment it was spoken of
as being very rife at Balasoor, a distance of 105 miles from Cuttack. This was during the
rains when nearly all communication was at a, stand-still on account of the swollen state
of the rivers, and I have no hesitation in believing that our insular state protected us, for
as soon as there was a perceptible fall in the river, so that boats could cross again without
danger and re-establish traffic, the disease was brought to Cuttack.
Being a believer in the. contagious nature of the fever, I isolated the number affected
as much as circumstances would permit of ; indented for tents, prescribed a treatment of
which I will hereafter refer to, and immediately set about finding out the way and where-