PRESIDENCY DIVISION, ADEN, AND BOMBAY MARINE.
17
casesof lumbago, ague, asthma, and gonorrhœa, the two former were mild cases, and were
returned to duty after treatment. The two latter still remain, both being admitted into hos-
pital in Aden. The case of asthma has supervened in chronic bronchitis.
The general health of the men has been very fair.
H. M.'s Steamer Quangtung , B.M., was in the Persian Gulf station during the first four
months of the year, and proceeded in May to Aden, and has remained on the Aden station ever
H. M.'s 1st C. NATIVE ARTILLERY.
ADEN.—In Medical Charge of Staff Assistant Surgeon H. K. MACLACKLAN ; Strength 85.
The company has been generally healthy during the year, but suffered a good deal from
dengue during April, May and June. There were no deaths from disease during the year.
The want of all but condensed water, which is rather brackish, induces a scorbutic taint in
many of the diseases, but there have been only two admissions for this scurvy. The vegetable
supply has been improved since last report.
There was one death from accidental injury. The deceased was attending shot and
shell practice with the company, when the quoin of one of the guns, a seven-inch Armstrong-
flew back and struck him on the forehead, breaking the frontal bone in many pieces and pene--
trating to the brain at one spot. There was also a longitudinal fracture of the left parietal
bone, and the ethnoid bone at the base of the skull was found on post mortem examination.
to be fractured also. The brain was extensively lacerated, and both that and the membranes
were highly inflamed. Patient died after 36 hours with symptoms of compression.
Three men have been invalided during the year ; one for chronic bronchitis, one for chronic
-rheumatism, and one for general debility. No men have been sent for change of air.
H. M.'s 5TH REGIMENT N.L.I.
ADEN.—In Medical Charge of Assistant Surgeon J. T. WELSH ; Strength 502
The regiment was stationed at Aden, giving a detachment of 50 men to Perim, until
the 24th December, when the head-quarters embarked for Vengurla
Station.
en
route to Belgaum.
Aden, one of the most southerly points on the Arabian Coast, is situated in latitude 12°4
7° north and longitude 45°10' east. It is a peninsula-volcanic in
Topography.
formation -fifteen miles in circumference, and is of an oval form,five
miles in its greater, and three in its lesser diameter. A bend of sand, about 1,500 yards in
breadh, connects it with the mainland.
The station is divided into three positions—lst, the crater or camp ; 2nd, the isthmus ;
and, 3rd, Steamer Point.
The crater has two entrances, called the main or northern, and the southern passes, and
is enclosed by steep irregular rocky hills, except towards the south-east, which is open to
Front Bay, where the barracks for European troops are situated. There also one company
European artillery is quartered, and within the crater are the lines of the native regiments,
sappers and miners, commissariat followers, and also the native town. All the Aden hills are
steep towards the crater, and slope towards the sea ; the height of the highest, Shum Shum,
is about 1,775 feet.
The second position, the isthmus, is also surrounded by hills, except towards the sea,
where massive ramparts complete the enclosure. Communication between camp and isthmus
is effected by means of a tunnel, and as a hill sub-divides the latter position into two parts, a
second smaller tunnel runs between them. In the first and most confined part of the
isthmus, the arsenal, houses and lines of the men, and followers of the Ordnance Department.,
are situated, and in the second are the barracks and lines for two companies .of the European,
and one company of the native, regiments.
The Steamer Point or third position occupies the south-eastern promontory, about 6 miles
distant from camp ; it is the most open and consequently by far the most salubrious part of
Aden, especially, during the hot season. Here are the residences of most of the civilians,
barracks for two companies of the European regiment, one company European artillery, and
quarters for the native artillery. The harbour, Back Bay, lies between the northern shore*
of the peninsula and the south coast of the continent.
Vide Map of Aden in Medical History for 1870.
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