76
SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
From Guineaworm there were only seventy-four admissions, which shows a considerable
falling off in the admissions from this disease when compared with those of the two former
years 1870, 115, and 1871, 75.
The following are the diseases which gave the next largest number of admissions :—
21 from colic.
1 9 , , d i a r r h œ a .
17 „ bronchitis.
1 4 , , a b s c e s s .
13 ,, dysentery.
12 ,, chronic rheumatism.
11 ,, boils.
10 „ small-pox.
8 „ conjunctivitis.
8 „ scabies.
7 ,, dyspepsia.
Small-pox made its appearance on the 24th February, and between that date and the
12th July following it gave 10 admissions among the sepoys, and 6 among the regimental fol-
lowers. The disease in the greater number of the cases was of the discrete form, and in some
two or three of the patients there were few pustules, if any, the general eruption not having
passed beyond the stage of vesicle which was no doubt due to previous vaccination. The
hæmorrhagic form of the disease appeared in one case only. The patient, a regimental follower,
was admitted with confluent small-pox in the pustular stage ; soon after admission enormous
congestion of the neck, face, and head set in, and this was soon followed by extensive effusion
of blood into, around, and beneath the pustules, and very considerable hæmorrhage from the
mouth and anus took place. The friends of all the patients declared they had been either
vaccinated or inoculated, and in all the mild cases the marks of vaccination or inoculation
were quite visible. Four of the cases were returned in the hospital records as having been
successfully vaccinated in the regiment. On the first appearance of the disease, an unservice-
able tent was pitched in an open field at some good distance from, and to windward of, the hos-
pital, and into this all the small-pox patients were admitted, the greatest care being taken that
no communication took place between this tent, the lines, and hospital ; and on the patients
becoming convalescent, they were transferred to another tent until all chance of disseminating
the disease had disappeared. Disinfectants were freely used. The huts in the regimental
lines were all thoroughly searched, cleaned, and white-washed ; and after the admission of the
case in the pustular stage, which I before mentioned, the greatest care was taken—that im-
mediately on the first symptoms of the disease appearing,, the person was at once transferred to
the hospital tent. On its first appearance the disease was very prevalent in the Kanara dis-
trict, and I have no doubt it was conveyed to the regiment by the friends of the sepoys, who
were coming to see them and passed through these districts.
Cholera.
—There were no cases of cholera.
Vaccination.—Vaccination has been carefully carried on during the year. There were
seventy-seven children vaccinated (from arm to arm) all successfully.
Ten men have been sent away on sick certificate, twelve have been invalided, and one
discharged from physical inability to perform his military duties. Eleven recruits joined
during the past year.
H. M.'s 14TH REGIMENT N.I.
KOLHA'PUR.—In Medical Charge of Assistant Surgeon D. HUGHES, M.D.; Strength 591.
With the exception of seven weeks, the regimental head-quarters have been stationed at
Kolhápur; but during the hot weather months, wood-cutting parties were sent to the Komra
jungles, to procure wood for repairing the lines.
On the 1st November the regiment marched on to Poona, for the purpose of taking part
in the review before the Viceroy, and in the mimic campaign at Harrupsair. A small de-
tachment of elderly men, to furnish the necessary guards for the lines, &c., and such sick men
as were not likely soon to get well, were left behind at Kolhápur. The regiment entered
Poona on the 18th November, and was encamped for nearly three weeks in the vicinity of anullah
behind the Ghorpuri Lines. The camp had to be pitched among babool trees which grew
luxuriantly in the black soil, and there were sundry monuments in the immediate neighbour-
hood of our tents, which showed that the spot at one time had been used as a place of inter-
ment. After a shower of rain the exhalations from the ground were most unpleasant ; but the