POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY. 53
As mentioned above, 1,493 cases have been admitted to hospital during the year : of these
admissions, 723 have been for fever and ague, 224 for dengue, and 60 for dysentery. There are
151 admissions under the head of rheumatism, of which 56 were accompanied by more or less
pyrexia ; no case of severe rheumatic fever, however, has been under treatment. The patients
mentioned as suffering from chronic rheumatism were, for the greater part, weakly men,
among whom 27 were re-admissions. The men have been worked hard during the year, and
every man at all subject to any chronic ailment has not only really suffered, but has naturally
made the most of his infirmity to escape what to him is overwork. Among these patients who
have been under treatment for dysentery or dysenteric diarrhœa, only one case has been treated
in which recovery has not been complete ; in this instance, the disease became chronic and
lingering, and the patient, who was not so far reduced in strength but that he was able to travel,
was sent away for change of climate. A few cases were complicated with scurvy and with
hepatic derangement, but they all yielded to treatment. 224 cases of dengue were admitted :
of these one only was a really severe case ; in this instance the pains in the joints were
considerable and accompanied by some effusion, and there was a good deal of general debility.
The temperature rose to 104º during the second day of fever, with a good deal of pain ; on
the 6th day, there was an eruption alt over the body, and the temperature, which had been
natural after the second day, rose again about a degree and a half for about 24 hours.
The rheumatic pains in the joints continued for upwards of two months ; in fact, no real improve
-
ment commenced till about the end of June, and the man was eventually allowed sick leave,
as he had been much weakened by long-continued pain. Repeated counter-irritation with
mustard plasters and blisters in this, as in all the other cases, has seemed to have been the
only treatment productive of any good effect. The characteristic eruption was only observed
to occur in 26 cases. The average duration of treatment of these was 7.2 days; the maximum
14 : the highest temperature observed was 104º, but this only in 2 cases. The cases in which
the eruption did not appear were, as an almost invariable rule, of slight character ; both as re
-
gards the disease itself, and as regards the accompanying rheumatic pains. Sore throat occur
-
red in a small proportion of cases, and did not appear to be connected with any other symptom.
It will be observed that a very large number of men have been the subjects of fever and
ague during the year : this I believe to be mainly attributable to their long residence in
Ahmadabad, and, in some degree, to their having been worked rather hard since they came to
Poona. Among these were two cases of remittent fever, which partial paralysis occurred.
Each of these cases was treated with tincture of ergat of rye, and with galvanism. They
each made a good recovery. Subcutaneous injections of quinine have been used in all cases,
where from any cause it was not advisable to administer the alkaloid by the mouth. In one
or two instances, where it was injected under the skin of scorbutic patients, suffering from
fever, it was followed by troublesome ulceration : since then I have always used a solution
of quinine in glycerine, and with this solution no instance of ulceration has occurred.
SANITARY REPORT OF THE SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER ON THE HEALTH OF THE NATIVE
TROOPS, FORMING THE GARRISON OF POONA, DURING THE YEAR 1872.
The health of the corps of native troops forming the garrison during the past year has
been, with the exception of that of the 8th Regiment, good. The men of this regiment arrived
from Ahmadabad in February last, and suffered much from fever. The health of the regiment
is now, however, improving.
Table showing the sickness and mortality among the native troops forming the garrison
of Poona, during the year 1872 :—
C O R P S .
A v e r a g e S t r e n g t h . Percentage of
A v e r a g e D a i l y S i c k .
C u b i c s p a c e - p e r m a n i n H o s p i t a l .
Prevailing Diseases.
REMARKS.
T r e a t e d t o S t r e n g t h
De a t hs t o St r e ngt h.
D e a t h s t o T r e a t e d .
1st Regiment L. C. . . .
450
150.0 0.22 0.15 20.2
1,140 Ague and Dysentery.
1st Grenadier N. I. . . .
667
180.8 0.8 0.4
30.6
1,037 Ague and Dengue.
2nd ditto . . .
668
158.9 0.1 0.6
28.2
1,700 Fever and Dengue.
8th Regiment N. I. . . .
660
233.0 0.4 0.2
33.8
1,000 Fever, Dengue, and
Rheumatism.
17th ditto . . . 348
5.3 . . .
. . .
11.4
Not
given.
Fever andDysentery.
Staff and Details . . .
991
43.7 0.3 0.6
15.8
782
Total . . . 3,784
771.7
1.37 0.33
140.0
5,659
14 s