75
POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
H. M.'s 7TH REGIMENT N. I.
DHARWAR.—In Medical Charge of Assistant Surgeen R. H. BATTY; Strength 639.
From the 1st to the 17th December 1872 the average strength of the regiment had been
639. On the morning of the 17th December the regiment was broken up into two wings, and
on that day the head-quarters and left wing marched from Dharwar to this station. From
the latter date to the 31st December, the average strength has been 335. There were five
hundred and thirty-three admissions into hospital, from 1st January to the 17th December
1872, and thirty-one from 17th to 31st December 1872. Thirty-eight cases remained on the
1st January 1872, making the total treated up to the 17th December five-hundred and
seventy-one, and from that date (when I gave over charge of the right wing) to the 31st
December 1872, thirty-one. The percentage of treated to strength from 1st January to 17th
December was 89.3, from 17th to 31st December 1872, 9.2. Of deaths to treated 0.52. The
daily average sick from 1st January to 17th December 1872 has been 23.3, and from the latter
date to the 31st December 1872, 15. Three deaths have occurred: one from erysipelas of the
face and head, laryngitis, and œdema of the glottis. The subject, a havildar and a lst class school
-master, was admitted into hospital on the 26th August, with diffused erysipalatous inflamma
- t i o n o f t h e h e a d , f a c e , m o u t h , t o n g u e , a n d p h a r y n x , e x t e n d i n g i n t o t h e l a r y n x . O n a d m i s s i o n
the head and face were intensely: swollen, the lips, gums, and tongue were in a sloughing state,
a n d v e r y æd e ma t o u s ; h e wa s u n a b l e t o s wa l l o w o r s p e a k , a n d i n a v e r y e x h a u s t e d c o n d i t i o n ; h i s
breathing was most difficult and apparently very painful. He died at 2 A.M., on the morning of
the 28th August with all the symptoms of acute larynigitis and œdema of the glottis. On enquiry
I was informed that for several days before coming into hospital, he had been suffering from a
gumboil, and had applied to it the juice from the common milk bush (euphorbia neriifolea),
and soon after its application the symptoms for which he sought admission into hospital set
up. One from ascites, an old sepoy who had suffered from scurvy and beriberi, while serving
at Aden. He was tapped from time to time, when large quantities of fluid were drawn off,
but at last he died from extreme exhaustion. The other death occurred from congestion of
the lungs, rapidly setting in in a case of low intermittent fever.
State of the lines and
subsidiary buildings.
The lines at Dharwar up to my departure were in the same condi
-tion as when I last reported. The new lines had not been commenced.
The ground around and about the lines was kept clean. The temporary latrines were
always well looked after, and the Dry-earth conservancy, which was
most carefully carried out, worked well.
The hospital itself is an excellent one, there is ample accommodation in it for the sick of
one native regiment. The ventilation is also excellent, since three
large ridge ventilators have been erected. There was no deadhouse,
and no quarters for the hospital servants, at the time of my leaving Dharwar; though I pointed
out, on many previous occasions to the authorities, the urgent want of these buildings, they have
not yet been supplied.
General sanitary condi
-tion.
Hospital buildings.
Rainfall and tempera
-ture.
The rainfall up to the 17th December has been twenty-eight
inches and sixty cents.
Temperature.
Minimum . . .
70.01
Mean . . .
83.30
Maximum . . .
86.12
The water-supply of the regiment, mainly from tanks, ran short during the month of May
and commencement of June. At one time the commanding officer
thought he should have to remove the regiment out of camp, some
two miles, and encamp them in ground adjacent to a large tank, the supply from which is in
-exhaustible. But under economical management and by preventing the people from the native
town from drawing water from the Fort tanks, this had not to be put into execution.
The prevailing diseases have been intermittent fever, acute rheu
-matism, and guineaworm.
Intermittent fever gave two hundred admissions, the cases were as a rule simple and
uncomplicated.
Contusions gave the next largest number of admissions, namely, seventy-six; they were
chiefly shoebites and bruises.
Acute Rheumatism gave forty-three.
Water-supply.
Prevailing diseases.