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POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
HEAD QUARTERS H. M. 'S 15TH REGIMENT N. I.
MALLIGAUM.—In Medical Charge of Surgeon E. P. BURROWS; Strength 351.
General Remarks .—The wing of the regiment now at Malligaum was stationed at
Augur in 1871. It joined the head-quarters at Mehidpur in January, marched from thence
on the 27th of that month, and reached this station on the 16th February. There was but
little sickness on the road down; but several cases of chest affections, due to the exposure
incidental to night-marching in the cold weather, occurred, and one of these, a case of pleuro
-pneumonia, terminated fatally. The improvement in the condition of the men observed on
their joining to have resulted from their year's stay at Augur, continued after their arrival at
this station, and the general health of the wing has been reported "good" throughout the
year. During the hot season the ratio of admissions from affection of the digestive system to
the total sick, was noted to be high, and this seemed attributable to the necessity of the men
at that time resorting to the river bed for water, owing to the drying up of some of the line
wells, consequent upon the scanty rainfall in 1871. In May these wells were deepened, and a
good supply of water obtained in them. In the end of November a detachment of the wing,
numbering 60 men, returning from Tanna (where they had suffered severely from ague and
dengue fever), was exposed to wet and cold at night at Munmar, there being no tents ready
for them on their arrival there by train. The result was the admission into hospital of 18 out
of 60 in the fortnight subsequent to their arrival.
Sickness.— The admissions into hospital have been 295: nine cases remained on the 31st
December 1871: total 304: showing a percentage of sick to average strength for the
year of 86.5.
Fever.—Admissions under the heading of fever, numbering 136, have been for the most
part as usual, cases of simple ague, and call for no remark. The fatal case returned under
the head of "Splenitis," was that of a man who had suffered much from intermittent fever
when at Mehidpur. He was admitted with symptoms of remittent fever whilst on the march
in January, enlargement of the liver and spleen rapidly resulted, with great pain and tender--
ness of the latter organs: the fever assumed a typhoid character, and death occurred 20 days
after admission.
Disease of the Digestive System.— Next to fevers, diseases of the digestive system present
the highest total in the return for the year, numbering 58, and with the exception of one case
of external piles, are classified as under:—
Dysentery.
Diarrhœa.
Colic.
Dyspepsia.
Total.
20
16
15
6
57
None of these diseases were characterized by any special symptoms. The fact of their
most frequent occurrence during the time good drinking-water was scarce, has already
been noted.
Respiratory System.— From disease of the respiratory system there were 15 admissions,
eleven from bronchitis, and four from pleurisy—nine of 15 cases occurred in the cold season.
There were two deaths from pneumonia supervening on an attack of pleurisy, the other from
capillary bronchitis in an aged man of broken constitution. The difficulty of treating cases of
this. class satisfactorily in a native hospital, consisting of but one general ward, in which an
equable temperature cannot be maintained, is insurmountable. Of other classes of diseases,
cases have been comparatively few and of slight nature.
Small-pox.— There has been no case of small-pox or cholera amongst the men or in the
lines during the year. Four children were attacked with small-pox in May in the bazar and
outlying huts. The cases occurred in two dwellings at a considerable distance from each other.
They were removed for treatment to a building set apart for the purpose. The huts in which
they occurred were fumigated with sulphur, and the clothes of the children and their attend-
ant relatives burnt. The origin of the disease could not be traced. The disease in all four
cases was of the discrete form and they all got well.
Cholera .—Cholera was prevalent in the districts to the westward of camp, during August
and September. From the reports received from the civil authorities, the disease as it occurred
near the station appears to have confined itself chiefly to villages on the banks of the Girna river.
79 cases were returned from eight villages, varying in distance from two to ten miles from the
station. From Saegaum, a village on the river which is two miles distant from camp, to the