POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
The rainfall was abundant and seasonable, and has amounted to 44 inches and 51
cents, being 71/2 inches less than the estimated average for Belgaum, which is 52.
The table of temperature for the year is omitted,owing to the meteorological records
having been sent to Colaba, by the officer in charge of the Observatory attached to the Euro-
pean hospital.
The cantonment committee (of which the senior medical officer is a member) has met
once a month during the year, to consider all matters connected with the sanitary condition of
the station ; more especially as regards the disposal of sewages and sweepings, the lopping of
trees, and keeping down redundant vegetation, together with the working of the Contagious
Diseases Act and the Lock-Hospital.
During the past year, I believe that Belgaum has maintained its reputation as one of the
healthiest stations on this side of India; and the sanitary requirements have been provided for
as far as circumstances would admit.
There has been a total absence of epidemic disease, and although during the month of
September several cases of cholera occurred in the town of Belgaum and close to the limits of
the cantonment, no case was brought to notice amongst the native troops. This may be attri-
buted, in some measure, to an order having been issued at the instigation of the senior medi-
cal officer prohibiting the native soldiery from entering the infected localities.
H. M. 'S POONA HORSE.
SEROOR.—In Medical Charge of Assistant Surgeon W. H. GORDON, M.B.; Strength 205.
The average strength of the Poona Horse at Seroor during the past year has been 205.
The admissions were 194, and 2 remained on the 1st January 1872, making a total of 196 cases
treated during the period under report. Of these 199 were discharged to duty, 2 died, and 2
remained on the 31st December 1872, average number of daily sick 6 . 3. Percentage of
treated to strength, 95 . 6. Deaths to strength, 0 . 9. Deaths to treated, 1.02.
It must be understood that the admissions are far short of the actual number of patients
treated in hospital, as the strength of the syces, regimental followers, and " omedwars " is always
equal to that of the regiment.
During the past year, the strength of the detachment at Dhulia was 150, of that at
Kaládgi 80, and at Baroda 14. These detachments will be reported on separately by the medi-
cal officers in charge. One party from Baroda has arrived at head-quarters on being ein relieved
by the 2nd Cavalry, and will not, I understand, be again supplied from the regiment.
Of the admissions, 71 were for fever, 66 being for ague, and 5 for simple continued fever.
The cases of ague were generally of a mild type, and readily yielded to the ordinary treatment,
by quinine or liquor arsinicalis. Many were, in fact, so mild as to require only the administra-
tion of a purgative or emetic, and a little attention to the diet.
I n j u r i e s
Injuries, Local and General, give 41 admissions, of which 36 were contusiu as, some being
simple, and others complicated, with an abrasion of the skin or a small lacerated wound. There
was one admission from a burn, one from a fracture of the rib, one from a dislocation of the
patella, one from a wound of the lower extremity, in which case the tibia was to some con-
siderable extent denuded of periosteum, and one from a punctured wound of the shoulder. The
last is the only case worthy Particular notice.
This case was admitted on the 17th January, and was caused on parade dining a charge.
The man was seen immediately on the ground, and, as the bleeding was profuse, a tourniquet.
was applied, which being removed on arrival at hospital, the wound again bled freely. The
bleeding point could not be reached through the original wound, which was, therefore, enlarged
and the artery was found underneath the deltoid muscle. Two ligatures were applied, and the
edges of the wound brought into apposition, and dressed with cold water dressing. The sword
had entered about the middle of the internal border of the deltoid and passing obliquely out-
wards and upwards, below and close to the great tuberosity of the humerus, extended
to the posterior border of the muscle, a little below its origin from the spine of the scapula.
For the next few days the wound continued to discharge freely, and by the 25th the patient
had little or no pain over the seat of the injury. The external orifice, which showed a great
tendency to heal up, was kept open by the occasional introduction of the probe. The patient
went on improving in every way until the 11th February (25 days after the date of the in-
jury), when secondary hæmorrhage occurred. The hospital assistant applied a tourniquet,
which was removed on my arrival, but no further hæmorrhage took place, although I carefully
explored the wound with a probe, and cleared out some coagulated blood by means of a syringe.
For the next few days there was considerable swelling and tendorness around the shoulder,
the pulse, varying from 100 0 to 1200, and occasionally irregular. Leeches and hot emollient
fomentations reduced the swelling to some extent. The patient had a troublesome cough, which
63