57
POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
2. The new lines are in course of construction, but will probably not be completed until
the close of the year. I do not know what are the plans or arrangements for hospital accom--
modation, but it should not be overlooked, that provision is necessary in this respect for
Europeans and natives, inasmuch as there is always a certain number of the former with the
corps, and that there is a probability of this number being raised to one hundred. Separate
hospital accommodation for the Europeans will be required, with a male and female ward, as
well as a lying-in ward, the necessity of which will be very much felt when the European
non-commissioned officers are removed to the new site.
3. The question of water-supply should be considered, but concerning this, there ought
to be no difficulty. Water from the Pashan valley is already brought into kirkee, and the
expense to cross it over the lines to the new site would not be great; but, whether great or
small, I know of no other source available; the river-water should not be used for drinking
purpose, and there are no wells on the ground. And if wells were sunk, they would very
quickly become polluted, and very probably would fill from a polluted source.
4. The health of the corps, during the year, has been very good, and the mortality in
- c o n s i d e r a b l e ; t h e a v e r a g e d a i l y s i c k h a s b e e n r e d u c e d n e a r l y 2 ½ p e r c e n t . , v i z . , f r o m 1 0 . 4 f o r
1871 to 8.0, and the percentages of treated to strength and of admissions to strength have
been reduced from 96.7 and 93.9 for 1871 to 73.9 and 72.7, respectively, for 1872.
5. The mortality of the year, as already observed, has been inconsiderable, and contrasts
favourably with the preceding year, the percentage of deaths to strength and to treated being
0.4 and 0.6, respectively, as compared with 1.5 and 1.5 for 1871.
6. The total number of admissions during the year has been reduced by 74 in compa--
rison with the previous year, viz., 296 admissions in 1872 against 370 in 1871.
7. Of the whole admissions, the class General Disease forms the greater share, number--
ing 202 and giving percentages of 61.4 and 6.7 of the sub-divisions A and B (of which the
class consists).
8. Sub-division A is made up of small-pox 2, dengue 12, febricula 53, ague 110, remit--
tent fever 2, mumps 2, and erysipelas phlegmonous 1. Total 182 admissions.
9. Sub-division B comprises lumbago 1, chronic rheumatism 11, soft chancre 2, true
-leprosy 1, scurvy 4, and general dropsy 1. Total admissions 20.
10. In 1871, these two sub-divisions gave, respectively, 233 and 19 admissions, or per--
centages on total admissions of 62.9 and 5.1, which collectively bring up the percentage ad--
missions of the class to within a decimal of what the same class gives in the present year, viz.,
68.1 for 1872 as compared with 68.0 for 1871.
11. The next class to be noticed is Local Disease, and following the example of my
predecessor, I introduce these in the following comparison table :—
Sub-Divisions.
1872.
1871.
REMARKS.
Disease of the Nervous System . . .
1
5
Decrease 4.
" o f t h e E y e . . .
9
1 0
" 1.
" Circulatory System . . .
3
. . .
Increase 3.
" Respiratory System . . .
10
15
Decrease 5.
" D i g e s t i v e S y s t e m
. . .
21
19
Increase 2.
" Urinary Organs . . .
4
. . .
" 4.
" C e l l u l a r T i s s u e . . .
7
8
Decrease 1.
" Cutaneous System . . .
5
1 9
" 14.
In three only of these sub-divisions has there been an increase, viz., circulating system 3,
digestive system 2, and urinary organs 4: total increase 9; while on the remainder, a decrease
o f 2 5 i s s h o w n , o r p e r c e n t a g e s o n a d m i s s i o n s f o r 1 8 7 2 a n d 1 8 7 1 o f 2 0 . 2 a n d 2 0 . 5 r e s p e c t i v e l y .
12. It may be interesting to note how closely the admissions of the above two classes of
disease approximate for the years 1871 and 1872.
13. The next heading of disease to be observed is, that—"Not associated with Local or
General Disease"; and here we have 2 admissions during the year, one of which died, see
paragraph 17, and the other was discharged to duty.
1 4 . N o a d m i s s i o n s o r d e a t h s f r o m p o i s o n o c c u r r e d d u r i n g t h e y e a r .
15 s