187
Scurvy gave
Dracunculus
'SIND DISTRICT OF THE ARMY.
dengue already noticed—presented itself in an epidemic form during the past year,
S c u r v y g a v e : 8 c a s e s a g a i n s t 1 9 , a n d 1 d e a t h o c c u r r i n g i n 1 8 7 1 . S u n s t r o k e 1 f o r b o t h y e a r s .
7, which is 1 in excess of the previous year.
25. The chief point of interest in the history of the 27th N. I. or 1st Belooch Regiment
is the invasion of dengue: 412 cases out of a strength of 668 having been admitted into hos-
pital. In his report Assistant Surgeon Nolan mentions that, in almost every instance, he was
careful to note the pulse, respirations, and temperature, daily during the attack ; besides in the
most severe cases frequently testing the urine for albumen but with negative results. He re-
ports also very favourably respecting the hypodermic injection of quinine in ague. He used
it in this manner constantly, the sepoys not objecting. In only one case was it followed by any
sore. The quantity employed was from one half to one grain, and which seldom required to
be repeated. One operation, as he says, generally effecting a cure. If further experience con-
firms such encouraging results, this mode of administering the drug, if it can be extended, will
effect quite a revolution, both in the rapidity of cure and a great saving of a costly medicine.
But in the meantime it would be rash to form any conclusions from such scanty data.
Diseases of the respiratory system gave 64 admissions—the bulk of them being from
bronchitis—followed by 2 casualties. 9 cases of pleurisy were met with, resulting in 2
deaths. Pneumonia. furnished 3 admissions, one of them terminating fatally. 71 cases of
diseases of the digestive system occurred— 15 of them being dysentery followed by 1
death. Under this class of disease, 2 other casualties occurred-1 from diarrhœa, the
other from hepatitis. Four European officers have been on the sick list during the year : one
of them on 4 separate occasions. Another officer only a short time returned from England,
was obliged to be again sent back with two years' leave on account of chronic inflammation of
the brain. Vaccination has been carefully attended to ; the operation was performed success-
fully on 43 children. There are no unprotected children except those lately born. Nothing
has been accomplished in the matter of revaccination. 39 men have been invalided.
26. The 29th Regiment N.I. or 2nd Belooches shews nearly double the number of
admissions last year than for the previous one, or 1,133 against 613. The mortality, however,
is not in a like proportion, but remains at the same figure as in 1871, viz. 8. ; and the ratio of
deaths to treated and likewise to strength is, for the past year, lower than for any other regi-
ment in the province, being respectively 0.6 and 1.2. The cause of this large increase of sick-
ness is accounted for by the number of admissions from ague, which has been unusually prevalent
at Haidarabad for the year under review ; also dengue has added 175 patients to the list. In
the treatment of ague Assistant Surgeon Keelan has also used the hypodermic injection of
quinine, with, as be says, very good results. Out of the 8 casualties, 6 have followed diseases
of the respiratory organs, 3 of them having resulted from bronchitis. Diseases of the digestive
system show 60 admissions : 15 of these were from dysentery. One casualty occurred under
this class from hepatitis. In other respects the diseases of this regiment are of an average
nature, and call for no special remark. During the year 55 children have been vaccinated, and.
without any requiring the operation to be repeated. 12 cases of revaccination in adults are
noted, but only 4 of them proved successful. 5 European officers have been on the sick report
for periods varying from 3 to 38 days : 3 of them were from dengue. 10 men were pensioned,
and 5 were discharged with gratuity.
27. Compared with the preceding year, the returns from the 30th Regiment N. I., or
Jacob's Rifles, show a slight diminution in the number of admissions, the average strength,
however, has been less by 50; deaths in 1871 amounted to 20; last year they were 19 but these
do not include 6 casualties which occurred in two detachments which marched to Khelat : one
of them in the height of the hot season. On that occasion the men numbering 86 were under
the command of a European officer and in charge of an hospital assistant, and suffered severely
from the sun. 3 died from heat-apoplexy, and 2, on arrival at Khelat, from dysentery. The
march seems to have been a very trying one, and even after the return of the men, in the end
of October, many of them still suffered from the severe exposure. The general health of the
regiment is still very unsatisfactory, the ratio of admissions to strength having undergone little
change during the past year ; 185.1 was the percentage under this head for the previous year,
and it is still as high as 182.5 for the past one. But no change for the better can be expected
so long as the regiment, debilitated as it is, remains year after year exposed to the very causes
which have reduced it to its present feeble condition. 534 cases of malarious fevers have been
reported, out of a strength of 510, yielding 3 deaths. Diseases of the lungs have numbered 50,
of which 25 were pneumonia, most of them marked by a low state of vitality, and resulting in
in 7 casualties. Pneumonic phthisis also carried off 3 out of 4 patients affected. In these two
diseases the deaths occurred in men of broken-down constitution, with enormous spleens.
Diseases of the digestive system show 86 admissions : 17 of these being dysentery, 25
diarrhœa, and 14 were returned as cases of lardaceous spleen, the consequence of mala-
rial poisoning. Under the head of diseases of the cutaneous system--Boils and Ulcers
comprise nearly the whole of the admissions, having amounted to 101 out of 114 cases
belonging to this class. Assistant Surgeon Howell describes the latter as being parti-