180SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
REPORT BY THE DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL OF HOSPITALS, SIND DIVISION.
In the present report I have no mention to make of any regiments having left the Sind
Districts, or of any new ones having come to it; neither have I to notice any changes in the
disposition of the several corps serving in the province. One or two detachments were moved
from the Sind Brigade during the rainy season, the circumstances attending which will give
rise to some remarks further on; but as these all returned during the year to head-quarters,
the actual position of the different regiments was not thereby affected. The several corps
therefore stand precisely as they did this time last year, and are
—
27th Regiment N. I. (or 1st Belooch.) Kurrachee.
29th " " (or 2nd) Haidarabad.
1st Regiment Sind Horse.
Jacobabad.
2nd do. do.
3rd do.do.
30th do. N.I. (or Jacob's Rifles).
2. On examining the returns from the several hospitals, it appears that while there is a
slight decrease of 243 men in the strength of the troops serving in the district, there is a marked
increase in the sickness, amounting to about one-fifth, as shown in the number of admissions
for the past year compared with that of the previous one. Also in the matter of deaths
these are considerably in excess, the proportion being nearly one-fourth greater: on compar
-ing the statement Appendix E with a similar one marked A for the year 1871, this will be at
once apparent. From these it will be seen that the admissions numbered 3,979 in 1871,
whereas for the past year they have amounted to 5,040 or fully one fifth more for last year
than for the previous one. But the deaths show still more unfavourably, 57 are recorded for
the year 1871, and 74 have occurred during the year under report. It only needed two addi-
tional deaths to have brought up the mortality to exactly one fourth more than it was in the
previous year: now these figures mean a good deal. They plainly show that while the health
of the troops serving in Sind was far from satisfactory during the year 1871, it has been much
less so for the one under review, and the causes are not far to seek. They may be stated
generally under three heads. First, the unusually heavy fall of rain; second, the inundations
of the river Indus, to which must be added the bursting of several bunds in the upper pro
-vinces; and third the invasion of dengue fever.
3. With regard to the first, Sind, as is well known, has no monsoon. It is not gladdened,
as are other parts of India, by periodical rains. What does fall, is regarded more as a matter
belonging to the chapter of accidents than as an event to be expected and longed for. To
mention the military stations only I will contrast the amount registered at each for the years
1871 and 1872; of which, for the former, the quantity at least as regards the two latter sta
-tions, must be considered normal:—
Locality.
1871.
1872.
In. cents.
In. cents.
Kurrachee . . .
6
50
8
20
Haidarabad . . .
2
98
8
63
Jacobabad . . .
1
31
6
78
This may be taken as a fair sample of what has fallen throughout the province, for every
part of it has been visited more or less and in some places to a much larger extent. At Mittee,
in the Thur and Parkur District, I found upwards of 14 inches had been registered. An
amount of rain like this is a blessing not unattended with several drawbacks; for in a nearly
flat country as the alluvial districts of Sind are, where the surface is not favourable to drain-
age and, moreover, is in many parts below the level of the river, it is surprising how an inch
or two of rain will in a short time cover large tracts with water. This remains until absorbed
or evaporated; and if additional rain happen to fall at intervals, this drying up is arrested;
the soil becomes thoroughly saturated; minute vegetable and animal organisms are abundantly
developed, and the hot autumnal wind acting upon a large amount of moist surface charged
with these conditions, malaria, proportionate to the activity and extent of the agencies at work,
will be generated throughout the district.