SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
9. This disease was prevalent among the European troops treated in the Ghorpuri and
Wanowri Barracks, for some months prior to its outbreak in the native lines at Poona. It
was not until the monsoon had fairly set in that admissions to hospital
became numerous. In the months of July and August no fewer than
520 cases were treated in the hospital of the 1st Grenadiers, and the daily average number of
sick, from that cause alone, was 78.4. The total number of cases from all charges was 997,
and confined entirely to the troops composing the Poona and Kirkee Brigades. All medical
officers who have had an opportunity of treating this troublesome and painful complaint,
concur in stating that among natives the rash was observed but in comparatively a few cases.
10. A concise description of the symptoms, progress, and treatment of dengue fever is
submitted by the Staff Surgeon in his annual report. This officer seems to be of opinion
that heat is necessary to its diffusion, and that the poison is widely disseminated. This may
be so among Europeans, but, as before stated, the epidemic hardly attacked the native troops
and population until the rains had fallen, and the atmosphere had become cool, pleasant, and
only reached its intensity in July and August.
The following table will show the number of cases of dengue admitted to hospital and
discharged during the year, and how entirely the epidemic was confined to troops in the Poona
Brigade:—
Corps.
Strength. Admitted. Discharged. Died. Percentage treated
to strength.
1st Regiment Light Cavalry . . .
450
3
3
. . .
0.6
1st Regiment Grenadiers N. I. . . .
670
520
520
. . .
77.6
2nd Do.
do. . . .
650
237
237
. . .
36.4
8th Do. N. I. . . .
660
224
224
. . .
33.9
Sappers and Miners . . .
415
12
12
. . .
2.9
Store Lascars . . .
53
1
1
. . .
1.8
Fever of a malarious character always gives a large percentage of sick treated. The
number of men, however, who passed through the hospital, during the
past year, from this cause is not so great as in the preceding one.
The returns for 1871 showed that 5,065 cases were treated, with 10 deaths; whereas in the past
12 months, only 4,043 with a somewhat higher mortality of 12 or 2.9 per thousand.
The regiments which suffered most from this disease were the 8th and 28th, stationed,
respectively, at Poona and Sholápur. In the former, 752 cases of intermittent fever were
treated in hospital, and in the latter, 552 and 3 deaths.
The left wing of the 8th Regiment arrived at Poona from Ahmadabad in November 1871;
and it was joined by the right wing in the month of March following. It had been four years
in Guzerat, and the health of the men generally had much deteriorated by their long
residence in a proverbially malarious province. This circumstance alone, is sufficient to ac
- c o u n t f o r t h e s i c k l y s t a t e o f t h e r e g i m e n t o n i t s a r r i v a l a t P o o n a f r o m A h m a d a b a d — a c h a n g e
which, I am afraid, had done little or nothing towards invigorating the men and enabling
them to shake off the fever from which many have been long suffering.
That some climates do act potentially in this way, is clearly exemplified in the case of
the 6th Regiment N.I. This corps which served in Guzerat for the same period, and at the same
station, and the daily average number of sick was about equal to the 8th Regiment N.I., receiv
- e d o r d e r s , o n i t s a r r i v a l a t P o o n a , t o m a r c h o n B e l g a u m , w h e r e i t a r r i v e d i n D e c e m b e r 1 8 7 1 .
Very soon after its arrival, the men began to regain their strength, and were thus enabled to
shake off their proclivity to fever which they had so long suffered in Guzerat.
During the past year, the 6th Regiment N. I. show only 110 admissions from intermit
- t e n t f e v e r , a r e t u r n m o r e f a v o u r a b l e t h a n a n y o t h e r r e g i m e n t o f t h e s a m e s t r e n g t h i n t h e
division.
The 28th Regiment N. I. arrived at Sholápur in January 1871. The men have suffered
much from fever for the last 12 months. The admissions to hospital were 552 with 3 deaths.
This station is decidedly a malarious one, for the 4th Regiment N.I., during the 3 years it re
- m a i n e d t h e r e , n e v e r h a d l e s s t h a n 5 0 0 c a s e s o f i n t e r m i t t e n t f e v e r i n t h e y e a r ; b u t s o i n i m i c a l
has it proved to the health of the European troops, that they are no longer quartered there.
The Artillery were withdrawn in 1871.
The cause of its unhealthiness, I believe, has been ascribed to certain low-lying and wet
lands, situated to the south-west of the cantonment; but no decided opinion on the subject
has been arrived at.
80
Dengue.
Malarious Fever.