POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
67
H. M. 'S 28TH REGIMENT N. I.
SHOLA'PUR.—In Medical Charge of Assistant Surgeon A. J. LEGGATT; Strength 645.
Sholápur is situated in latitude 17°40' north and longtitude 76° east, about 180 miles from
the sea, at an elevation of about 1,600 feet above it.
The surrounding country is undulating and intersected with water-courses, but is per
-
fectly destitute of hills and nearly entirely so of trees.
The nearest running water, with the exception of the Adela or Sheljee nullah, is the
Seena river, distant eight miles from camp.
The surrounding country is to a great extent barren, but parts are cultivated, the chief
crops being cereals, pulse, oilseed, and cotton.
The ground on which the cantonment is situated is rocky and gravelly, the rock being
Trappean; there is a downward slope over all sides from the ground where the lines and camp
are built, and the surface water is carried off from it by nullahs into one of the two tanks
close at hand. Having in my report of last year given a full description of the camp and sur-
rounding country, it would be useless to report the same; so in the present report I will con-
-
fine myself to the things that have been prominently brought to notice during the past year.
In so doing, I propose speaking, firstly, of the climatic changes, &c.; 2ndly, of the health of the
regiment, &c.
1st.—The past year has been one of the most trying that has been felt in this place for a
long time. The hot weather came on very early; in fact the cold season may be said to have
been over by the end of January.
The temperature reached during April and May was very high, the thermometer at times
reading as high as 109° in the shade. In the lines this heat Was almost unbearable, as they
are situated on the naked rock, and are perfectly devoid of all shelter, consequently, the heat is
very much increased by radiation and refraction. I have at times been in the lines during the
heat of the day, and have found them to be almost unbearable from the intense heat. I con-
-
sider it a matter of wonder how the men escape from sunstroke and heat-apoplexy. During
the previous year the nights were always cool, but during the hot weather of the year just
concluded, they were always still and close, the thermometer often reading as high as 96° or
97° at 10 P.M.
The fall of rain during the past year has been a heavier one than has fallen within the
memory of any of the inhabitants now living, the largest fall being in September, as much as
24.65 inches being registered during the month. Consequent on this heavy fall there has, of
course, been a large amount of sickness during the latter portion of the year.
In my report last year I gave a detailed account of the lines, hospital, &c., consequently,
as there have been no alterations, it would be useless to repeat the same remarks, with the
exceptions of stating that the want of a deadhouse is very much felt.
2nd.—I now pass on to speak of the condition of the regiment. In the month of November
it was removed temporarily to Poona, and returned to this station on December 21st. The health
of the men was much improved by the march, and none of them were injuriously affected by
the same, unless in the case of a man who was seized with acute pneumonia on his return, and
died two days subsequently.
The number of admissions into hospital. show a very marked increase over those of 1871,
being 972 as compared with 680 in 1871. This is mainly due to the large number of admis-
sions from ague, which are 545 as against 346 in 1871; but is also supplemented by an increase
of 10 cases of rheumatism, 7 of conjunctivitis, 2:3 of gonorrhea and its complications, 15 at
dysentery, 24 of diarrhœa, and 12 of colic. This increase may be easily accounted for by the
intense heat during the hot weather, the heavy rainfall which the roofs in the lines were
unable to resist, and the consequent malarious state of the whole country.
Not many cases were of a serious nature, but proved obstinate and resisted treatment for
a long time, as may be deduced from the fact of the average daily number of sick amounting
to 33 . 45, whereas in the preceding year it was only 17.05.
Venereal disease still holds a very prominent position among the numbers admitted, there
being no less than 50 admissions from it, independently of 78 cases of rheumatism which were
to a greater or less extent caused by this disease.
The mortality has been high, no fewer than 8 men having died. One of them died in
the course of 24 hours, one from diarrhœa, another death was accidental from drowning, 5 from
fever—some of them complicated with dysentery—one from hepatic disease, and one from
pneumonia.