12
REPORT ON THE SICKNESS AND MORTALITY OF THE EUROPEAN ARMY
with the periods of greatest heat, that it is more than probable that the enteric
fever and the heat maxima are connected with each other. In the plains of
Northern India and in the Deccan, the months of greatest heat are June,
before the rains commence, and September, after the rains cease ; May, June
and September are the months of greatest prevalence of enteric fever in these
provinces. In the hill stations of Bengal the greatest heat occurs in the end
of June and the beginning of July, just before the rains commence, and
enteric fever has its maximum death-rate in the hills in. July and August.
Southern India, again, is so near the equator, that the temperature remains
very nearly the same throughout the year, and in that provincial area enteric
fever has no distinct rise and fall.
Statement showing the number of deaths from Enteric Fever in the European Army of India
during the five-year period 1875-79, classified according to Ages and Periods of Indian Service.
Indian Service.
Ag g r e g a t e S t r e n g t h o n
1 s t j u l y a t d i f f e r e n t p e r i o d s o f I n d i a n s e r v i c e d u r i n g t h e f i v e y e a r s .
AGES.
A n n u a l D e a t h - r a t e p e r
1 , 0 0 0 o f s t r e n g t h .
Under 20
years.
20 to 24
years.
25 to 29
years.
30 to 34
years.
35 to 39
years.
40 years
andover. Total
Aggregate Strength
289,529.
Aggregate
Strength
7,395.
Aggregate
Strength
94,646.
Aggregate
Strength
95,613.
Aggregate
Strength
47,235.
—
Aggregate
Strength
35,498.
—
Aggregate
Strength
9,142.
Under 1 year
41,852
16
215
50
11
4
1
297
7.10
1 year and under 2 years
37,669
5
125
53
3
2
1
189
5.02
2 years „
3 „
31,478
...
40
28
5
1
...
74
2.35
3 ,, 4 ,,
30,474
1
20
28
3
3
. . .
55
1.80
4,,5,,
28,485
...
7
16
2 ...
1
26
.91
5 ,, 6 ,,
24,333
...
...
14
5
1 ...
26
. 8 2
6
, , 7 , ,
18,868
...
...
13
3
1
...
17
.90
7
,,
8 ,,
„
75,221
. . .
. . .
4
. . .
1
. . .
5
8
9,,.
17
. . . .
...
4
3
3
. . .
10
9 ,, 10 „
...
. . . ...
2
...
...
2
10 years and over
...
...
. . .
4
1
1
6
Total
288,380
Number of Deaths
22
407
210
4 1
17
4
701
Annual Death-rate per 1,000 of Strength
2.97
4.30
2.20
.87
.48
.44
NOTE—The Aggregate Strength on the 1st of July at different periods of service for these 5 years is 288,380 , and at the different ages
289,329, the strengths given by some of the corps at different periods of service being slightly different front the strengths given at the
different ages.
32. The above table shows that recent arrival in India and youth are
Recent arrival in India and youth both power-
ful factors in producing enteric fever, recent ar-
rival being the more powerful of the two.
both powerful factors in producing enteric
fever, and at the same time it shows
that recent arrival is the more power-
ful of the two. The aggregate strength of boys under 20 years of age in
the European Army of India during the 5 years 1875-79 was 7,305, : nd of
these 22 died of enteric fever, or 2 . 97 per 1,000. Out of an aggregate strength
of 94,646 between the ages of 20 and 24, there were 407 deaths from the same
disease, or 4. 30 per 1,000, a much greater mortality than among those under
20 years of age. There were 210 deaths from this disease among the men
between 25 and 29 years of age, out of an aggregate strength of 95,613, at
the rate of 2.20 per 1,000, a mortality nearly equal to that among boys under
20 years of age. The mortality from enteric fever among men of 30 years
of age and over was inconsiderable ; out of an aggregate strength of 91,875
.
men of 30 years of age and over during these 5 years, there were only 62
deaths, or .67 per 1,000. Hence, the mortality from enteric fever among boys
under 20 years of age is much smaller than among men from 20 to 24 years of
age. The mortality from this cause among men of 25 to 29 years of age is near-
ly the same as that among boys under 20 years of age, and after 30 years of
age the mortality from enteric fever is very small. During the same five
years the aggregate strength of men under one year’s service was 41,852 ;
these, 297 died from enteric fever, or 7.10 per 1,000. The aggregate. strength
of the men of one year’s service and under two years' was 37,669 ; among them