10
REPORT ON THE SICKNESS AND MORTALITY OF THE EUROPEAN ARMY
Monthly distribution of cholera in British Burma.
25. European troops of British Burma,
1870-79—
Cholera admissions of each month for the period.
Years.
Jan.
Feb.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Total.
1870-79
...
. . .
...
43
3
14
41
4
11
2
...
...
1 1 8
Admitted in each month per cent of t h e t o t a l a d m i s s i o n s .
1870-79
. . .
...
...
36.44 2.54
11.86 34.75 3.39
9.32
1.70
. . .
...
100
In British Burma the spring cholera is seen in April, as in the eastern
division of the epidemic area, and, as in India, with the exception of the
Madras Presidency and Bengal Proper, the principal cholera of the year occurs
during the south-west monsoon, viz ., July, August and September. Of the
43 admissions which occurred in April, 28 took place at Thayetmyo in April
1870, so that the April cholera for this ten-year period is probably more
prominent than longer experience would give it. During this ten-year period
36.44 per cent. of the admissions occurred in April, and 47.46 per cent. during
the monsoon months in July, August and September. There was not a single
admission from cholera among the European troops of British Burma in
the cold weather months in November, December and January during the
ten years under review.
26. In the tables of the Bengal Presidency for the ten -year period 1860-69
Death-rate from fevers as a whole nearly the same
in 1870-79 as in 1860-69.
enteric fever was included under " Remit-
tent and continued fevers." The average
death-rate from fevers taken as a whole in Bengal during the period 1860-69 was
3.58 per 1,000. During the ten-year period 1870-79 the average death-rate from
the same causes was 4.02 per 1,000, an increase of .44 per 1,000. Before enteric
fever was recognised as a distinct disease, many cases which would now be
denominated enteric fever were then more than probably called chronic diar-
rhoea. As the death-rate from diarrhoea has fallen from .75 per 1,000 during
the period 1860-69 to .12 per 1,000 during the next ten-year period, a much
greater relative reduction than has taken place in the case of dysentery, it is
probably the case that the slightly increased mortality from fevers is more
apparent than real.
27. Out of 4.02 per 1,000, the total mortality from fevers in the Bengal
Death-rate from enteric fever.
Presidency during the ten-year period
1870-79, 2.28 per 1,000 was due to
enteric fever. in the Army of India as a whole the mortality caused by
enteric fever was 2 . 03 per 1,000 ; in the Madras Presidency the death-rate from
that disease was 1.12 ; and in Bombay 1.75 per 1,000. The enteric fever statis-
tics are, however, probably far from correct, as what one medical officer calls
enteric fever may be called simple continued fever by a second, and remittent
fever by a third.
28. Enteric fever is either a mach more fatal disease in this country than
Enteric fever apparently more fatal in Idia than
in Europe.
it is in England and the Continent of
Europe. or a great many cases, which in
Europe are called cases of enteric fever, are in this country entered under some
other denomination. The mortality from enteric fever in Europe is under 20
per cent., whereas out of 2,665 admissions from that disease among the European
troops of the Army of India during the period 1870-79, 1,168 died, or at the
rate of 43.83 per cent.
29. Enteric fever has been. seen in all parts of India. During the last
Local causes of enteric fever secondary to a gen-
eral seasonal cause.
ten years it appeared in almost every sta-
tion occupied by European troops. What-
ever part local conditions may play as causes of the disease, these local causes