38
SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
availed myself largely of the suggestion of the Officer Commanding, that those men whose
homes were in the Concan should be sent there on short leave ; of the benefits of this course
I am satisfied.
Only one death took place in the hospital, and that was due to chronic suppurative nephritis
occurring in a man who had been operated on. eighteen months previously for lithotomy, and
made a good recovery. He was a highly nervous, timid man, and only reported himself ill a
very few days before his death, dreading the notion of any examination being made ; it is
surprising how with such advanced disease he could continue doing his duty for so long.
There was a total absence of small-pox and cholera and anything which can be called
epidemic disease, until the month of October, when just at the conclusion of an exceptionably
heavy monsoon season, the ground being saturated both in and round the lines, a species of
infantile bronchitis prevailed largely among the children, and from which three children suc
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cumbed. In October and November, there was a great increase of admissions from malarial
fevers, which went on until the date of leaving Sattara, the 15th of November, when the sick
list was so unusually heavy, that I deemed it necessary to apply for one hospital tent, in excess
of the amount laid down for a Wing of a Regiment, anticipating the probability that sickness
would rather increase than diminish. The result, however, of moving the troops had an
immediate beneficial effect; cases which had resisted large doses of quinine, the paroxysms of
fevers daily recurring, ceased to have them almost on the first day of the march commencing.
Convalesence became rapid, the admissions from this cause (fever) became very few, and on
the arrival of the Regiment at Poona I had a comparatively clear sick list ; no case of any
serious importance.
As usual on the march, every day many of the men reported themselves at the hospital in
the evening suffering from that most easily preventable of all ailments—shoe-bites, from marching
in ill-fitting shoes, distances to which they are utterly unaccustomed, with their feet fettered
in such impediments to freedom of motion. To all these cases permission to march without
shoes was given, but it seems somewhat hard that before this indulgence can be obtained,
the sepoy must undergo hours of suffering to substantiate the palpable fact that marching in
European boots is attended with these consequences. It would be preferable that there should
be a standing order that native troops marching should be exempt from wearing them and
should adopt the native "sandal" or shoe, in which they could march treble the distance with
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out inconvenience.
Detachment H.M.'s 2nd Regiment A. E.
Asseerghur.—In Medical charge of Assistant Surgeon F. R. O 'KEARNY, Strength 143.
The prevalence of disease among the troops in the cantonment and in the vicinity has
been moderate and not excessive this year ; and the year has on the whole been a healthy one,
the prevailing disease having been principally intermittent fever.
G r e n a d i e r R e g i m e n t A . E .
Belgaum.—In Medical charge of Surgeon-Major C. J. SYLVESTER and Assistant Surgeon
B. K EELAN, Strength 680.
The health of the Regiment during the year under review has been good, and when con
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trasted with the previous year, exhibits a very considerable decrease of sickness as shown by
a comparison of the total number of cases under treatment in both years ; that for the year
1869 amounting to 1,091, compared with 674 (the number treated during 1870). The daily
average sick in the former year was 32.1 and that of the latter 21.4 ; this difference in the
amount of sickness refers chiefly to fever and may, I believe, be attributed, 1st to less exposure
of the men to morbific agencies, such as malaria; 2nd to increased precautions having been
adopted to counteract the bad effects of such exposure, and 3rdly, the cessation of line build-