NORTHERN AND MHOW DIVISIONS OF THE ARMY.
63
able, the flour was not only of inferior quality, bat was always much mixed with dust and
small particles of siliceous matter; so that a pound of flour so called, purchased from the
bazaar, did not contain a pound of nourishing food. Few among the sepoys purchased more
than enough to barely satisfy their appetites; in fact, I believe, the quantity purchased
daily by them is less regulated by their actual requirements, than by custom and price,
so that it will be readily understood, that living as the men of the 19th Regiment have
been living for 3 or 4 years in a debilitating climate on food inferior in quality, and in many
cases insufficient in quantity, a deficiency in stamina must be the result. Green vegetables
too, were hardly to be obtained in Bhooj, so that when scurvy once made its appearance in a
patient, it was not easily got rid of. The march from Bhooj to Ahmedabad was made in every
way as easy for the men as possible. They started always so as to be at the fresh camp a little
after sunrise, and a halt always took place for one day after every third march. The men
were permitted to wear native shoes or walk barefooted if they pleased, in consequence of which
there were but few applications at hospital for treatment of sore feet. The constant change of
place seemed to have a beneficial effect; the nights too, were unusually warm for December,
and it was not till the Regiment had arrived within four or five marches of Ahmedabad, that
they became at all cold—there was but little sickness during the march. A few cases of
bowel-complaint, colic, dysentery, and diarrhœa presented themselves soon after the arrival of
the Regiment in Bombay; but they all required only simple treatment and readily got well.
The number of deaths have been, in hospital 4; away from the Regiment 6 men have died;
48 men were sent to the General Invaliding Committee in Bombay; 44 were invalided.
H. M.'s 26th Regiment N. I.
Baroda.—In Medical charge of Surgeon T. B. W. P. JOHNSTON, Strength 638.
During the past year the health of the Regiment has been good up to the mouth of
October, when ague became prevalent, for which reason I recommended that the march from
Baroda to Nusseerabad should be delayed till November; but my recommendation was not
concurred in by the Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals, Northern Division.
The Regiment left Baroda on the 20th October, and for the first fortnight the heat was
intense, causing a large number of admissions with ague.
The general health of the Regiment continued indifferent till after arrival at Nusseerabad
on the 2nd December, which no doubt was partially to be attributed to the fatigue of the long
march of five weeks, and many of the sepoys could not provide themselves with proper food,
in consequence of the great expense they had been put to in sending their families away, &c.
The undermentioned figures show the annual return of sickness, &c., for 1870:—
S t r e n g t h .
A d m i s s i o n s .
Av e r a g e n u mb e r o f d a i l y s i c k .
Per cent age of t r eat ed t o st r engt h.
6 3 8
1 , 2 2 3
3 2 · 6
1 9 6 · 3
The principal disease treated has been ague, and several severe cases of bronchitis, dysen
-tery, diarrhœa, hepatitis, and asthma have been admitted likewise. There were 19 cases of oph
-thalmia (conjunctivitis) which were kept in a separate ward, the remaining cases do not call for
remarks.
Seven fatal cases occurred during the year, viz., 2 in Baroda, one from bronchitis, and the
other from chronic rheumatism and debility; three on the march, two from ague complicated
with bronchitis, and one from remittent fever; two after arrival from remittent fever.
No cholera or small-pox during the year.
Vaccination has been most carefully carried out.