POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY. 2 5
found chiefly amongst the men who had suffered severely in Abyssinia from it. The ague
was of a low type, chronic and very intractable to treatment and the change of air was the
only remedy that seemed to have any effect. The number of admissions from it do not bear
any proportion to the number of men attacked, as some men were in hospital four or five
times during the year with ague.
Shoe-bites admitted under the heading contusion contributed the next highest number,
49, and were owing chiefly to new and badly fitting b
oots.
C o n j u n c t i v i t i s c o m e s n e x t i n p o i n t o f n u m b e r a n d c o n t r i b u t e d 2 2 c a s e s , w h i c h o c c u r r e d
chiefly in August, September, and October, and was owing, I believe, to the myriads of small
sand flies that existed during these months. Chronic rheumatism contributed 18, and was
attributed to previous service in the climate of Abyssinia. Syphilis, both primary and second
-
ary, contributed 13 cases, but three of these were contracted at Myjee Fair.
One case of cholera occurred in December amongst the men of the detachment that ar
-
rived from Kattywar, and was attributed to the men having marched through Malligaum,
a
station from which cholera was reported. The men were not allowed into Camp until seven
days had elapsed since their departure from Malligaum, and they were considered safe ; yet
this case occurred two days after they had entered. The man was seen early and treated
from the first with ten grains of calomel and a stimulating mixture of an aromatic nature, and
he made good recovery. Two deaths occurred in hospital during the year ; one in
January from double pneumonia and ague, in a man of a broken-down constitution, and one
in June from tetanus. The case of tetanus was treated with hydrate of chloral, and seeme
d
to be getting on well, until he died suddenly in the fifth day.
The remaining admissions were for ordinary diseases showing nothing worthy notice.
Twenty-six men were invalided and pensioned, being permanently unfit for further active
service, and of these the greater part were rendered useless by chronic rheumatism contracted
in Abyssinia.
Thirty men were granted sick leave to their native countries, for periods averaging from
four to six months and all of them were sufferers from ague of a most chronic type, which
would not yield to treatment as long as they were kept at Dhoolia, with the exception of one
man who had bronchitis.
Of the five deaths which occurred out of hospital, one was by suicide; two were men who
had been sent on sick leave, one a man on furlough, and one in the Company at Myjee Fair
in 1870.
H . M . ' s C o r p s o f S a p p e r s a n d M i n e r s .
Kirkee.—In Medical Charge of Surgeon J. F. STRAKER, Strength 466.
It is satisfactory to be again able to record a still further decrease in the monthly average
for the last year, and that with an increased average strength.
Thus the figures for the last three years stand :—
Average Strength. Average monthly sick.
1868
2 7 6 · 7
20·0
1869
4 3 3 · 0
15·0
1870
4 6 6 · 0
13·8
The single exception to the ordinary practice of the hospital has been the endeavour to
administer quinine by the skin in all cases of fever, when formerly it was given by the
mouth, and the experiment has been, I consider, successful as far as it has gone at present.
I regret it has not been clone more thoroughly, and that I am not able to report a complete
7 s