104
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
7.
The sickness this year has been very slight. Died in hospital 11, out of hospital
2, invalided 25, obtained sick leave 3, discharged by court-martial 1. Of the deaths 9 were
Hindus and 2 were Mussulmans.
8.
The rainfall last year was 46 inches, less than in 1874 by 12 inches, and the water-
Influence of Rainfall.
mark in the wells was 6 feet from the surface in the month of
October ; its present height from the surface is 12 feet. On
the 1st of March the water was 15 feet from the surface, and we had 88 cents of rain in Feb-
ruary. On the 11th of July the water-height was 20 feet from the surface, and we had 10
inches of rain ; but the rain had taken some time to be absorbed, for we find that not until
the 23rd of September was the water 6 feet from the surface. The last rainfall was on the
30th of September, and on the 6th of October the water was only 5 feet and 6 inches from
the surface, and it continued so till the 10th, when it gradually got less at the rate of about
1 inch every day.
9. We had an invasion of cholera this year of a most malignant type, the Natives dy-
ing in proportion of 2 to 3 attacked, and the Europeans at the
rate of 19 out of 20. The cause of it was not traceable to any
known agent. It appeared at different parts of the station at the same time ; that is to say,
there was no contact of persons previously attacked with healthy persons ; it was, therefore,
sporadic. 16 Natives died in the bazaar and 2 in the 24th N. I. It is to be noted that there
was very little fever this year in the cantonment : so that these two diseases seldom, if ever,
appear in the same year at this station.
10.
Vaccination has been thoroughly well done in the regiment, but very few cases of
re-vaccination were required, as nearly the whole regiment has been vaccinated, or has had the
small-pox.
11.
The general health of the men has been good. Physically they are a fine-looking
regiment.
12.
For the special attack of cholera we had 5 detached cholera huts built, large and
Epidemics.
Treatment of Disease when
special.
well ventilated, 12 feet by 12 and 12 high, each to hold 1
person only ; they were placed beyond the bazaar on a piece of
waste ground near the river. For the two cases that were
attacked in our lines a tent was pitched on a vacant piece of ground about 300 yards from
the hospital. Every precaution was adopted to prevent the disease spreading.
13.
I have only to remark that I consider Neemuch a healthy station, although a long
residence here certainly does deteriorate the constitution, but
for two or three years the climate would not have a bad
effect on the health. After that period Europeans have not the spirit and life in them they
had on arrival.
14.
The Native medical pupil I had, has gone to the Grant Medical College. He was
regularly examined in anatomy twice a week.
Meteorological Observations.
Months.
Barometer.
Thermometer.
Rain.
Maximum. Minimum. Maximum. Minimum.
In. cts.
January 1875
. . .
. . . . . .
. . .
29
.
2 8
. 7 0
74.
44
.
. . .
F e b r u a r y
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
2 9
.
2 8
. 9 0
84.
46.
0 88
March
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
29
.
2 8
. 6 2
1 0 0
.
60.
. . .
April
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
29
.
28.60
107.
75.
. . .
May
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
28 . 70
2 8
. 5 0
106.
74.
0 52
June
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
28 . 60
2 8
. 4 0
106.
7 8
.
3 48
July
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . 28 . 50
28
.
20
96.
7 2
.
16 11
August
, ,
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . 28
.
70
28.50
92.
70.
4 83
September , ,
...
...
...
...
28.80
28.50
100.
7 1
.
20 51
October
, ,
... ... ... ...
29
.
2 8
. 8 0
86.
65.
0 30
November , ,
... ... ... ...
29
.
28
.
90
82.
6 2
.
...
December , ,
... ... ... ...
29 . 10
29.
8 0
.
5 2
.
...
Total ...
... ... ... ...
46
63
Resumē.