Principal Causes of Sickness.
Principal Causes of Mortality.
25
POONA DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
latedperiod of service having expired, he is naturally desirous of obtaining the pension to which
his length of service entitles him. Under existing regulations this coveted result of his la--
bours is only attainable in the event of his being pronounced by a medical committee unfit for
further service; his energies are consequently directed to deceive the medical officer, either
by feigning disease which he has not, or exaggerating a complaint with which very many
sepoys are affected more or less after years of exposure to climatic influences. Under these
circumstances it is not surprising that medical treatment is simply useless, the patient having
determined to carry his point, and to resist all treatment directed to the cure of his supposed
ailment. A repeal of the present pension rules is the only remedy for this evil, which is both
unfair to the medical officer and demoralizing to the Native Army. Bronchitis and bronchial
catarrh were prevalent during the cold weather, 23 cases having been under treatment; there
were also 5 cases of pneumonic phthisis, in 4 of which the patients were invalided. 2
cases of dementia were admitted into hospital, 1 of which terminated in an unfortunate
manner. A sepoy and his wife were admitted into hospital, both labouring under the delu
-sion that a conspiracy was on foot to injure them, and that they were bewitched; they were
detained for treatment, and were placed under the care of an attendant, and means taken to
ensure rest and quiet. Under this they appeared to be gradually recovering. The man at last
seemed to be so far recovered that he was on the point of being discharged, when one mor-n
ing, shortly after my usual visit, both patients, in the absence of the attendant, went into the
cook-room adjoining; the man, seizing a large brass cooking-pot, struck his wife several
violent blows with it on the head and then ran off at his utmost speed. The woman was found
to have had her skull badly fractured, and after lying in an insensible state for some hours
expired, previously giving birth to a still-born child. The husband was never found, although
diligent search was made for him throughout the district; it was supposed he had thrown
himself down a well. The second patient was pronounced by a committee to be unfit for
the duties of a soldier and recommended to be discharged the service. Local affections
have occurred in 95 cases; many of these were abrasions caused by hard and ill-fitting shoes,
degenerating into indolent, ill-conditioned ulcers owing to the patients' health being impover
-ished by bad and insufficient food; these were frequently very tedious, and in some cases
necessitated the removal of the patient for change of air. In some patients this cachectic
condition was so pronounced that the application of leeches or a blister was followed by the
same result, the leech-bites and vesication becoming converted into sores which required many
days and even weeks, and a variety of treatment, both local and constitutional, to heal. One
case of fracture of the clavicle, 1 of dislocation of the clavicle from the sterno-clavicular
articulation, and 1 of dislocation of the humerus into the axilla. The number of men invalided
was 24.
8. The principal causes of sickness have been malarious
fevers, dysentery, and diarrhœa, bronchitis, bronchitic catarrh,
and rheumatism.
9. The 3 fatal cases, all Hindus, resulted from remittent
fever, apoplexy, and malignant cholera.
1 0 M a l a r i o u s f e v e r w a s p r e v a l e n t t o a n u n u s u a l e x t e n t d u r i n g t h e l a t t e r p a r t o f t h e
monsoon, and I am of opinion that this was partly due to the
long protracted rainfall and to the frequent saturation and
partial drying of the ground giving rise to malarious exhalations.
11. Cholera was epidemic in Poona and the neighbourhood in the months of June, July,
and August. Only one case occurred amongst the sepoys of the
regiment, the patient having been attacked whilst he was on
guard at Gunesh Khind; he was in a state of collapse when admitted into the hospital tent;
the case terminated fatally. One woman and one child amongst the regimental followers
were attacked in the lines, and both died. Every precaution was taken to prevent the sepoys
and their families entering the parts of camp, the town, and the bazaar in which cholera pre
-vailed; and the block of huts in which the two cases occurred, was vacated, and thoroughly
cleaned, fumigated, and lime-washed, and allowed to remain unoccupied for a month.
12. The total number of cases vaccinated was 74, all of which were successful; the num
- b e r r e m a i n i n g u n p r o t e c t e d a t t h e c l o s e o f t h e y e a r w a s 8 i n f a n t s — t o o y o u n g t o a l l o w o f t h e
operation. There have been 24 cases of re-vaccination.
13. The general health and physique of the men, if estimated by the number of admis
-sions into hospital during the year, may be said to be good; but,
judged by their appearance on parade and their ability to bear
fatigue, and general fitness for hard work, it is not so satisfac
- t o r y . I h a v e f r e q u e n t l y h a d o c c a s i o n t o n o t i c e t h e c a c h e c t i c c o n d i t i o n o f m e n , w h o h a v e c o m e
to hospital for treatment, and the unfavourable effect such a state of health has exerted upon
the ailments for which they have been admitted. I believe this loss of tone and vigour to be
B 66— g
Influence of Rainfall.
Epidemic.
General Health and Physique of
the Men.