had.42
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding as
contrasted with previous years :—
Years.
Stations.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths.
Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1872 ..
Mangalore
..
..
53.98
2.22
1.92
2.07
1.33
1873 ..
..
Do.
. . •
54.57
1.70
1.46
2.63
2.34
1874 ..
..
Do.
..
..
39.07
1.49
.13
418
2.78
Average ..
49.20
1.80
117
2.96
215
1875 ..
.. Mangalore
..
..
44.18
1.99
.15
.91
3.33
Climate of the
station.
Diseases of
the district.
Position of
lines.
Surgeon-Major R. Dempster was in medical charge of this corps during the
year and reports as follows : —
Climate of the station. —The temperature during the past year has been about the average,
but the rainfall was unusually light during the monsoon, and. the last half of the year has not been
so healthy in consequence. Patients suffering from zymotic disease did. not convalesce so quickly,
the average stay in hospital being much longer than the previous half-year.
Diseases of the district. —The luxuriant vegetation throughout the district is very conducive
to fevers, particularly in those parts near the ghauts.
The principal diseases are intermittent and remittent fevers, dysentery, and diarrhœa.
Position of lines. —The barracks are well situated on elevated ground in the centre of the
cantonment. The lines are well situated on sloping ground, adjoining the parade ground aspect
N.E.
Water-supply
Sanitary
arrangements.
Diet.
Duty and
exercises.
Epidemic
diseases.
Ventilation o
f t h e h o s p i t a l .
Hospital
drainage.
General
conclusions.
The drainage is very good.
Water-supply.—Water good and abundant all year round, obtained from wells in the lines.
No recommendations have been necessary.
Sanitary arrangements.—Sanitary arrangements have been satisfactory ; no local causes of
diseases have required removal.
Diet.— Provisions have been plentiful and moderate in price. Vegetables are procurable all
year round. The men have received the usual rice money averaging Rupees 1-2-9.
Diet is on the whole sufficiently nutritive, but on account of dearness of mutton on this coast
many are deprived of it.
Duty and exercises. — Average number of nights in bed 7 ¾.
Epidemic diseases. —No epidemic diseases have prevailed. No overcrowding has taken place,
and there have been no defects from want of cleanliness or ventilation or over fatigue, or on
account of diet, clothing, or water-supply.
Ventilation of the hospital.—The hospital is a commodious building. Ventilation is good.
No representations have been made.
Hospital drainage.—State of drainage and latrines has been good. The dry-earth system
is efficiently carried out. No representations have been made.
General conclusions. —The sanitary state of the regiment during the past year has been on
the whole satisfactory ; the admissions 266 show a slight increase over previous year (261).
The latter half of the year has not been a healthy time, attributed to the unusually light fall of
rain during the monsoon. Men under treatment from zymotic diseases did not convalesce so.
quickly as usual, and many had to be sent away on sick leave in consequence. The number now
on sick leave is 26 against 20 the previous year. The principal diseases have been ague,
dysentery, diarrhœa, and itch. The admissions from zymotic disease have been 84 .79 per cent. of
total admissions. No death has taken place in hospital, but one man was sent away on sick
leave to Trichinopoly and died there of cholera. One officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H. E. Ryves
died from extravasation of urine, and a child of Colonel R. S. Couchman died from bronchitis.