Principal Causes of Mortality.
Mortality according to Race.
General Health and Physique of
the Men.
Treatment of Disease when
special.
8
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
up a total of this class of disease to 159 cases. Local diseases have rather exceeded the above;
of the nervous system there are 4 admissions, 2 for locomotor ataxy, 1 tetanus (idiopathic),
and 1 neuralgia. Diseases of the eye furnish 12 cases of conjunctivitis, ear 3, absorbent
system 1, respiratory system 29, digestive system 40, urinary organs 11, generative system
3, organs of locomotion 3, cellular tissue 12, and cutaneous system 46; total number of admis
- s i o n s o f t h i s c l a s s 1 6 4 . G e n e r a l d e b i l i t y g i v e s 5 a d m i s s i o n s a n d i n j u r i e s 4 3 , v i z . , b u r n s 2 ,
contusions 24, sprain 9, wound (gun-shot) 1 (accidental and of no importance), fracture 1,
wound (simple) 1, and blistered foot 5; total admissions, 48.
10. Died from hepatitis 1, remittent fever 1, general
dropsy 1, pneumonia 1, and tetanus 1; total deaths, 5.
11. 4 Hindus, or 0·9 to strength, died; and 1 Mussulman,
or 0·5 to strength.
12. The following table gives the number of admissions month by month during the
year, as well as the rainfall, and it will be observed that gene-
rally the admissions during the rains are more frequent than at
other periods of the year. Damp appears to be an active agent in predisposing to disease; but
the exposure at night before the monsoon commences, which the men indulge in to escape the
great heat of their huts and to court sleep, has a great deal to do with the increased sickness
of the rainy months:—
Mont hs .
A d m i s s i o n s .
D e a t h s .
R a i n f a l l . F e v e r s .
Rheumat i c Affect i ons.
D y s e n t e r y .
D i a r r h œ a .
C h e s t A f f e c - t i o n s .
O t h e r D i s e a s e s .
J a n u a r y .
3 2
. . .
...
5
. . .
1
. . .
3
2 3
February
3 1 ... ...
1 0 ...
4
1 1
1 5
March
1 9
1
. . .
5
2 ...
...
1
1 1
April
4 3
. . .
. . .
9
. . .
. . .
3 3
2 8
May
2 6 1
. . .
6
3
2
1 1
1 3
June
3 4 2
2 2 · 2 4
1 8
1
2
1 2
1 0
July
3 9
...
1 3 · 4 0
1 1
1
2
1 5
1 9
August
3 5
. . .
1 4 · 9 1
8
8
. . .
. . .
3
1 6
September
3 5
. . .
2 5 · 1 4
4
5
1
4 2
1 9
October
2 9
. . .
· 3 0
4
4
1
. . .
5
1 5
November
2 8 1
. . .
8
... ...
. . .
2
1 8
December
2 0
. . . ...
5
2
. . .
. . .
1
1 2
Total
3 7 1 5
7 5 · 3 6
8 8
2 6
1 3
1 1
2 9
1 9 9
Average
3 1
. . .
...
7 1 / 3
2 1 / 6
1 1 / 1 2
0 · 9
. . .
...
Influence of Rainfall.
Epidemic.
13. No epidemic disease in the regiment during the year.
14. 54 children were primarily vaccinated: 52, or 96·3 per cent., were successful
—32 under one year and 22 above one year of age. 56 recruits
re-vaccinated—20 successful, and 36 failed.
Vaccination.
15. The general health of the regiment has been good
and, considering the class from which the regiment is mostly
recruited, their physique is fair.
16. Subcutaneous injection of chloral hydrate was tried
in two cases of cholera; both recovered, but the cases were not
severe, and I am not inclined to attribute recovery to its use.
17. Nothing has occurred during the year calling for remarks out of the usual course,
but I wish to notice the much-vexed question of invaliding. It
is surprising to see how aged some men appear to be after
such a very short service as 15 years, when the men should not be, if not over age at enlist-
ment, above 33 or 35 years of age. A Native surely should not break down at that period of