SOUTHERN DISTRICT. 31
SOUTHERN DISTRICT.
Average strength ...
... ... ... ... ...
3,411
Do.
do.
present ..
..
• •
. .
•
3,174
Total admissions
..
...
..
... ...
..
..
2,008
Daily sick ..
...
.. .. .. .
79
Deaths in hospital ..
..
.. ..
33
Do. out of do.
18
Pensioned • . .. • • . • . • .. 9 •
122
Sick leave
..
• 6
• •
. .
• .
93
The following return shows the rates of sickness, deaths, and invaliding as
contrasted with previous years :—
Years.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions.
Daily Sick.
All Deaths.
Pensioned. Sick Leave.
1872 ..
..
..
111.54
2.35
.85
1.86
1.67
1873 ..
.. ..
90.98
2.20
.64
.93
2.16
1874 ..
. .
..
74.33
1.98
.97
3.61
2.98
Average ..
92.28
2.17
.82
2.13
2.27
1875 ..
..
..
63.26
2.48
1.49
3.57
2.72
The following corps were serving in the division on the 31st December 1875 :—
19th Regiment N.I.
32nd
do.
do.
38th
do.
do.
24th
do.
do.
26th
do.
do.
Deputy Surgeon-General W. Johnston, M.D., was in charge of this circle and
Malabar and Canara up to May 1875, and was succeeded by Deputy Surgeon-General
H. Young who again was succeeded by Deputy Surgeon-General L. W. Stewart,
who submits the following report : —
Alleged causes of sickness and mortality.—In the Annual Sanitary Reports of the Native
Regiments serving in this circle of medical administration, including the garrison of Trichinopoly,
forming the head-quarters of the district, there has been but little deviation in the alleged causes of
sickness and mortality, saving an outbreak of epidemic cholera of extreme virulence.
During the year under review the health of the Europeans, inclusive of commissioned,
warrant, and non-commissioned officers of the several departments, has not been so satisfactory
as could be desired.
The climate of the head-quarter station has differed very considerably from the average of
years, the monsoon rains having fallen under the average, 35 inches, the result being a partial
failure of the crops, wet and dry.
The health of the native troops has been on the whole satisfactory, excepting the outbreak of
cholera, which commenced in May and lasted until the end of the year, being for five months
epidemic and for three mouths sporadic. The admissions and deaths from this cause were as
follows :—
Alleged
causes of
sickness and
mortality.
Regiments.
Admitted. Died.
1 9 t h R e g i m e n t N . I T r i c h i n o p o i y
6
2
32nd
do.
do.
do...
..
..
. •
. .
25
11
38th
do.
do.
do.
..
..
..
..
..
2
1
The epidemic was general, and the civil population suffered very considerably. A strict
quarantine resulted in a great immunity of the prison population of the Central Jail of Trichino-
poly. The year has been characterised by a complete change in the seasonal conditions, cholera
making its appearance (imported from Negapatam viâ Tanjore) in the hot instead of the cold
months of the year, as has been usual in former years and lasting for a considerable time longer
than has hitherto been the average. The head-quarter station, Trichinopoly, enjoyed a perfect
immunity from the disease for four years, and the present epidemic was of more than an ordinarily
virulent type compared with the average of previous years when the disease was wont to make its
appearance.