71
NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
8. The hospital stands some 200 yards from and to the east of the lines. The
building was formerly the regimental school; it has a single
ward 96¾ feet long, 22 feet wide, affording accommodation for
28 sick, and giving each man a cubic space of 2,800 feet; it is well lighted and ventilated.
A spacious verandah runs along the east and west sides of the building. To prevent over-
crowding during the fever season these verandahs were used for the patients. They accom--
modate, without any inconvenience, 16 beds. At each corner is a room used, respect
-ively, as the dispensary, store-room, and quarters for a hospital assistant and Native medical
pupil. The flooring of the ward is of red brick of a soft and crumbling nature. On the
eastern side of the hospital, and some 30 paces only from it, is the small village of
Gowleepoora, which is not in camp limits; the villagers are chiefly herdsmen, cultivators,
and brick-makers. At first it was in a most filthy state on account of the number of cattle
kept there, but strict measures are now taken to keep the place clean. The brick-making is
now carried on at some distance from the hospital. There is accommodation for 12 people
only, belonging to the hospital establishment, with their families. Wards for the treatment
of contagious or any special diseases and a dead-house are required. The latrines are
conveniently situated; the iron pans in use are emptied and cleaned twice a day; the excreta
are carted away to some distance out of camp and burnt. The hospital water-supply
is derived from wells near the regimental lines.
9. There were 779 admissions this year, being less by 391 than last year. The chief
admissions were fevers, chronic rheumatism, catarrhal ophthal
-mia, contusion and chest-affections. Exclusive of cholera cases
there were only 2 deaths. 30 men were invalided and 3 were
discharged by court-martial. The most important cause of sickness has been malaria. Of
fevers there were—malarious fevers 274 admissions, febricula 48, eruptive fever 5,—total 327.
There were 44 admissions from chronic rheumatism, 51 from catarrhal ophthalmia of a mild
form, 45 from diarrhœa, and 64 from contusions, chiefly shoe-bites. There were 14 cases of
syphilis, which occurred in young sepoys, in every case contracted in the city, where the men
had been on duty. 7 deaths occurred from cholera, 1 from enteritis, and 1 from debility.
In hospital, Hindus 8, Mussulman 1, died; and, out of hospital, Hindus 3 and Mussulman 1.
10. 32 inches 91 cents of rain were gauged during the year, which is about the average
quantity for the last 10 years, but less by 6.79 inches than the
last year's fall. The hot weather commenced, at the beginning
of May, and was extremely oppressive in camp. October, too, was a trying month for both
Europeans and Natives.
11. There were 14 cases of cholera treated with 7 deaths. On the 14th of April
the first outbreak of cholera in the city was reported, and
on the 28th ideal a force, consisting of both European and
Native troops, marched into the city to quell some disturbance there. The Native portion of
the troops occupied several small and ill-ventilated rooms in the palace. After the Euro--
pean troops had left the city some of the sepoys went into the Nazar Bagh Palace, where
the accommodation was superior. Every precaution was taken to prevent the spread of
the disease amongst the troops by having good water supplied to the men, their rooms
cleaned, disinfected, and fumigated; but, 3 days after the occupation of the city, 2 cases
of cholera were reported, and on the 4th May a third case occurred; they all proved fatal.
They were treated in the state hospital, which is situated outside of the city. For the conve--
nience of theBaroda Force a temporary hospital was established in the Guicowar's "gold-gun--
shed", which is placed in the centre of a clean and well-ventilated compound near the Nazar
Bagh. On the 5th May the Native part of the force was reduced by 300 men, who marched
to a cholera camp near the village of Chance, which is distant a mile from cantonment.
At this camp there were 6 admissions of men belonging to the regiment with 4 deaths
between the 5th May and the 1st July. When the force left the city, only 4 men of the
regiment came under my treatment in the city hospital for cholera; they all recovered.
12. There were 54 children vaccinated in the lines with success.
13. The general health of the regiment has been, on the whole, satisfactory, and the
physique of the majority of the men is good.
14. The medical pupil has been carefully instructed during the year.
REMARKS BY DEPUTY SURGEON-GENERAL D. WYLLIE, M.D.
The hospital was inspected on 7th January. Accommodation tolerably good, but was scarce
adequate during autumn. The building requires repair, and is objectionable from being on
the extreme confine of camp, and only some 30 paces from a Native village. No dead-house or
separate contagious ward. The medical officer complains of the proximity of the trench latrines,
distant some 200 paces, which become a nuisance to the sick when northerly winds prevail.
Hospital.
Sickness, Mortality, and In--
validing.
Influence of Rainfall.
Epidemics.