97
NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ARMY.
suffered from the disease at Mehidpur. The sub-soil water-level did not seem to influence
the amount of malarial fever in any way; but, as before stated, this is always so far from the
surface at Mhow that it is no criterion of whether it does or not in other stations. Cincho -
nidine was tried for a considerable time both in large and small doses, and its efficacy in
stopping or curing intermittent fever was found very poor indeed. Simple continued fever
of a mild type was the most prevalent disease during the year,
and caused 173 admissions into hospital. The disease occurred
chiefly amongst the recruits and young soldiers, and was undoubtedly due to bad and in -
sufficient food and exposure combined. Bronchitis prevailed to a considerable extent amongst
a certain class of men, and 60 cases of it were admitted into
hospital. It occurred chiefly in the rains and amongst old men
broken down from malarial blood-poisoning, most of whom
have since been pensioned. I have, in all cases where the system was saturated with malaria,
found the bronchitis of a most intractable nature; and in this regiment it has hitherto been
a very common sequence of ague and a great cause of invaliding. 2 cases of pneumonia
were treated, and 1 proved fatal. The fatal case occurred in a
man who tried to pass the regimental invaliding committee
a short time previously, and who in all probability had starved himself for that purpose.
He suffered from ague in the lines, on which pneumonia supervened; and when taken
to hospital he was in a broken-down state, and. sank rapidly. 17 cases of dysentery
were admitted, and 16 discharged to duty; 1 of a chronic
type remains under treatment. Diarrhœa, caused 6 admissions
and colic 53; the colic cases occurred chiefly amongst the
recruits. An interesting case of acute glossitis was treated
in October: the patient came to hospital complaining of fever
and sore throat. Inflammation of the tongue set in rapidly,
and in a few hours that organ was swollen to such an extent that it not only filled the
whole mouth, but protruded beyond the lips. The glands in the neighbourhood were
all inflamed, and there was urgent dyspnœa. Leeches were freely applied in the neighbourhood
and the tongue itself, the bowels cleared out by enemas, pounded ice kept continually in
the mouth, and quinine and calomel afterwards administered, and the man made a good
recovery. A case of hepatitis was treated, and, the disease
becoming chronic, the patient was granted 6 months' sick leave.
The climate of Mhow does not suit hepatic complaints. The chloride of ammonia utterly
failed to give relief in this case. There were 18 admissions from splenitis, and a few of these
were furnished by recruits; but the greater number were
amongst the men who suffered from ague at Mehidpur.
Chronic rheumatism contributed 21 cases of admission; this disease occurred chiefly
amongst men of over 15 years' service. A young sepoy of
only 4 years' service suffered from it for more than a year, and
had to be finally discharged. He stated that he had been subject to pains in his joints since
he suffered from dengue at Mehidpur in 1873; but there was also a history of syphilis and
gonorrhœa. 13 cases of muscular rheumatism were admitted, and, as usual, the subjects
of this complaint were men who had served the required period entitling them to pension.
A medical man is helpless in these cases; for, although he believes the patient to be sham -
ming, he cannot positively swear it. 8 patients were admitted for mumps and 2 for
chicken-pox. There were 6 admissions for soft chancre, 2
for suppurating bubo, and 6 for secondary syphilis. A case
of paraplegia was admitted in May, and continued under treatment until the man was invalid -
ed in November. The disease came on slowly, and at first
looked like locomotor ataxy; but, after a time, complete loss of
power and sensibility in the lower extremities set in, and bed-sores formed over the sacrum.
There was no history of syphilis or injury, and no symptoms of inflammation or congestion of
the cord or its membranes, and, in fact, the cause of the disease was not ascertained. A year
before the patient suffered from pain in the dorsal region of the spine, which he stated was
followed by a feeling of numbness in the legs. 2 cases of cholera occurred during the
month of May; the disease had previously appeared in the
16th Regiment N. I. The first case in the Native infantry
lines occurred on the 10th of April, and the subject was a recruit who had lately
joined the 16th N. I. He came through Choral Chowkey, where the disease prevailed
at the time, rested 4 hours in the Mhow bazaar, and was attacked 2 days after
entering camp. Another of the same party was attacked a few days afterwards. Cholera
prevailed amongst the workmen on the Holkar State Railway, and to a certain extent in the
cantonment of Mhow during the hot months. In August a slight outbreak occurred in the
68th Light Infantry, and the regiment was moved out into tents on that account. A lady,
the wife of an officer in this regiment, was attacked in this month; the probable cause of her
illness I have already stated. 3 cases altogether occurred in the regiment, 2 amongst the
B 66—y
Simple continued Fever.
Diseases of the Respiratory
System.
Pneumonia.
Diseases of the Digestive Sys-
tem.
Diarrhœa and Colic.
Glossitis.
Hepatitis.
Splenitis.
Rheumatism.
Syphilis.
Paralysis.
Cholera.