41
DISTRICT OF MALABAR AND CANARA.
Years.
Stations.
Rate per Cent. of
Average Strength Present.
Average Strength.
Admissions. Daily Sick. All Deaths.
Pensioned.
Sick Leave.
1872..
.. Cannanore..
..
2 5 .
.75
.43
..
.43
1873..
..
Do. ....
..
31.14
.93
..
7.73
2.01
1874..
..
Do. ....
..
42.81
1.81
.86
3.45
1.87
Average ..
32.98
1.16
.43
3.72
1.43
1875..... Cannanore..
68.65
2.74
.44
7.46
3.58
Surgeon-Major J. A. Cox, M.D., was in medical charge of this corps during the
year, and reports as follows :—
Climate of the station during the year. —Climatic influence upon the health of the regiment
has not been favourable, as most of the diseases, especially fevers, took on a low adynamic form
when the monsoon and land winds prevailed during the past year.
Diseases of the district. —The principal diseases are fevers, rheumatisms, asthma, diarrhœa
and dysentery, both during the monsoons and during the prevalence of land wind. Itch and
intestinal worms (lumbrici) are very common throughout the year, chiefly accompanied with fever,
which often assumes a remittent form, and sometimes complicated with inflammation of the lungs.
Position of lines.—The lines consist of rows of thatched mud huts to the north of the Native
Infantry parade-ground. The site is somewhat low, but the natural drainage is good, and the
lines are healthy.
Water-supply.—Water is obtained from the wells in: the lines ; it is both good and plentiful.
Diet.— The men purchase their own food. Rice, fish, and vegetables are the chief ingredients
of diet. Rice was sold at the rate of 8 5/6 6/4 measures per rupee. Troops received compensation at
an average of Rupees 1-7-1 per mensem.
Duty and exercises.—Average weekly nights in bed 6.35.
Epidemic diseases.—No epidemic disease prevailed throughout the year. There were 57
cases of fever, of which 54 were intermittent and 1 remittent, 12 of dysentery and 3 of diarrhœa.
Most of these prevailed during the monsoon and during the land wind, and nearly two-thirds of
the fever cases depended upon intestinal worms, and about 20 per cent. were complicated with
pneumonia, 1 of which even passed on to abscess of the lungs, hæmoptysis, collapse and death.
Ventilation of the hospital.—The hospital is fairly ventilated.
Hospital drainage.—The working of the hospital latrine is good. Dry earth is used.
Hospital water-supply.— Water is brought to hospital by puckallies from wells in the lines, and
kept for use in earthen vessels.
General conclusions.—Judging from the mortality during the year under review, the health of
the regiment would appear to have been favourable ; but on considering the number of admissions,
there is an increase of 142 more than that of 1874, showing the health of the men to have been
very unsatisfactory. Although a great number of them were treated for local complaints, such as
ulcer, boil, itch, and accidents, yet the diseases of the general system were of a very severe nature,
the fevers especially being complicated with inflammation of the lungs, &c. The continued
residence of the sepoys in damp climates both in Burmah and in this station has rendered their
constitutions easily susceptible to diseases which very often take on a low adynamic type, and with
all the care, watchfulness, nourishing, &c., prolongs their convalescence to a great extent, and in a
very few instances collapse and death.
There were three deaths among the sepoys and one among the puckallies of the regiment.
3 4 t h R e g i m e n t N a t i v e I
n f a n t r y .
STATION—MANGALORE.
Arrived from Bellary 30th December 1870.
Average strength
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
659
Do.
do.
present
....
602
Admissions
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
266
Daily sick
..
..
..
12
Deaths in hospital
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
.
. .
Do. out of do.
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
1
Pensioned..
..
..
..
..
6
Sick leave
..
..
..
..
. .
. . .
22
11
Climate of the
station during
the year.
Diseases of
the district.
Position of
lines.
Water-
supply.
Diet.
Duty and
exercises.
Epidemic
diseases.
Ventilation of
the hospital.
Hospital
drainage.
Hospital
water-supply.
General
conclusions.