92
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
5. The duties are not excessive; the average number of nights in bed was about 6.
There is a gymnasium in which a few of the men amuse them-
selves, but it would be better if all recruits were obliged to go
through a course, not in addition to their present duties, but by giving one morning a week
entirely to gymnastics.
Duties, &c.
Marches.
6. The regiment left Mhow by wings—the right on 18th
November, the left on 26th December, for Nusseerabad.
7. The dead-house was in the same condition as when last reported on. Post-mortem ex
-aminations are conducted in it with the greatest difficulty. There
was no over-crowding, and the accommodation was sufficient.
Hospital.
Hospital Water-supply.
8. From the hospital well. The following observations
regarding the level of the sub-soil water were made at the
hospital well:—
Locality or De-
signation of Well.
Date and Hour of Measurement.
Distance of Sub-soil
Wa t e r be l ow Sur f a c e
of Ground.
Rainfall from Date of
last Measurement.
W e l l i n h o s p i t a l c o m p o u n d .
15th January 1875, at 5 A.M.
Feet in.
None.
In. cts.
. . . . . .
” February ” do.
38 6
0 12
” March
” do.
39 1
......
” April ” do.
58 4
0 29
” May ” do.
70 6
0 75
”June ” do.
70 0
4 91
” July ” do.
70 0
8 45
” August ” do.
70 0
6 1 7
” September ” do.
29 4
15 84
” October ” do.
16 6
0 25
” November ” do.
28 6
.......
” December ” do.
None.
. . . . . . .
I t w i l l b e n o t i c e d f r o m t h e a b o v e r e t u r n t h a t t h e r e w a s a s u d d e n f a l l i n t h e l e v e l o f t h e
sub-soil water in the month of April, amounting to 19 feet 3 inches, and that the water still
further receded in May, and continued at a distance of 70 feet till September, when it, suddenly
rose. This period coincided with the prevalence of cholera in and about Mhow. On the 10th
April cholera appeared in the regiment: 2 cases occurred; of these 1 died and 1 recovered.
I n t h e m o n t h o f A u g u s t a s e c o n d o u t b r e a k o c c u r r e d i n t h e r e g i m e n t ; t h e r e w e r e 5 a d m i s s i o n s ,
and of these 3 proved fatal. There was a good deal of diarrhœa also during the time the
sub-soil water was farthest from the surface. Petinkofer's theory of the variation in the sub
- s o i l w a t e r a s a f a c t o r i n t h e c a u s a t i o n o f c h o l e r a w o u l d b e c a p a b l e o f m o r e e x a c t p r o o f i n
Mhow, where cholera so frequently appears, if a well in the bazaar were selected, and a weekly
note made of the distance of the water from the surface, together with a regular and com
- p u l s o r y s y s t e m o f r e g i s t r a t i o n o f d e a t h s .
9. The principal diseases that were under treatment during the year were: 1st, Cholera
appeared twice in the regiment during the year. Hydrate of
chloral was injected hypodermically in all cases without the
slightest apparent benefit; there were 7 admissions and 4 deaths. I should state that “other
- w i s e ” , m e n t i o n e d i n t h e a n n u a l r e t u r n , m e a n s t h a t t h e s e c a s e s w e r e e n t e r e d u n d e r a n o t h e r
head, viz., debility after convalescence from cholera. In the first outbreak cholera was
imported by recruits who passed through a cholera district en route to Mhow; in the
second, it was most probably contracted in the bazaar, where cases had occurred. 2nd, In
- t e r m i t t e n t f e v e r . — T h i s , a s u s u a l , c a u s e d t h e l a r g e s t n u m b e r o f a d m i s s i o n s ; t h e y w e r e
principally tertian, and were very amenable to the usual treatment. I did not find
c i n c h o n i d i n e a s u s e f u l a s I e x p e c t e d , a l t h o u g h g i v e n i n 1 0 - g r a i n d o s e s . 1 c a s e o f e n t e r i c
Sickness and its principal Causes.