Causes of Mortality.
Influence of Rainfall.
64
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
chest would expand more freely, there would be freer movement of the arms, and the sepoy
could wear under it a sufficient amount of clothing to protect his chest from variations of
temperature which prevail at different seasons and periods of the day. For boots I would
recommend some uniform pattern of Native shoe or sandal.
10. During line-building the duties of the troops were very heavy; since the lines were
built they have been the ordinary duty of the sepoy. The
men have 15¼ consecutive nights in bed, The duties have
not had any appreciable bad effect on the health of the men. There is an excellent workshop
in the regiment, and many of the men are really excellent carpenters, smiths, &c. There is
also a soldier's garden, in which are cultivated, for sale, lucerne, plantains, and country vege
-
tables; there is also a talimkhana. Encouragement is given to the men to excel in athletic
sports by means of prizes given by the officers of the regiment annually for proficiency in
wrestling, running, leaping, and vaulting; for these prizes there is a keen competition.
Duties, &c.
Lock-up Rooms and Cells.
11. There are 2 cells in the new quarter-guard, sub
-stantially built, dry, cool, and well ventilated.
12. A new hospital is being built at the new cantonment; the one at present in use is
situated in the fort, and is a very good one. The ventilation is
carried out by means of windows and doors, and by ventilators
in the roof, and is, on the whole, satisfactory. The number of sick is rarely above what can
be well accommodated in the hospital. The conservancy is by means of latrines in rear
of the hospital; they are cleaned out daily, the excreta being removed in a cart to a
considerable distance, nearly a mile from the hospital. They
are kept free from smell by the use of McDougall's powder.
13. During the past year there were 363 admissions, 3 being for cholera, out of an
average strength of 685; of these 4 died. Of the fatal cases
3 were from cholera and 1 from bronchitis. The ratio per
cent. of admissions to average strength was 53. The average
daily number of sick was 18.3. The percentage of treated to strength was 54.7; deaths to
strength 6, deaths to treated 1. 6 men were sent before
the annual invaliding committee at Belgaum, 5 of whom were
passed.
14. From ague there were 87 admissions, all of them being of a mild type, and yield
-
ing readily to treatment. From rheumatism there were 18
admissions, all of them being the chronic form. Primary syphilis
gave 4, secondary 2 admissions. 16 cases of bronchitis, 1 of them proving fatal. Diarrhœa
gave 9 admissions; 2 of them were very serious; and, had not the term choleraic
been forbidden, I should have returned them as such, there being extreme collapse
and very considerable suppression of urine. The evacuations were of the colour of rice
-
w a t e r ; b o t h o f t h e m r e c o v e r e d . 6 4 c a s e s o f g u i n e a w o r m w e r e t r e a t e d ; t h i s n u m b e r
compares very favourably with the admissions in 1874, when there were 142. I hope
that the admissions in 1876 from this disease will be further considerably decreased,
as the whole of the regiment will be able to use the well water in the new canton
-
ment. Local injuries gave 33 admissions: 23 contusions of the lower extremities, 1 for frac
-
ture of the clavical, 1 for fracture of the humerus, 4 contusions of the upper extremities, 1
gun-shot wound of the abdomen. In the latter case the rifle was accidentally discharged on
parade. The blank cartridge penetrated the substance of the liver for several inches from right
to left; my little finger could be passed into the wound. The man lost a great deal of blood,
and for several hours there was extreme collapse. Suppuration having taken place, 16 days
afterwards the cartridge was discharged, and with careful watching and treatment the man
returned to duty after 75 days' residence in hospital.
Hospital and its Surroundings.
Conservancy.
Sickness, Mortality, and Invalid
-
ing.
Invaliding.
Principal Causes of Sickness.
15. 3 out of the 4 deaths occurred from cholera; the
other from bronchitis. All were Hindus.
16. I do not think the rainfall is prejudicial to the health
of those who can and will dress according to the dictates of
common-sense.
17. There have been no epidemics. Cholera has prevailed to a considerable extent in
this collectorate, and I was afraid the regiment was about to
suffer from an epidemic of this disease when the 3 sepoys
were attacked. Every precaution was taken, and the disease went no further.
18. Vaccination has been most carefully attended to, and there were 88—all successful.
Epidemics.