96
A SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.
native villages, and are at once cut 3 rupees a month for an outfit. Nothing could be
more unwise than this, for you compel the young lad, whom you wish to develop into a
stout healthy soldier, to live on 4 rupees a month for the first year of his service. The
consequence of this proceeding is, that he cannot feed himself on his pay, he is weakly, and
on the slightest exposure he gets fever and is admitted into hospital. The recruits and men
under 2 years' service furnished 80 admissions into hospital from fever and 2 for splenitis
during the past year.
7. The duties were considerable, as the men were kept pretty constantly at drill
and parade work. In addition to this the lines were repaired,
and all the tiles turned by the sepoys in the hot weather. I
certainly attributed some of the fever cases to exposure at tile-turning. There was little or
no amusement, a few games of cricket being the only thing I am aware of.
Duties and their Effects.
Marches.
8. The left half battalion marched from Indore to Mhow
in January, and the right half battalion from Mhow to Indore
in July 1875.
9. During the past year both the hospital and its surroundings were healthy. The
ventilation is good. There has been no over-crowding, the
average daily sick being 22·58, and the space for their accom
- m o d a t i o n 3 2 , 4 8 0 c u b i c f e e t , o r a b o u t 1 , 4 7 6 c u b i c f e e t p e r p a t i e n t . T h e r e h a v e b e e n n o c h a n g e s
made in the building since last year. A small ward for eye and other particular cases is
still required. It is impossible to treat acute bronchitis successfully during the cold months
in a large ward all windows and doors; a small one, in which the temperature can be raised
to a certain point, is required. The dead-house is still in the same condition as reported
last year, devoid of all suitable fittings, and having only a common clay floor. The latrine
is now provided with a channel in the rear, which carries all the fluids that do not fall into
the privy pans into a dammered receptacle placed in a small tank outside the building.
The place is kept clean and in a good sanitary condition. There is no particular well marked
off for the hospital. The water-supply, which was drawn from the wells in the vicinity, was
sufficient, and the quality good.
10. I am glad to be able to report that a great improvement in the health of the
regiment has been steadily going on since our arrival at Mhow.
A number of men, who were broken down chiefly by Mehidpur
f e v e r , h a v e b e e n p e n s i o n e d , a n d t h e o t h e r s m a y b e s a i d t o h a v e n o w n e a r l y s h a k e n o f f t h e
effects of the ague contracted at that station. There are, of course, a few men still in the
r a n k s w h o s e s y s t e m s h a v e n o t t h r o w n o f f t h e m a l a r i a l b l o o d - p o i s o n i n g ; a n d t h e s e a r e t h e
subjects who on the slightest exposure furnish admissions into hospital from ague, splenitis,
and bronchitis. On the whole the health of the regiment may be considered as having reach
-ed a normal standard. The average strength of corps during the year amounted to 517, the
total number of admissions into hospital to 744, the daily average of sick to 22·58, the propor
- t i o n o f s i c k t o s t r e n g t h p e r c e n t . t o 4 · 3 6 , t h e p r o p o r t i o n o f a d m i s s i o n s t o s t r e n g t h p e r c e n t .
1 4 3 · 8 8 , t h e p r o p o r t i o n o f t r e a t e d t o s t r e n g t h p e r c e n t . 1 4 5 · 8 2 , t h e p e r c e n t a g e o f d e a t h s t o
strength to 0·19, and the percentage of deaths to treated to 0·13. The following table shows
the percentages of sickness and mortality for the last three years:—
Year.
Strength.
Admissions
into
Hospital.
Sick to
Strength
per Cent.
A v e r a g e D a i l y S i c k .
Admission to Strength
per Cent.
Treated
to Strength
per Cent.
Deaths to
Strength
per Cent.
Deaths to
Treated
per Cent.
1873
337
1,435
13·14
44·29
425·81 430·26
0·59
0·13
1874
472
906
6·36
30·04
199·57
199·57
0·63
0·31
1875
517
744
4·36
22·58
143·88 145·82 0·19
0·13
Fevers were, of course, the principal cause of sickness, and nearly half the admissions int
o hospital were due to them. There was, however, a great decrease
as compared with the three preceding years, and particularly
of the intermittent variety. Only 147 cases of ague were admitted. This shows the great
benefit the regiment has derived by its change from Mehidpur,
where, with a strength of nearly 200 less, it furnished 140 cases
of ague in one month—October 1873. Of the 147 cases of ague admitted, 143 were discharg
-ed to duty, 4 were sent on sick leave, and 1 remained under treatment on the 31st Decem
-ber 1875. The admissions from ague were chiefly furnished by men who had previously.
Hospital.
Sickness, Mortality, and Invaliding.
Fevers.
Ague.