Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
116
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
intermittent fever, it was overcrowded to a certain extent. It was kept in good repair, and
sufficiently warm and well lighted. No special hospital clothing or bedding is allowed, the
men bringing their own.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment
—
Present
622.1
Absent
89.9
Total
7 12.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions Deaths.
Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters at Umballa
and Jhelum
1st Jan. 1876 31st Dec. 1876 596.2 1,168
7
21.3 195.91 1.18 3.57
Detachment at Umballa
1st Jan. 1876 11th Feb. 1876 198.5 20
8.3 88.
4.18
TOTAL
622.1 1,188
7
22.4 191. 1.12 3.60
Number of deaths in hospital 7; out of hospital 0; total 7; per cent. of total strength .99
„ invalided 15; „ „
2.10
„ sent on sick leave 2; „ „
.28
„ o f d a y s s p e n t i n h o s p i t a l 8 , 2 0 2 ; p e r a d m i s s i o n 6 . 9 0 ; p e r m a n o f t o t a l s t r e n g t h
11.52
„ „ o n s i c k l e a v e 3 0 0 ; p e r m a n 1 5 0 ; „ „
.42
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
11.94
Principal
causes of
sickness.
The admissions for 1876 were nearly double those of 1875. This large increase is attributable
solely to the prevalence of intermittent fever, which disease gave only 175 admissions in 1875,
against 806 in 1876 The mortality for both years was the same, being .9 of total strength.
The number invalided was also nearly the same for both years, viz., 17 in 1875 and 14 in
1876.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —The regiments remained fairly healthy till August,
when the admissions from intermittent fever began to be many: these gradually increased, and
during September and October this disease assumed an almost epidemic character, the
admissions from it running up to 90 per week. In November the number still continued high,
and did not begin materially to diminish till December. No special cause could be discovered
to account for this unusual prevalence of fever, which was not confined to Umballa, but
extended to the whole of the Punjab. No other particular disease gave any unusual number
of admissions. The following is a summary of the diseases which gave the largest numbers:—
Admissions.
Ague (a)
806
Ague(b)
35
Rheumatism
11
Syphilis
10
Conjunctivitis
47
Other diseases of eye
15
Bronchitis
2 5
Other diseases of respiratory system
7
Dysentery
58
Diarrhœa
16
Other diseases of digestive system
14
Abscess
16
Ulcers
18
General debility
30
Blisters of feet
21
Principal
causes of
mortality.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Though there was an unusual amount of sickness
during the year, yet the mortality was small. Out of the entire number of fever cases, three only
proved fatal, and only four deaths resulted from other causes, making seven in all. The fatal
cases were as follows:—
Ague (a)
3
Chronic cystitis
1
Dysentery
1
Diabetes
1
General debility
1
Total
7
Epidemics. XVII. Epidemics.—
Not a single case of cholera occurred during the year, nor of any
epidemic disease. Fever was, however, so prevalent during September, October, and November,
as almost to assume an epidemic character.
Vaccination.
XIX. Vaccination. —None performed, owing to the regiment being in camp or on the
march during the vaccinating season.