Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Special
observations
and remarks.
Principal
causes of
mortality
Inspection.
Brigade Staff
Hospital,
Peshawar.
Lock hospital
Statistics.
Doaba out-
posts.
188
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
subject since 1871 in this valley, were peculiarly liable to the severer forms of malarious inter-
mittent fever
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Pneumonia caused the greatest number of deaths,
giving 6 deaths out of the 13 fatal cases which occurred in hospital; remittent fever
came next, giving 3 deaths; bronchitis, pleurisy, inflammation of the brain, and debility
gave one each; from which it will be seen that chest diseases caused 8 deaths out of
13; a significant proportion—showing the severity of this climate on the native constitu-
tion. Between the 2nd January and the 14th February, inclusive, 7 deaths occurred, 5
of which were due to pneumonia and the other 2 to bronchitis and pleurisy. The case of
bronchitis was in the person of a man who had been subject for several years previously to a
severe attack of acute bronchitis during each cold season.
XVIII. Epidemics.—There was no epidemic during the year.
XIX. Vaccination.—The children of the regiment were successfully vaccinated during the
early hart of the year. The recruits entertained have all been previously inoculated.
XXI.—In addition, I have only a few remarks to add with respect to the causation and
character of pneumonia as met with in the native infantry regiments stationed in the Peshawar
valley. I believe it to be no epidemic, but merely inflammation of' the lungs, brought on by
exposure and discomfort during extremely cold weather, as I have known it to come on after
a heavy fall of rain, when men might have been wet and uncomfortable during the whole day
or night, and on returning to their quarters have had comforts, such as warm food with a good fire,
plenty of bedding, &c. It has also come on during hard, dry, harsh weather, with very cold
nights. The month of January is that in which nearly all the cases of pneumonia occur, or
rather from about the 25th December to the 20th January. Of course, cases occur both before
and after these dates, but the number of cases which occur during the period included between
these two dates would warrant one in describing it as the 'pneumonia time'. As a rule, the men
affected are men who have suffered considerably from fever, i. e., who have had constant light
attacks, or who have had a few severe attacks.
When the thermometer is down to 52° or 51° during a great part of the day, with a cold
cutting wind and rain hanging about, then is the time to expect cases of pneumonia. And
cases which come into hospital during this weather are not nearly so likely to recover as cases
which come in during milder weather; and for a severe case of pneumonia in hospital, I believe
the best remedy is the sudden change from severe to mild weather. This may be imitated
artificially by getting ready warm rooms with a steamy atmosphere for the patients suffering
f r om pneumoni a.
This regiment was inspected by the Deputy Surgeon-General of the Rawal
Pindi Circle on the 28th March. Mr. Banister reports that "the lines were in
very good order, and the huts had been greatly improved by the addition of
verandahs. The hospital was much in need of the usual annual repairs; the
management was, however, satisfactory and the equipment tolerably complete."
"There had been an overwhelming amount of sickness during the preceding
autumn and winter, chiefly owing to malarial fevers of a graver than the
ordinary type, complicated in many instances with pneumonia."
The Deputy Surgeon-General did not think much of the recruits, 80 in
number.
B r i g a d e S t a f f H o s p i t a l , P e s h a w a r .—
M r . B a n i s t e r i n s p e c t e d t h i s i n s t i t u t i o n
on the 5th April, and on that date he found a large attendance of out-door
patients who were Government servants, and 45 in-patients. The building and
premises were in very fair order, and the arrangements satisfactory. Surgeon-
Major Ferguson of Her Majesty's British Medical Service was then in medical
charge.
Lock Hospital, Peshawar. —At Mr. Banister's inspection, on the 5th April,
there were 9 women under treatment in hospital; nothing had been done to
improve the accommodation or add to the conveniences, and all the arrange-
ments, entered into two years previously for the purchase of a more suitable
building, had completely broken through. The equipment was in serviceable
order. The average number of registered prostitutes for the whole year had been
48. 32, and must have represented but a small proportion of the actual number
engaged in prostitution. There were 204 admissions from this strength during
the year, and the average number of daily sick was 7.04.
Out of an average strength of 1,494 .31 European soldiers, 186 became
infected, or at the rate of 124.4 per mille; but in this number were included a
few cases of secondary affections, and several of primary disease contracted. at
Murree, Cherat, and on the march. Mr. Banister also states that "the canton-
ment committee having expressed their satisfaction at these results, I offer no
remarks, except that I cannot agree with them."
Doaba out-posts. —Mr. Banister made his inspection on the 29th and 30th
March; he reports that the garrison at each of the Forts of Michni,