186
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Duty.
XI. Duty. —On ccount of the Afridi disturbances, the duty has been rather severe, and
furlough has been closed to both officers and men: perhaps these circumstances may have had
some effect in increasing the amount of sickness. Nights in bed, 3.41.
Exercise and
amusements.
XII. Exercise and amusements.—The men cultivate vegetables for their own use in a plot of
ground near the lines. The recruits are practised for an hour daily in gymnastic exercises. One
afternoon in each month is set apart for games, horse and foot races, in which the men from
the different regiments compete, a purse being made up by the officers for prizes; these games
are very popular.
Marches.
XIII. Marches.— The head-quarters of the regiment has been stationary at Kohat
throughout the year. Besides the regular outpost relief, the only march made was of the
escort party which accompanied the Lieutenant-Governor to Lahore.
Hospital.
XIV. Hospital. —The hospital has been frequently, described. The building is well
adapted in all respects for the purpose, and is in good repair.
Sickness, mortality and invaliding. XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment
—
STATION.
P E R I O D .
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PRE CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admi s- si ons. Death.
Admis- sions. Deaths. Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters, Kohat
1st Jan. 1876 31st Dec. 1876 679.10 969 10 27.76 142.68 1.47 4.08
Detachment, Lahore
Ditto 15th April „ 97.12 20
2.23 71.17
2.29
Ditto Bahadur Khel 3rd March 1876 8th May " 58.95 49 1 2.14 227.03 4.65 3.63
Ditto ditto
3rd Sept. 1876 8th Nov.„
TOTAL
679.10 1,038 11 29.37 152.84 1.61 4. 32
Number of deaths in hospital 11; out of hospital 4; total 15; per cent. of total strength
2.01
„ i n v a l i d e d 1 7 ; „ „
2 . 2 8
„ s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e 3 3 ; „ „
4. 43
„ o f d a y s s p e n t i n h o s p i t a l 1 0 , 7 5 0 ; p e r a d m i s s i o n 1 0 . 0 3 ; p e r m a n o f t o t a l s t r e n g t h
14.45
„ „
on sick leave 3,130; per man 94.84; „ „
4.20
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
18.66
As compared with the previous half-year, sickness has increased numerically, but
decreased in severity, the admissions from all causes having been 1,038 against 759 in
1875, while the total number of days spent in hospital is 10,758 against 10,616, making
the duration of each patient's stay in hospital 10.03 days against 13.98. The increase
is mainly due to the greater prevalence of fever and bowel complaints, the latter
having caused twice the amount of sickness that it did in the former year. Mortality has
decreased considerably, being 15 to 24 in 1875; but it is still very high. The number of men
invalided by the annual committee has also decreased, being 17 to 33.
Principal causes of
sickness.
XVI.Principal causes of sickness.— Among the causes of sickness, fever as usual takes by
far the most pre-eminent position; 559 admissions out of a total of 1,038, or 54.09 per cent. having
been due to this disease. Bowel disorders have also been numerous; the admissions on this account
being 150, against 77 in 1875; this class constitutes 14.4 per cent. of the total sickness. On
the other hand, diseases of the lungs have decreased, being 22 against 29 in the former year,
and the cases which have come under my own observation have been of a comparatively mild
character. There is nothing remarkable about the other admissions, which were principally due
to trivial ailments, ulcers, boils, &c., in the usual proportion.
Principal causes of
mortality.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —The mortality amounts in all to 15. Of these, 10
deaths took place at the head-quarters hospital, 1 at the detachment hospital at Bahadur Kheyl,
1 on sick leave and 3 on furlough. Of the deaths which occurred in hospital, 4 were due to ague
(a) 2 of which were complicated with congestion of the lungs, 2 to remittent fever (1 of these
complicated with bronchitis), 2 to dysentery, 1 of which occurred in the detachment
hospital, 1 to idiopathic pneumonia, 1 to diarrhœa; this man had been ill for some days
previous to admission, and died the day afterwards; and 1 to fracture of the spine caused
by falling off a camel; the man survived only 15 hours.
Epidemics.
XVII. Epidemics.—None.
Vaccination.
XIX. Vaccination.—All the children, both of sepoys and of camp-followers, who had no
marks either of previous vaccination or small-pox, have been successfully operated on; a few of
the men (about these there is a doubt whether they have had small-pox or not) will be vacci-
nated shortly.
Inspection.
Inspection.—The lines and hospital of this regiment were inspected by the
Deputy Surgeon-General of the Rawal Pindi Circle on the 9th of November
1876.
Present
679.10
Absent
64.42
Total
7 4 3 . 5 2