187
PESHAWAR DISTRICT.
IX. Diet.—This subject has been treated of in the reports of former years, and does not
appear to need further remark here, beyond saying that the digestions of the men have now
become so impaired after their fifth sickly season in the Peshawar valley, that they are unable
to eat even as much as the most penurious of them would feel inclined to. They complain
that after eating they constantly feel nauseated and vomit. This is the case with regard to
nearly every native in the regiment, native commissioned officers and all.
X. Clothing.—The clothing of native soldiers as regards uniform is fairly sufficient for the
climate experienced in Peshawar; but their Hindoostani clothing is altogether unfit and
insufficient. This remark has so often been written by the many medical men who have been
in charge of native troops in Peshawar, that it seems useless now to reiterate it here. How-
ever it is to be hoped that the Government will eventually do something towards providing
the native infantry soldier with some protection for his body against the intense cold of the
winter nights in Peshawar. It is well known among the officers of native infantry that the
men cannot afford to provide themselves with suitable clothing out of their own pay.
Diet.
Clothing.
XI. Duty .—Duties and employments as reported. The duties are very, heavy, particularly
the night duties, both regimental and station. There are invariably on regimental duty alone
every night from 45 to 50 men. These night duties are the principal cause of the severe
forms of illness amongst the men.
XII. Exercise and amusements.—The men are not at present in a fit state to partake
of athletic amusements to any extent. Indeed, I do not think it would be advisable to
encourage them to do so. There is no shikar worth speaking of near the station, so that they
never think of going out to look for it.
Duty.
Exercise and
amusements.
XIV. The hospital and all concerning it has so often been described that it must be
well known. It is a suitable building enough for about 9 months of the year, but during
December, January and February, it is anything but a suitable place for the treatment of
men suffering from the diseases which are then prevalent amongst the native infantry. The
doors are a great deal too numerous, and they are wretchedly fitted. The consequence is that
the draughts of air are innumerable and constant, and the cold in the early mornings much too
great for men ill with acute bronchitis and pneumonia. This cold appears to have a most
deleterious effect on the pyrexia of pneumonia and pleurisy. A new latrine is being built
for the hospital. It is made of " pucka" bricks outside, and the inner walls forming the
compartments are made of kutcha bricks.
Hospital.
Latrine.
Sickness mor-
tality and invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment
—
Present
...
...
...
...
... 628.34
Absent
...
... ...
...
... 66.80
Total
...
... 695.15
STATION
PERIOD
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER. CENT. OFS T R E N G T H
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Strength.
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admissions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Peshawar. 1st Jan. ... 31st Dec. ... 569.34 1,364 13
38.84
239.57 2.28 6.82
Detachment at Shabkadar.
Ditto.
31st Jan. ...
90.00
3 ...
00.45
40.00 ...
6.00
„ at Michni ... 1st Feb.
... 28th July ...
89.00
6
...
00.67
80.89 ...
9.03
„ „ ...
1st April ... 30th April ...
89.00
7 ...
00.76
94.38 ... 10.25
„
at Shabkadar 1st July
... 31st Augt. ... 89.95
13
...
1.61
86.71 ... 10.73
„
at Cherat ... 1st Augt. ...
Ditto.
116.00
5 ...
1.05
51.72
...
10.94
„
at Michni ... 1st Nov.
... 30th Nov. ... 89.00
18 ...
2.53
242.69 ... 34.11
TOTAL
... ... ...
628.34 1,416 13
39.57
225.35 2.06 6.29
Number of deaths in hospital 13 ; out of hospital 4 ; total 17 ; per cent. of total strength ... 2.44
,,
invalided
...
...
...
24;
„ „
... 3.45
„
sent on sick leave
... ...
50 ;
,, ,,
...
7.19
„
of days spent in hospital 14,268 ; per admission 10.07 ; per man of total strength ... 20.52
,,
,,
on sick leave 6,045 ; per man 120.9 ;
„ „
...
8.69
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. . .
... 29.21
There were 202 fewer admissions in 1875 than in 1874. But the number of days spent
in hospital in. 1874 was only 13,665, which shows the greater severity of the sickness during
this last year. There were only 10 men sent on sick leave in 1874, whilst 50 went on sick
leave in 1875. The number of days spent on sick leave per man of total strength was 1.583
in 1874, as against 8.69 in 1875. The total temporary loss per man of total strength was, in
1874, 21.1 days, as against 29.21 days in 1875.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—The principal cause of sickness was intermittent
fever, which gave 953 admissions. Next in order of frequency came dysentery, giving
83 cases ; diarrhœa give 49; dyspepsia gave 32 admissions ; boils gave 23 admissions; con-
junctivitis 15; and pneumonia and pleurisy 13 and 11 admissions, respectively. The fever cases
of the last year were 305 less than those of the year 1874; but the cases were more severe,
requiring more treatment and entailing a longer stay in hospital. The men of the regiment,
being so much reduced in strength from the frequent attacks of fever to which they have been
Principal
causes of
sickness.