Epidemics.
Vaccination,
Recommend-
ations,
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
122
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
years, from 1862 to 1866, that the regiment occupied these lines, was the sickness at all equal
to that of the past year ; although the mortality in 1865, including those who died in and out
of hospital, was greater.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Of the 796 admissions, no less than 603 were from
intermittent fever, chiefly of the quotidian type, which has prevailed this year to an almost
unprecedented extent. It began about the first or second week in August, and continued during
September, October, November, and, to a less degree, in December. September shows the
greatest number of admissions ; October next; then August ; and then November. Many were
rendered liable to attacks of other diseases ; others have been left in a very weakly state, some
with enlarged spleens ; and it will be long before the effects of this disease cease to be felt in
the regiment. None of the European Officers who were present with the corps, entirely. -
escaped. As to the causes of this disease, I have already, when alluding to defects in the drain-
age, pointed out a condition of the soil, which seems greatly to conduce to it. Fever has been
more common in Meean Meer than in most other stations for many years in succession; and
it is difficult to resist the. conviction, that this is intimately connected with purely local causes.
The heavy rainfall in July may have had something to do with the increased prevalence this
year. But there are certain facts which seem to indicate that climatic changes of a great
and general extent largely influence the degree to which fever prevails. These are, first, the
regularity with which it commences and abates at about the same time in different years ;
and secondly, the fact that in certain years it occurs with unusual severity in many stations, far
removed from each other, almost simultaneously. Such was the case in the present year. The
disease occurred at Jullundur, Ferozepore, Mooltan, Amritsar and other places at the same
time as at Meean Meer. It would be interesting to ascertain to what such atmospheric
changes are due—whether to increased rainfall, heavy falls of snow in the Himalayas, or other
causes ; but, whatever their nature may be, it is probable that they do but aggravate the effects
of the local conditions, and are not, in themselves, the sole cause of the disease. No one sup-
poses that if the plains of the Punjab were converted into a large expanse of water, persons
living upon it would be as liable to fever as at present, let the climatic changes be what they
might. Canal irrigation has been spoken of as a cause of intermittent fever at this station;
but this can only have the effect of so much additional rainfall, and it is not by reducing the
rainfall that we should attempt to remedy the sanitary defects of a station, but by improving
the drainage of the soil. Everything seems to point therefore to this as the chief condition
to which attention should be directed. The severity, or otherwise, with which different men
suffered from this, as well as other diseases, depended very much on their neglect of, or attention
to, clothing, diet, cleanliness, and general hygienic rules.
Respiratory diseases.—There have been 12 admissions from this class ; not a large pro-
portion. In the three cases of pleurisy there was also slight pneumonia present.
Diseases of the digestive system.—The admissions from dysentery were 31—much above
the average of former years, and more than in any year, except 1869. A large proportion of
the cases at the early part of the year occurred amongst men who had been on detachment duty
at Alipore. But by far the greatest number of the cases were in the months when fever was
prevalent, particularly at the latter part of the time, there being 19 cases in the three last
months of the year : and man y of these were in men who had suffered before from fever.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—There were six deaths during the year in the regi-
mental hospital, and one man died at his home while on sick leave. Of the deaths in hospital, two
were from dysentery, one from diarrhœa, one from cholera, and two from pneumonia; all, except
one, took place between the 23rd October and the end of the year, that is, after the time when
fever had been most prevalent, and these men had all been weakened by attacks of fever
before the supervention of the disease which, caused their death. The two men who died
from dysentery were confirmed opium-eaters ; and the man who died from cholera was some-
what addicted to it, and to the use of spirits. The death of the man who died at his home
was also caused by dysentery, which came on whilst he was on detachment at Alipore, and for
which he had been sent on sick leave.
Special
observations
and remarks.
X VIII. .Epidemics.—There has been no epidemic disease during the year. One fatal
sporadic case of cholera occurred on 23rd December ; but the disease did not spread in any way.
XIX. Vaccination.—No sowars have been vaccinated during the years
AA. Recommendations.—These h ave referred chiefly to the conservation of drinking-water
on the line of march ; to the prevention of the adulteration of atta with barley meal ; to the
maintenance of openings for ventilation in the huts; and to the cleaning out of the wells in
the lines ; also to the men's huts being cleaned out and leeped, and their bedding exposed to
the air during the sickly season, and to the supply of bedding to those who were not sufficiently
provided with it. These recommendations have always received prompt attention.
Special observations and remarks.—Any one who witnessed the misery and suffering
entailed upon all classes by the late sickly season, and considers the immense loss of labour which
resulted from so many persons being incapacitated for work for three or four months of the
year, will readily admit that any efforts that can be made to remove the causes, and to prevent a re-
currence of such sickness and mortality, are well worthy of the earnest attention of the Govern-
ment, and that almost any expense incurred with this object would be justifiable. The effectual
drainage of the soil of Meean Meer, although difficult, can hardly be impossible ; and attempts
made, if not at first successful, would lead to increased experience, by which other and better
directed works could be undertaken. Another predisposing cause of disease would be
removed were measures taken to conserve and furnish to all parts of the station a good