40
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Taking the above list in a sanitary point of view, it will be patent to the most casual
observer that four of the causes of diseases ought hardly to appear in the list at all. I allude
to blisters of feet, pneumonia, bronchitis and cholera, which in the aggregrate give 114, or
19.67 per cent, of total admissions.
If native soldiers wore stockings or socks (which, with few exceptions, they won't do),
we should not have blisters of the feet second on the list.
Principal causes of mortality
Pneumonia . . .
8 De a t h s .
Cholera
.
.
.
5
"
D y sentery
.
.
.
3
"
Remittent fever . . .
1
"
P h t h i s i s p u l m o n a l i s . . .
1
"
Total . . . 18
"
I have very little to add as far as this para. is concerned ; the three fatal cases of dysentery
(I made post mortem in one) and the fatal case of remittent fever were not by any means unlike
enteric fever.
Pneumonia in relation to its pathology cannot be added to by me. (See Assistant Surgeon
Birch's special report, Appendix II, Annual Report, 1870, Surgeon G. C. Hall's sanitary report
on this regiment, 1874.) I have only one remark to make as regards its treatment, viz., that
bleeding, although the pulse be weak and heart's action very feeble, ought to be resorted to
before it be too late, and immediately prior to the venesection I would advocate 4 to 6 ounces of
brandy. Object 1st, give the heart some artificial strength ; 2nd, give the lungs less to do.
XVIII. Epidemics— There was an outbreak of cholera in the month of September
1875 ; strictly speaking, it could not be called epidemic, 9 cases in the whole regiment, lst
case on 1st September, 9th and last case on 20th September.
When a case of cholera occurred in the lines, the hut from which the case was admitted was
vacated, the men put under canvas to the north-east of the lines, prevailing wind being south-
west, and the huts, floors and walls scraped, fumigated and re-leeped. When it was patent that
the whole regiment was infected, including the hospital, orders were given f or a move into
camp. Lines and hospital were immediately vacated, and the regiment encamped on the
cantonment encamping ground to the south-west of the lines, crossing the river to its western
side. Not a single case occurred after the move, and the regiment did not return to its lines
for 25 days, and then only after the huts, bazar, band quarters, married sepoys' quarters and
hospital had been scraped, fumigated, leeped or white-washed as the case might be. Camp
did not disagree with the men. There was one ease of so-called dysentery which proved fatal,
but this result was due more to eptero-colitis, ending in perforation of the cœcum, than to
anything else. These measures were recommended by me and carried out either by the com-
manding officer's orders, or those of the Brigadier General Commanding the district.
Vaccination.
Recommenda-
tions.
Special obser-
vations and
remarks.
Inspection.
XIX. Vaccination,—None. Every sepoy is carefully examined before enlistment, and
if he be not protected by previous variola, as evidenced by cicatrices or vaccination, he is at once
vaccinated. Not one case of small-pox in the regiment during the Year 1875.
XX. Recommendations—see para. XVIII—were all carried out either by the Command-
ing Officer or by the Brigadier General Commanding Gwalior district.
XXI. Special observations and remarks.—Recruiting. The number of recruits enter-
tained during the year 1875 was 45. Not sufficient in number, I know ; authorised strength
being, I believe, 712, and actual strength on 31st December 1875 being only 697. The quality
of the recruit is good physically.
Inspected by Dr. Thorpe, on the 17th of February 1876. He considers
the lines of this regiment to be " badly situated, badly constructed, deficient
in ventilation and cubical space." The Water-supply is said to be decreasing
yearly, and is accounted for by the bed of the Morar river becoming deeper,
and thus draining the water away from the wells on its banks. Dr. Thorpe re-
commended that the wells should be deepened. Notwithstanding the rather
confined space, the trench system of latrine is in use and works well, but it is
suspected that many of the men resort to the jungle. Of the hospital Dr. Thorpe
reports as follows : " It cannot be worse ; is badly situated, and deficient in
light and ventilation." The supply of medicines and instruments were suffi-
cient and in good state of efficiency.
24th (Punjab) Regiment Aatibe Infantry—Jhansi.
Medical
Officers.
1. Medical Officers .—Surgeon F. W. Wright has submitted the annual
sanitary report, from which the following information has been taken. Surgeon
H. J. Linton held charge from 1st January 1875 to March 1875. Surgeon G. C.
Hall from March 1875 to 31st July 1875. Surgeon F. W. Wright from
1st August 1875 to end of year.