51
SAUGOR DISTRICT.
XI Duty .—The duty performed has not been excessive, and has not had a bad effect on Duty,
the health of the men. Number of nights in bed during the week 3.71. From what I
have seen of the Madras sepoy here, I should say that the climate of Nowgong agrees
with him. No doubt the excessive cold affects him in the winter months but this, I think,
is due principally to the fact that out of uniform he does not clothe himself in sufficiently
warm covering. Considering the number of relations he houses and feeds out of his pay,
little can be left for the purchase of warm clothing. The establishment of recruit boys also
does not answer its purpose, as though the pay is quite sufficient when the boy presents
himself for enlistment, he does not show the physique which a lad of that age (about 18)
should show under ordinary circumstances—mainly, I fear, from the fact that he has a number
of decrepid and worthless relations hanging on to him. At the same time since, the wing has
returned from the long march to Delhi and back, 812 miles, the physique of the men has
undergone a wonderful. change; and this is the remark of other than those more intimately
connected with the regiment.
XIV. Hospital . The hospital is reported to have been in good order, and
excellently adapted for its purpose. All its surroundings are said to have been
kept clean and tidy.
X V . S i c k n e s s , m o r t a l i t y a n d i n v a l i d i n g.
— S t r e n g t h o f t h e r e g i m e n t —
P r e s e n t . . .
256
Absent . . .
48
Total . . .
304
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER.
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
20th Madras Native Infan-
try, Right Wing.
1st January . . . 10th Nov. . . .
256
261
2
5.23 118.45
.90
2.04
Number of deaths in hospital 2; out of hospital.2; total 4; per cent of total strength . . .
1.31
" I n v a l i d e d . . . 8 " " . . .
2.63
"sent on sick leave . . . 3; " " . . .
. 9 8
" of days spent in hospital 1,908; per admission . . . 7.31; per man of total strength . . .
6.27
" " on sick leave 705; per man . . . 2.35; " " . . .
2.32
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. . .
8.59
XVI Principal causes of sickness .—The number of admissions during the year or period
of the year, viz ., from 1st January to 10th November, was 261: of these, ague caused 114,
conjunctivitis 46, dysentery and diarrhœa 11, bronchitis 11, and general debility 9. The
admissions for ague in 1875 amounted to 226, or 112 more than in 1876. I am unable to
account for the high number of ophthalmic cases, as during my short tenure of charge only
3 or 4 presented themselves. Chicken-pox caused 5 cases, but they were all of mild form,
and the outbreak soon ceased. There was no cholera in the wing during the year.
Principal
causes of sick
-ness.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality .—There were 4 deaths during the year, viz ., one from
suppression of urine, and two from ague; one man also died on the march to Delhi at
Sultangunge.
Principal
causes of mo
r-tality.
Inspection .—The regiment was inspected by the Deputy Surgeon-General
of the Saugor Circle on the 24th October 1876. All the sanitary arrangements
were considered to be generally satisfactory. The latrine trenches are reported
as being inconveniently far from the lines. All the hospital equipment was in
good order.
Inspection.