Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Recommenda-
tions made.
Special
observations
and remark
77
CENTRAL INDIA.
The circumstances of the corps remaining the same, the causes to which disease is
ascribable remain as described in the report for 1874.
From the above tabular statement it will be seen that the rate per cent of admissions
has been considerably higher for 1875 than for 1874 and the average of the five immediately
preceding years; this increase is most marked in the case of fevers and conjunctivitis. I believe
it is not due to the year being exceptionally unhealthy, but is in consequence of the amount
of fatigue duty causing men to report themselves sick for slight ailments who would not
otherwise have come to hospital. It will be seen that the daily average number of sick per
cent of strength at head-quarters is only a small fraction over the average. There has not
been a single admission for syphilis or other venereal affection throughout the year.
Nine men were invalided for discharge, eight on account of general debility, generally
the result of age, and one for obesity, rendering him unfit for active duty.
XVll. Principal causes of mortality.— There were three deaths, two from remittent fever
and one from general debility.
XVIII. Epidemics.— Cholera made its appearance in the towns and villages of the Malwa
Bheel States about the beginning of May and prevailed with more or less severity, more espe
-cially in the Dhar and Jabbooa territories, till the beginning of August. The course of the
disease was very erratic, and the nature of the epidemic varied much in different places, some--
times breaking out with great violence, but of short continuance, sometimes with less sever--
ity but lasting for many weeks. None of the villages in the immediate neighbourhood,
say within 6 or 8 miles of Sirdarpore, had suffered till towards the end of June, and after
that, only a few cases were reported as occurring in them. As a precautionary measure,
quarantine was had recourse to in the station whenever it appeared desirable, short leave to
men of the corps was stopped, and an annual mela and weekly fairs in the district prohibited.
A single case occurred in the hamlet of Gwaltola, in the south-east corner of the station,
on the 22nd June. There was no other case till the 27th July, but between that and the 29th
August, when the last case occurred, there were 20 cases, of which 13 were fatal. Of the 21
cases, 12 occurred in the lines of the corps, though no man of the corps was attacked. The
following table indicates the sex and age of those attacked.
Attacked.
Died.
Per cent of deaths.
Men
.
.
.
6
3
5.0
Women . . .
5
3
6.0
Children . . .
10
7
7.0
TOTAL . . .
21
13
61.9
There was little to throw light on the origin of the epidemic. No history of importation.
Four cases were reported to have occurred between the 28th and 31st July in Bhopawur,
town about 2 miles up the river Mhye, and there was at the time a steady flow of water in
the river, but, from the lightness of the rains, not a sufficient flood to flush the channel;
so it is quite possible that the drinking water may have been contaminated either from that
town or by chance travellers. On the whole, considering the course of the epidemic in the
district generally, I am inclined to attribute the invasion to atmospheric causes. The greater
number of cases, 12 out of 21, occurred in the lines of the Malwa Bheel Corps, of which the
sanitary condition is much better than that of the hamlets occupied by the bulk of the popu
-lation of Sirdarpore.
There was no marked case of infection; none of the attendants on the sick were attacked.
The cases in the regimental lines occurred in no particular section, but in six different com
-panies. Both before and during the outbreak, diarrhœa was very prevalent and fatal amongst
children. No section of the lines was evacuated on account of the outbreak, the only movement
which took place being from huts in which cases occurred to other unoccupied huts.
XIX. Vaccination.— As in former years, vaccination has been carried on amongst children
in the regimental lines and station generally; all those previously unprotected have been vacci
-nated. There were in all 53 vaccinations, of which, 49 were successful, 3 doubtful, and 1 unsuc--
cessful.
Vaccination.
XX. Recommendations made.—The only recommendations made to the commanding
officer were regarding quarantine and other matters connected with the outbreak of cholera ;
all were carried out.
XXI. Special observations and remarks.—The
treatment of nearly every case of malarious
fever occurring amongst adults by the sub-cutaneous injection of quinine has been again
carried out throughout the year, and with the same satisfactory results as described in the
sanitary report for 1874. The neutral (soluble) sulphate only has been thus used during 1875,
and there has not been a single case of abscess or ulceration in consequence of the injection.
The Deputy Surgeon-General of the Saugor Circle made his medical and
sanitary inspection of this corps on the 18th January 1876. He describes the
lines as being in good. repair and clean; the natural surface drainage was good.
Water was obtained from one large well which has a supply of good-water all
the year round, but the people in the lines generally take their water from the
Inspection.