208
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
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.
Head-quarters at Kohat
lst Jan.
31st Dec.
594·75 1,528
4
27·23 256·91 ·67
4·57
Detachment at Bahadur
Khel
18th Do.
8th March
59·85
Ditto
3rd July
7th Sept.
59 ...
2·29 203·86 ...
3·63
Ditto
3rd Nov.
31st Dec.
TOTAL
...
...
623·14 1,587
4
28·14 254·67 ·64
4·51
Number of deaths in hospital 4; out of hospital 3; total 7; per cent. of total strength
·93
” invalided ... ... 25; ” ”
3·36
” sent on sick leave ... ...
5; ” ”
· 6 7
” days spent in hospital 10,272; per admission 6·47; per man of total strength
13·78
” ” ” o n s i c k l e a v e 6 0 7 ; p e r m a n . . . 1 2 1 · 4 ; ” ”
·81
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
14·59
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—It appears that from a strength
almost equal to what it was in 1874, the admissions into hospital have been
759 in excess during 1875; but the mortality was less by 4. Malarial and
bowel diseases gave more admissions into hospital than in 1874, and Dr. Johnston
considers their preponderance to be due to the regiment being quartered in an
area in which they prevail endemically. Dr. Johnston considers that the initial
p r e d i s p o s i n g c a u s e o f f r o n t i e r e p i d e m i c p n e u m o n i a h a s v e t t o b e d e f i n e d .
Mortality.
Vaccination.
Recommenda-
tions.
Special
observations.
Inspection.
There were 7 deaths, 4 in hospital and 3 while absent from the regiment.
The former were caused by ascites, enteric fever, and pneumonic collapse in a
case of apparently uncomplicated ague and dysentery.
The regiment may be considered as almost thoroughly protected against
small-pox. Out of 45 recruits enlisted during 1875 only 4 were found to be
unprotected, and they were vaccinated.
X X . R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s .
— T h e s e
w e r e c h i e f l y , t h a t t h e r e g i m e n t a l w a t e r - t a n k r e s e r v o i r
be cleaned weekly; that the men be urged to present themselves at hospital at once
if pain in the chest, cough, or fever attack them. A number of minor suggestions
were verbally made and were all carried out.
XXI. Special observations. —The number of recruits examined was 74; of these 67 were
approved and 7 rejected.
By caste, the passed recruits were—
Sikhs
5
Pathans
3 8
Punjabee Musalmans
1 2
Hindoostanis
1
Dogras
6
Punjabee Hindoos
4
Poorbeahs
1
Only one Hindoostani Musalman was entertained as a band boy,—height 4 feet 11 inches,
chest girth 30 inches. This is an inch and a half below the authorised standard, which for
lads of all castes is, by the same general order, from 16 to 20 years, 35·5 inches and 22 years,
32·5 inches; but the lad has a good physique and is developing. Taking Dogras and Sikhs,
I found their average height 5 feet 7·1 inches and chest girth 33·3 inches. The height accords
with standard, but the chest circumferences is 2 inches below the mark. The men are, however,
well developed and of good physique. I think the standard chest girth is too high for Dogras,
Hindus, and Hindoostani Musalman lads; likewise a shade in excess for the same class of adults,
Dogras in particular. I make these remarks because the recruiting fields of regiment generally
run pretty much in a steady groove, and an exact adherence to the letter of the law, without
a limited plus and minus line, would lead to the rejecting of men who are en famille in the
regiment and have the making of good soldiers in them.
Inspected by Deputy Surgeon-General G. Banister on the 23rd September
1875. He reports that the lines at Kohat cover a large area of high sloping
ground to the north-west of cantonments, and the barracks are well se
-parated, freely ventilated, spacious, and furnished with doors and verandahs.
Mr. Banister found everything in admirable order on the day of his inspection.
This regiment had maintained a very fair standard of health while sta
-tioned at Abbottabad, but the change to Kohat had not proved beneficial, as at