84
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment—
Present .
. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 408.8
Absent .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 46.9
Total
.
. 455.7
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER O F
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admi s-
sions. Deaths.
A d m i s -
s i o n s .
Deaths.
Daily
a v e r -
a g e sick.
Head-quarters at Camps,
Delhi and Meerut.
1st Jan. 1876 31st Dec. 1876
316 259
2
5.4
81.96 .63
1.79
Depôt at Meerut
.
1st Jan. „ 10th Feb. „
74
3
0
3.2
19.76 ...
4.46
28th Nov. „ 31st Dec. „
Detachment at Delhi .
. 11th Feb. „
3rd Dec. „
49
40
1
1.7 100.56 2.51
3.47
Detachment at Agra .
. 18th Feb. „ 15th Oct. „
48
7
0
.17
22.17 ...
.35
TOTAL
.
...
...
408.8 309
3
7.97
75.58 .73
1.95
Number of deaths in hospital 3; out of hospital 2; total
5; per cent. of total strength .
1.09
„ invalided .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
14;
„
„
.
3.07
„ sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
7;
„
„
.
1.53
„ of days spent in hospital 2,658; per admission . 8.60; per man of total strength .
5.83
„ „ on sick leave 790; per man
. 112.85;
„
„
. 1.73
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. .
7.56
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Inspection.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —The chief causes of sickness during the year have
been—malarious fevers 186; injuries 35; dysentery 15; ulcer and boil 15; diseases of the re-
spiratory organs 11; conjunctivitis 6; rheumatism 7; general debility 6. In 1875 the number
of admissions from the same causes were as follows: malarious fevers 127; injuries 46; dysen-
tery 24; ulcer and boil 21; conjunctivitis 11; rheumatism 8; affections of the respiratory
organs 8. The increase in the number of admissions from malarious fever during the past year,
compared with 1875, is marked, and the increase becomes still more manifest when only the
admissions which took place at Meerut during the two years are considered. Putting the Delhi
and Agra detachments out of the question, it appears that there were 154 admissions from fever
during the year 1876, including admissions from the Meerut detachments of the regiment.
In 1875, under the same circumstances, there was 77 admissions, or exactly half the number.
It is rather peculiar that the regiment should have suffered more from fever during the
past year than the year before, as Dr. Moir informs me that, both in the station of Meerut
itself and in the entire district, a marked decrease in the number of cases of fever took
place during the past year. He was unable to furnish me with the figures showing the decrease.
As regards the cause of the increased number of admissions from fever, I feel compelled to
attribute it to a local, not a general cause. If a general cause occasioned it, the entire station
would have suffered in proportion, which it did not. The chief cause to which I attribute the
increase of fever during the past year is sleeping in the open air, particularly at the time when
fever was naturally most prevalent, in the months of July, August and September. There is
no doubt but that a large majority of the men indulge in this practice, and there could hardly
have been a year in which it was more likely to prove hurtful than the past one. I am
strengthened in the opinion expressed above by the fact, that on my return from leave on the
20th of August, the fever was at its height. When I discovered that the men were in the
habit of sleeping out, I reported it to the Commanding Officer, and recommended his prohibit-
ing it. He did so, and immediately a marked decrease in the number of admissions from
fever took place.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Five men died during the year—two from diseases
of the nervous system, i.e., general paralysis and paraplegia; one died from general debility;
one from pneumonia; one man died at his home, cause of death not reported.
XVIII. Epidemics. —The station and district of Meerut continued free from epidemic disease
during the year. One case of cholera occurred in the 4th Bengal Cavalry, but the man
eventually recovered.
Inspection.— Inspected by Deputy Surgeon-General C. M. Smith of the
Meerut Circle on the 26th November 1876. No change is reported as having
taken place in the regimental lines; the huts were in good repair, and afforded
ample accommodation for the men. A light roof was put over the regimental
latrine, and is a great improvement, as it affords a very necessary protection to
the men, who have to frequent it in rainy weather, and, at such times, aids
materially in preserving the cleanliness of the floor inside. The water was of
good quality and abundant.