Principal
causes of
mortality.
Recommend
-ations.
Inspection.
Medical
Officers.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
STATION.
P E R I O D .
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
Admis
-sions.
A d m i s - s i o n s . Deaths.
Daily
average sick.
Deaths.
From
To
Head-quarters at Meean
Meer.
lst Nov. . . . 31st Dec. . . . 530.86
765
5
17.1 144.1
.91
3.22
Detachment at Amritsar . . . 26th Feb. . . .
Ditto . . . 173.89
264
4
5.4 179.9
2.7
3.1
TOTAL . . .
619.91 1,029
9
22.5 165 . 99 1.45
3.63
Number of deaths in hospital 9; out of hospital 3; total 12; per cent. of total strength . . .
1.70
" invalided" 13; " " . . .
1.8
" sent on sick leave . . .14; " " . . .
1.9
" of days spent in hospital 8,295 ; per admission 8.06; per man of " . . .
1 1 . 7
" on sick leave 1,490; per man 106.4; " " . . .
2.1
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
13.8
142
Quarters.
Compared with 1874, the sickness has greatly increased; 1,029 admissions in 1875, to 810
in 1874 ; deaths 12 in 1875, to 2 in 1874 ; invaliding 13 in 1875, to 15 in 1874.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—There was a great increase of deaths this year. I
cannot attribute it to any particular cause
—
2 deaths were due to dysentery.
1 death was " d
iarrhœa.
4 deaths were " fever and its sequelæ.
2
" " cholera at Amritsar.
2
" " chest affections.
XVIII.
Cholera prevailed in and around Amritsar, only 3 men of the detachment were
attacked with the disease ; of these 2 died.
XX. Recommendations. —The hospital latrine is still the same. It has been re-roofed,
which looks as if the authorities did not mean to build another yet.
This regiment was inspected by the Deputy Surgeon-General of the Lahore
Circle on the 14th March 1876, Dr. Ray states that the defective drainage
remains unremedied ; the duties were very heavy during the past year, and
consisted principally of constant escort duty with stores ; and the medical
officer attributed most of the sickness of the regiment to this cause. Fire
-places had been constructed in the hospital, and purdahs had been also supplied
with great benefit to the sick, as there were but few cases of pneumonia since
the introduction of these very necessary additions. The state of the hospital
was in every way satisfactory,—the bath-room was fitted up according to regu
-lation, but was never used by the men.
26th (Panjab) Regiment, Native Infantry—Meean Meer.
I . M e d i c a l O f f i c e r s . — T h ea
n n u a l r e p o r t w a s p r e p a r e d a n d s u b m i t t e d b y
Surgeon-Major H. Cookson.
He reports that the following
medical officers held charge
of the regiment, viz. :—
Surgeon-Major Waghorn, 1st
January to 29th April ; Surgeon
Warden, 30th April to 29th Octo
- b e r , a n d S u r g e o n - M a j o r W a g h o r n ,
1st November to 31st December.
Quarters,&c. —Meean Meer,
the head-quarters of the corps,
with its stunted trees, its white
roads, its heat and clouds of
dust, requires no further descrip
- t i o n . T h e s m a l l c a n a l c u t h a s
somewhat lessened the dreariness
of the place by allowing a little
gardening to be done.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1870 . . .
Umballa,
June 1869,
from Mehidpore and
Augur . . .
166.
. 8
6.7
1871 . . .
Ditto Ditto . . .
137.2
1.8
5.3
1872 . . .
Peshawar, Nov. 1871 . . .
225.8
2.2
3.4
1873 . . .
Ditto Ditto . . . 186.
3.1
2.7
1874 . . .
Meean Meer, Nov. 1874
212.2
1.8
3.8
Average . . .
185.44
1.94
4.38
1875 . . .
Meean Meer . . .
220.28
3 . 29
5.10