Sick ness.
Principal causes of
mortality.
Special.ob
-servat i ons
and remarks.
Inspection.
Medical Of f i c e r s .
Location and
movements.
' Topography.
Climate.
Lines.
Drainage.
220.MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.--The health of the regiment has been very good, and
the admissions to hospital were principally due to malarious fevers not of a severe type.
XVII. Pri nci pal causes of mort al i t y. -Fou m e n d i e d a t h e a d - q u a r t e r s , - - - t W O f r o m
pneumonia, one from cerebral effusion, and a fourth died suddenly, it was supposed, from disease
of the heart; he was in hospital suffering from debility and ague.
XXI. Special observations and remarks.—The health of the regiment during the-past
year has been excellent, and there is no subject requiring discussion from a medical point
of view..
Mr. Banister reports that on the 2nd of December, the date of his
inspection, the lines, which had recently been planted with trees, were
much better cared for than at the time of his inspection in 1873, and the
imperfect drainage was the only defect he observed in them. Each man . had a
hut of fair dimensions and opening into a common verandah, and Mr. Banister
thinks that this arrangement is more suitable to the habits of natives
than the barrack system. Upon the suggestion of Surgeon 0. T. Duke,
a small house, in the vicinity of the lines, had been fitted up . f o r t h e : s i c k , a n d
it furnished very fair accommodation for them. The arrangements could not have
been more suitable or satisfactory, and nothing was wanting in. the .equipment.
2nd Regiment Sikk Infantrg-Dera
T. Medical Officer.? during. the year.—Surgeon E. Sanders, 1st January to 29th April
Topography.—Thet o p o g r a p h y o f D e r a I s m a i l K h a n h a s b e e n r e p e a t e d l y d e s c r i b e d b y
medical officers. There is nothing new to notice under this head, except that, owing to encroach
- m e n t s o f t h e r i v e r I n d u s , a n y i m p r o v e m e n t s t o l i n e s o r h o s p i t a l s a r e n o t t o b e e n t e r t a i n e d .
The river is making slow but steady advance towards the station, and as yet the protective works
appear to have influenced but little the rate of erosion.
IV P. Climate.—Very hot and dry in summer; very cold at night in winter, with great
diurnal range of' temperature..
V.Lines.—The lines are very good; there is plenty of room, as from a fourth to a sixth
of the regiment is always absent from head-quarters. The addition of verandahs would greatly
improve these barracks for coolness in summer; any new works, however, are not likely to be
sanctioned in the present attitude of the river Indus. The quarters of the native officers are
exceptionally good, and the lines are well shaded by trees, and I have always found them clean
and orderly.
VI.Drainage.—The drainage is imperfect, I understand, and this is said to be due to the
nature of the site; as there has been little rain since I arrived at this station, I have no personal
knowledge on the subject. The soil, consisting of' very fine alluvium, containing a considerable
quantity of soda salts, becomes, when wet, a most miry clay, and when dry, bakes as hard as a
metalled road.
Conservancy. VII. Conservancy.—The men resort to the fields in the neighbourhood. A latrine is,
however, to be brought into use from next year for men who may find it inconvenient to resort
to the fields at the required distance. A regular system of conservancy fatigue parties is in
use and works well, the whole cantonment being singularly free from offensive smells.
Water. VI I I . Wat er . —T h e
m e n h a v e t h e c h o i c e o f u s i n g e i t h e r t h e w a t e r o f t h e I n d u s , w h i c h i s
vapid and needs to stand some time for the deposit of its silt, or that of the wells;
this latter water is somewhat brackish, the chief salt being probably sulphate of soda.
Diet. IX. Diet.—The supplies I have inspected were all a good quality; rice and firewood are
dear. The practice of under-feeding is very prevalent, I believe, throughout the native army,
I have, however, been too short a time with this corps to give an opinion on this subject. That
Y E A R .
STATION.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1870 Edwardesabad, Jan.1869. 216.8 1. 2 4.1
1871
Ditto ditto ,
112.6 1.9
3 . 6
1872 Kohat,December 1871 250.9 4. 2
6 . 8
1873
Ditto ditto
174.7 2 .
3 . 9
1874
Ditto ditto
187.8 1. 6
4.1
Average
188.56 2.8 4 . 5
1875
i
_
Dera Ismail Khan, Dec,
1874.
159.68
2 . 8 4 5. 15
Surgeon S. M. Brereton, 30th
April to 11th June; Surgeon
0. Duke, 12th June to. 27th
August; Surgeon J. Duke, 28th
August to 15th October; Surgeon
E. Sanders, 16th October to 16th
November .Surgeon J.Duke,
17th November to 25th No
v e m b e r ; S u r g e o n - M a j o r H . C o o k s o n , 26th November to 31st Decem
-ber.
The lastnamed officer has
compiled the annual .sani
- t a r r e p o r t .
I L L o c a t i o n a n d m i o v e m e n t s , -
The regiment was stationed at
Dera Ismail Khan,' during the
year, with detachments-at Zam;.Mungrota, Girni, Jutta, and Sheikh. B u d i n .