PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
201
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —The men since have on the whole enjoyed good
health. Out of the 11 deaths in hospital, 9 were from pneumonia, one from pleuritis (pneu-
monia supervening subsequently), and one from dysentery of long standing in an old and en-
feebled sepoy. The one death out of hospital was that of a man who had suffered from inter-
mittent fever repeatedly, and latterly from hepatitis as a complication.
_
_
XVIII.
Epidemics.—With regard to the continued appearance of pneumonia, I can add
nothing to the remarks of Dr. Mackertich in his last annual report. The causes he assigns
appear to me to completely account for this disease and its severity. Intermittent fever, of a
generally mild type, has appeared pretty constantly, and a couple of cases of enteric fever.
The new regulation forbidding high standing crops within 300 yards of cantonments has
evidently produced good results in diminishing the amount of sickness in Abbottabad, and
I think the distance might be increased to a quarter of a mile with advantage.
Mortality.
Epidemics.
XXI. Special observations. —During the year, 147 men presented themselves as recruits.
Of these 24 were rejected by the medical officer after, careful examination, for defective eyesight,
inferior pysique, or disease; and 16 recruits were discharged by the commanding officer as un-
likely to make efficient soldiers.
Mr. Banister inspected the regiment on the 12th of May. He reports
as follows:—
"The regiment arrived in the winter, and although it had been a great
deal exposed to malarial influences during the three preceding years at Dera
Ghazi Khan, and suffered severely from pneumonia throughout the whole of
the cold weather, I found, at a personal inspection of the men, that two only
were anæmic, and 8 slightly tainted by scurvy. The lines were clean and
orderly, but deficient both in space and in ventilation. Among the 13 men
on the sick list, 3 were convalescent from pneumonia, which, since the com-
mencement of the year, had furnished 27 admissions and 8 deaths. The
hospital equipment was complete in all details with but few exceptions. The
greater number of the 116 recruits were strong and promising young men."
Special obser-
vations.
Inspection.
C o r p s o f G u i d e s — M a r d a n .
I. Medical officers. —Surgeon A. H. Kelly continued in charge of the
corps throughout the year,
and reports as follows:—
II. Location and movements.
— T h e h e a d - q u a r t e r s w e r e a t
Mardan the whole year. Small
detachments were furnished to
Abbottabad, Roorkee, Lahore,
Peshawar, and a guard of 10 men
remained at Yarkand from the
previous year returning to Mardan
on the 5th November. The men
at Peshawar furnished a guard to
the Commissioner of the district.
They were relieved monthly.
III. Topography, &c. —This has been fully entered into in former reports, and an excellent
description of the Yusufzai valley and its inhabitants given in Surgeon-Major Bellew's book
published some years ago. As a short summary, it may here be stated that the cantonments
of Mardan are situated 15 miles nearly due north of Nowshera on the bank of the Chalpani.
There is a widespread open country on all sides. Less than half a mile north-north-west,
there is the small village of Bagdada, and about the same distance due south on the Nowshera
Road is the small civil station. The soil is a dry sandy loam free from stagnant water or swamp;
there is little or no irrigation with the exception of the water from a few wells about canton-
ments. The principal crops are barley in the spring, Indian-corn, moong, mote, and mustard
in the autumn. The average distance of water from the surface in wells is 29 feet.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1870
Mardan
183.5
1.8
9.8
1871 Ditto
128.3
. 9 5.9
1872 Ditto
136.1
. 5 4.4
1873
Ditto
169.4
. 9 5.9
1874
Ditto
127.6
. 8 1 4.7
Average
148.98
. 9 8 6.14
1875
Mardan
157.78
. 6 3 5.71
Medical
officers.
Location and
movements.
Topography,.
&c.
Meteorology
and climate.
Earthquakes.
IV. Meteorology and climate. —The highest temperature was in J une, when the thermo-
meter frequently stood at 107°, and the lowest in January, when 20° was registered one night.
The greatest daily range of temperature was in May and the lowest in September. 42.30
inches of rain fell in 38 days. July was by far the wettest month. Earthquakes have
latterly been severer and occur more frequently than in former years; 9 shocks were felt
during the twelve months. The greatest of these was on the 12th December at 1-30 A. M.
It was preceded by a loud rumbling noise for a second or two, when violent and rapid
vibrations occurred in a north-east and south-west direction. Several houses fell, and
the remainder have been so much damaged as to be unsafe. The men and most of the
officers were obliged to vacate them, and at present are housed in tents and huts. On com-
paring accounts from surrounding stations, Mardan seems to have been about the centre of the
A 2.