Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Inspection.
Water supply
150
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Malarious fever, intermittent and remittent,
with disease of the spleen caused 54.49 per cent, of total admissions, or 63.14 admissions
per cent. of total strength present. These were due to the ordinary malarious influences
prevailing in. the station, augmented considerably by the virulent influences to which
the men were exposed while on furlough. Dysentery and diarrhœa caused 45 admissions, being
6.22 per cent. of total admission, and 7.21 per cent. of strength present. These occurred
chiefly in the rainy season as a direct result of exposure to wet during rain in the
efforts to prop up the falling huts, and to living in damp quarters afterwards.
Bronchitis and bronchial catarrh gave 29 admissions, being 4.01 per cent. of total
admissions and 4.64 per cent. of strength present.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Total deaths 4. One man died of cholera in
June. One man died of ague in August; he became collapsed and died after a paroxysm,
notwithstanding strong stimulants. One man died of phthisis in September. He was sent on
sick leave in March after a long attack of ague, and returned in July in an advanced stage of
phthisis. One man died at his home of chronic bronchitis, for which he had been sent
on sick leave.
XVIII. Epidemics. —Cholera was epidemic in the city and district of Sialkot from
20th August to the end of September. Only one case occurred in the 15th Sikhs.
A Pathan sepoy had, in contravention of orders, gone to the city and spent several
hours there on. 30th August; on the 31st he was seized with cholera and had a severe attack,
but recovered. Diarrhœa was prevalent in the regiment in the last week of August
and up to the middle of September, nearly every case of ague presenting that feature
but no other decided case of cholera occurred in the regiment.
XIX. Vaccination. —The children of the soldiers and followers were vaccinated in the
end of December. An inspection was held of the recruits enlisted in 1876, when eight
men were found without evidence of small-pox, inoculation or vaccination. They have
now been vaccinated in January 1877).
Inspection.—Inspected at Sialkot by the Deputy Surgeon-General of
the Lahore Circle on the 10th of April 1877. Dr. Ray reports that the
drainage of the lines was defective owing to the dead level of the
ground, and that the mud huts were greatly exposed to sun and rain
through the absence of protecting verandahs. The lines were scrupulously
clean. Conservancy was generally very well attended to, and the trench
latrines, with movable screens, were in use and were found to be efficient.
The water-supply was good and abundant. There were no complaints
regarding the food-supplies, and the men were generally well nourished.
The hospital was undergoing repairs, but is described as being in a
perfectly clean and comfortable state. Quarters for the hospital assistants,
and on t he st andard pl an, were i n course of const ruct i on. Al l t he hospi t al
equipment and the furnitune (with the exception of a few articles) were
complete and in efficient order. In Dr. Ray's opinion, Sialkot is one of the
stations in the Punjab to which regiments weakened by sickness, exposure
and hard work at Peshawar should be sent on relief. The Deputy Surgeon-
General concludes his report with the remark that "the inspection of the
hospital has been highly satisfactory; it is in every respect in a most
admirable and efficient state."
29th (Punjab) Regiment Native Infantry.—Talagang.
Medical
Officers.
I. Medical Officers. —The following Medical Officers held charge during 1876:
Surgeon J. McConaghy,
January 1st to January
24th; Surgeon E. B. Gard-
ner, January 25th to March
13st; Surgeon R. N. Stoker,
April 1st to December 23rd;
Surgeon-Major T.P Wright,
December 24th to Decem-
ber 31st. The detachment
at Attock was in medical
charge of Surgeon-Major
A. Johnson. Surgeon-Major
T. P. Wright has submit-
ted the following report.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1871
Jhelum, Nov. 1869, from
Moradabad to Shahja- h a n p u r
92. 8
4
2.3
1872
Ditto ditto
145.9
1.2
4. 7
1873
Peshawar, Feb. 1873
277.2
1.8
5.5
1874
Ditto ditto
237.1
1.0
5.4
1875
Ditto
236.33
1.42
4.97
Average
197.86
1.16
4.57
1876
Talagang, March 1876. 126.59
0.15
2.63