Strength
"present."
Strength
"absent."
Ratio of ad
- m i s s i o n s , d a i l y sick and mor
- t a l i t y .
Admission
- r a t e i n t h e Regular Army,
In the Central
India Force.
In the Punjab
Force.
In the Madras
regiments.
Comparison
of the admis-
sion-rates.
consequence of their not being under the special charge of any medical officer
or subordinate. The strength of the Bengal Army "present" was 224
in excess of that shewn in 1875, while that of the Madras Army on
duty in this Presidency was less by 569.7 men. This decrease in the strength
of the contingent from Madras was due to the recall of the 33rd Regiment,
M. N. I., no other regiment from the sister Presidency being sent in its place
to Bengal. The proportion "absent" from the Regular Army was at the rate
of 12.31 per cent. of total strength; from the Central India Force 21.23 per
cent.; from the Punjab Frontier Force 17.11 per cent., and from the Madras
regiments 5.91 per cent. In the report for 1875, I offered as a probable expla-
nation of the small number of Madras sepoys absent from their regiments, as
compared with that registered in the Bengal Army, that the Madras sepoys have
their families with them as a rule, and being at such long distances from
their homes do not care to avail themselves of leave to visit them. On the
other hand, the high proportion of the strength "absent" from the Central
India, and Punjab Frontier, Forces, is in a great measure due to the number
of small detachments furnished by them.
4. In statement No. II is shewn the ratio of admissions and "daily sick"
as calculated on the average strength "present," while the mortuary statistics
represent the total deaths per cent. of total strength. For the sake of comparison,
I have entered in the foregoing statement the corresponding statistics for the
four preceding years. It will be perceived from it that, in the Regular Army, the
proportion of admissions to the average strength was markedly in excess of
that of any of the three previous years, but was less than that of 1872. In
the Central India Force, the proportion of admissions was much the same as
in 1873, 1874 or 1875, but was 20 per cent. less than in 1872. In the Punjab
Force, the proportion of admissions was less than in any one of the four pre-
ceding years; and taking the Bengal Army as a whole (composed of the Regu-
lar Army, the Central India, and Punjab Frontier Forces) the admission-rate,
though less than it was in 1872, was somewhat higher than in 1873, 1874 or 1875.
It does not appear clear why there should have been an increase in the rate of
admissions into hospital during the past year, or why that increase should have
been confined altogether to the Regular Army, but I shall consider this subject
more fully in para. 14.
STATEMENT No. II.
Regular
Army.
Central In-
dia Force,
Punjab
Frontier
Force.
*Army of
Bengal.
Madras
troops,
1876
Admissions per cent. of average strength
142.31
87. 41
156.75
1 4 0 . 4 7
104.87
Daily sick " " "
3.94
3. 01
4.17
3.91
2 . 5 9
Total deaths per cent of total strength
1. 54
.93
1.48
4. 17
1 . 2 3
1875
Admissions per cent. of average strength 123.03
91.98 167.24 128.75
89. 77
Daily sick " " "
3.99
2. 98
4. 63
4. 03
2.62
Total deaths per cent. of total strength
1. 56
.96
2.17
1.63
1.42
1874
Admissions per cent. of average strength 127.71
88.89
172.36 132.97 106.53
Daily sick " " "
4. 21
3.15
4.75
4.23
3.20
Total deaths per cent. of total strength
1.34
.92
1.36
1.31
.91
1873
Admissions per cent. of average strength 129.91
85.93
162.71
132.38
68.88
Daily sick " " "
4.14
3. 37
4. 66
4. 17
2.02
Total deaths per cent. of total strength
1.76
1.30
1. 86
1.14
.75
1872
Admissions per cent. of average strength 148.4
107.9
188.7
152.6
70. 08
Daily sick " " "
4.43
3.83
5. 31
4.54
2.19
Total deaths per cent, of total strength
1.99
1.35
2. 27
2.01
.76
* Includes the Regular Army, Central India Horse, and Punjab Frontier Force.
The admission-rate of the Madras troops was higher than it was in 1872,
1873 or 1875, but was slightly lower than it was in 1874.
From a comparison of the several admission-rates, it will be observed that
the Punjab Frontier Force had the highest one, but this result might be accept-
ed as a necessary consequence of the climate in which the regiments compos-
ing it have to serve, and also of the nature of their duties which occasionally
are harrassing, arduous and attended by considerable exposure. The admis-
sion-rate of the Regular Army comes next in order, but it will be gathered
from Statement No. VII, that in the Peshawar district it has even exceeded the
highest figures shewn in Statement No. II, while in others it compares favorably