Principal
causes of sick
ness.
27
ALLAHABAD DIVISION.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —The principal cause of sickness was, as usual in India,
ague, which produced 332 admissions. But ague is not a very prevalent disease at Benares ;
the detachment at Berhampore suffered severely from it. The returns of ague are
—
Total.
At Benares . . .
74
"
Chunar
.
.
.
32
332
" Berhampore . . .
226
Dysentery produced 45 admissions, and diarrhoea 8. There was only one case of cholera ;
it occurred at Chunar and was fatal.
I am glad to be able to report a very great improvement in the admissions from venereal
diseases. The number of admissions is still great for native troops, but the improvement on a
1874 is highly satisfactory, as the following figures show :—
1874.
1875.
Primary Syphilis . . .
67
45
Secondary Syphilis . . .
37
22
Gonorrhœa . . .
48
24
Phymosis . . .
1
. . .
Bubo . . .
6
3
Epididymitis . . .
1
4
Stricture of Urethra . . .
1
. . .
Orchitis . . .
5
4
Total . . .
166
102
Venereal dis-
ease.
But the improvement, although satisfactory, is not sufficient, as in 1873 we had only a
total of 84 cases, and when the regiment was at Barrackpore and Calcutta, we had only 47
and 45 cases of venereal, respectively. The great cause of the disease is the proximity of the
city of Benares to cantonment, and the enormous amount of prostitution which flourishes there
without any control or examination of any kind. I need not enter into the remarks I
made in last year's report. The civil authorities will not consent to any scheme of protec-
tion, however modified, being extended to the city of Benares ; neither will they allow the
musketry camp at Bunooa to be enclosed in the lock-hospital area. The lock-hospital area
has a boundary, which on the city side is within a mile of cantonments. I have explained in
my reports on the working of the lock-hospital that it is hopeless to expect satisfactory
results in either "white" or "black" troops as long as the present insufficient rules
and orders remain in force. I have placed the matter strongly before the Local Govern-
ment, but it appears that there are some reasons which overrule any consideration of
protection to the troops. Until a change is made in the orders directing the working of the
lock-hospital in this cantonment, Benares must remain the hot-bed of veneral diseases
which it has always been.
Prostitution.
There are no other diseases which require any special mention here.
XV. Principal causes of mortality.— One fatal case of cholera occurred at Chunar, one fatal
case of small-pox occurred at Benares ; it was an isolated case, and no history of contagions
could be traced.
Two cases died of phthisis on sick leave. Three cases of ague, with complications of
remittent fever and pneumonia, died at Berhampore. Another case of chronic ague was
sent on sick leave from Berhampore and died while on leave. A case of dysentery died at
Berhampore. A case of peritonitis died at Katmandoo in the person of a Goorkha on furlough.
One man died of an unknown cause while on furlough in Patiala.
Principal
causes of mor-
tality.
There were in all 11 deaths, and they are distributed as follows :—
Head-quarters, Benares . . .
1
Detachment,
Chunar . . .
1
Detachment, Berhampore . . .
4
Sick leave from Benares . . .
2
"
Chunar.
.
.
0
"
.
Berhampore . . .
1
On furlough or temporary leave . . .
2
Total . . .
11
XIX. Vaccination. —Thirty-nine recruits and young sepoys were vaccinated in 1875. All
the children of sepoys and camp-followers were also vaccinated. I consider the regiment well
protected by vaccination.
XX.
The Deputy Surgeon-General of the Allahabad Circle made his
medical inspection of this regiment on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 11th January 1876.
On the first two days the inspection was in the lines at Benares, and on the
last two days in cholera camp at Raharria, four miles away on the Allahabad
road. The general sanitary condition of the lines, including the water-supply
and conservancy, was good, and the men had not been at all overcrowded. The
lat rines were on the movable trench system and well managed, but they were
Vaccination.
Inspection.
Latrines.