Vaccination.
Recommenda
-
tion.
4
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Special
remarks.
Marches.
Invaliding
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— The principal causes of sickness during the year were
malarious fevers, dysentery, diarrhœa, and their sequelæ. Some of the cases of malarious
remittent fever and of dysentery were of a very severe type, and the cases of intermittent fever
were sharp, obstinate and intractable. It is especially towards the close of, and immediately
after, the rains that these diseases are most prevalent and severe.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.— The greatest number of deaths are entered under
the head of debility, three in number. These were cases of men who had been greatly reduced
by repeated attacks of ague, marasmus, and malarial cachexia. The immediate cause of death
in these cases is exhaustion consequent on an attack of uncontrollable diarrhœa. To diarrhœa
are attributed two deaths, to pneumonia two deaths, and to phthisis, jaundice, sun-stroke,
and ague, each one death.
XVIII. Epidemics.— At Alipore there was an epidemic of mumps among the men of the
wi ng of t he 39t h Nat i ve. I nf ant r y i n Sept ember and Oct ober . I t di d not spr ead much among
the men of the 28th Punjab Native Infantry, there being only 3 admissions for that disease.
X1X. Vaccination.— There were no cases of vaccination during the year.
XX. Recommendation.—On December 1 6th, when the regiment was in camp at Delhi, as
the men felt the cold at night very much, having just come up from Lower Bengal, and as it
seemed to be a great agent in producing the slight aguish and bronchitic attacks which were
the chief causes of admission into hospital, I recommended that rum should be obtained from
the Commissariat Department, and that such men as were willing should be allowed to purchase
rations to the amount of 2 oz. daily. This was sanctioned, the rum obtained. Very many
men availed themselves of the privilege. The rum was usually taken with hot water at night,
and proved, I believe, very beneficial.
XXI. Special remarks.—As I was with the regiment for little more than two months of
the year, any special remarks which I shall have to make must of necessity be very brief.
There is one point, however, on which I would wish to dwell. It was very evident that
their residence at Alipore had told greatly upon the health of the men. Although
m e n
of very fine physique, indeed, they were nearly all weakly, colour bad, enlarged spleens
were common ; with a tendency to a scorbutic condition, as evidenced by spongy gums.
It seemed very undesirable that, if it were possible to avoid it, the regiment should have
been left a third year at Alipore. It was this last year of their residence that seemed
to have most affected them. I believe that up-country regiments do not stand a long
residence in Lower Bengal. When the regiment began its march to Delhi from Cawnpore,
it was very weakly. Cases of ague and dysentery were very common, and I had at one
time 70 on the sick and convalescent list. The march, however, and the exercises at the
camp had a wonderful and most gratifying effect upon the condition of the men, and their
condition now presents, indeed, a marked contrast to that when I first received charge at Alipore.
A glance at the number of deaths and men invalided during the three years of residence at
Alipore, shews very clearly how steadily progressive in their action were the deteriorating influ
-
ences. In 1873, the first year, the number of deaths was 7, and 27 men were invalided; in
1874 there were 12 deaths, and 43 men invalided ; and in 1875 there were 22 deaths. The
num ber invalided is written 18, but a great number will have to be invalided this year from the
effects of disease contracted at Alipore. From this we see at once that the number of deaths
and cases invalided were nearly doubled with each year of residence. The duty at Alipore is
excessively severe, and is certainly a great cause of the ill condition of the men. Surgeon Price,
in the annual report for 1874, called attention to the diminution of cases of dysentery since the
men were supplied with municipal water. This diminution has been progressive—
Inspection.
Water-supp
ly.
Latrines.
Hospital.
In 1873 there was 152 cases of dysentery.
" 1874 " 124 " "
" 1875 "84 " "
The Deputy Surgeon-General of the Presidency Circle inspected the hos
-
pital and sanitary arrangements of the regiment at Alipore on the 29th
October 1875, and reports that the men were located in the pucca barracks
at Alipore, and were not overcrowded ; the ventilation of the building was
good. Municipal filtered water is brought daily to the lines in carts for cooking
and drinking purposes, and is of excellent quality, and supplied in sufficient
quantity ; for washing and other purposes, water from tanks within the lines
is used. The ground lies rather low, but is reported on as being well drained.
The latrine is situated about ¼ of a mile from the lines in the fields to the
west; it consists of a range of unroofed compartments of pucca walls, 5 feet
high, and provided with wooden seats, beneath which pans are placed for the
reception of the excreta; the "dry earth" system has not been introduced,
and, in consequence of the use of water only, the sanitary condition of the
erection was very defective. Hospital accommodation is described as ample
for all requirements of the regiments, and the arrangements for the proper
treatment of the sick were in an efficient state.