149
LAHORE DIVISION.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength
TOTAL NUM-
BER OF
Daily
aver-
age
num-
ber of
sick.
PER CENT
O F S T R E N G T H P E R
A N N U M .
From
T o
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
Daily
aver-
age sick.
Head-Quarters at Mooltan
and Camp of Exercise at
Delhi.
1st Jan. 1875 31st Dec. 1875 560
827
10 20.31 147.68 1.78
3.62
Detachment at Cawnpore . . . 7th Dec. 1875
Ditto
135.
31
. . .
13.88 335.21
. . . 10.27
TOTAL . . .
613.80
858
10 21.19 139.78 1.63 3.45
Number of deaths in hospital 10; out of hospital 4; total 14; per cent. of total strength . . .
1.98
„" invalided . . .13; " " . . .
1.83
" sent on sick leave . . . 4; " " . . .
. 5 6
"
of days spent in hospital 7,460; per admission 8.69; per man of total strength . . .
10.54
" " on sick leave 308; per man 77; " " . . .
.43
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
10.97
XVI. Chief causes of sickness.— The principal diseases admitted during the past year
were, as usual, intermittent fevers, but not severe in character. Four of these ended in
pneumonia out of a total of 426. Again this year the admissions into hospital for fever at
Mooltan seemed to bear direct relation to amount of rain fallen. This year the fall of rain
having been remarkably small, the number of fevers admitted was also small. This I was able
to observe in the 13th Bengal Lancers' hospital as well as in the 31st Native Infantry
hospital at Mooltan in consequence of my having been officiating for Dr. Daly, late 13th
Bengal Lancers, during August, September and October, when he was absent on privilege
l e a v e .
There were 58 cases of chest disease admitted this year; of these, 31 were bronchial catarrh
, 20 pneumonia, and 4 pleurisy. Two pneumonia following other chest disease and 1 chronic
bronchitis. The greater exposure to cold night air under canvas than in quarters in cantonment
seems to have caused more chest disease than occurred in the previous year. Seventy disease
of digestive system were admitted, of which 27 were dysentery, 17 diarrhœa, 6 congestion of
spleen. Ninety-one cases of disease of cutaneous system occurred; of these 29 were ulcers, 39
were boils. None of the ulcers were so difficult to heal as the so-called "Mooltan sore " is said
to be. One hundred and eleven accidental injuries were admitted; of these 60 were blistered
feet—produced by marching after a long period of rest in cantonments—and 28 Were con
- t u s i o n s a n d s p r a i n s o f t h e l o w e r e x t r e m i t y , c h i e f l y a r i s i n g f r o m t h e s a m e c a u s e .
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.— Pneumonia has been the chief cause of death it
the regiment-during the -past 12 months. Two fatal cases occurred in January, and 3 fata
cases in March, in hospital, Mooltan, and 1 died in general hospital, Native troops, Delhi
where he had been sent for shelter and treatment. This man had had a severe attack of
pleuro-pneumonia at Mooltan during the cold weather of the previous year. Probably old
adhesions of pleura remained from former disease. Pneumonia and pneumonia following
remittent fever seems to be the disease most fatal, also amongst civil population, at Moolta
n d u r i n g t h e c o l d s e a s o n o f e a c h y e a r . O n e f a t a l c a s e o f r e m i t t e n t f e v e r , w h i c h h a d b e e n t a k e n
into hospital in December 1874, occurred at Mooltan in January 1875, also in regimental
hospital. One case of tubercular meningitis ended fatally also in regimental hospital, Mooltan;
on 6th May, whilst I was on privilege leave.
The mortality in the regiment amongst "strength present" has been large this year at
compared with that of 1874, when only 4 men died in regimental hospital. In that year, as in
t h i s p n e u m o n i a w a s t h e c h i e f c a u s e o f d e a t h .
XVIII. Epidemics.— No epidemic occurred at Mooltan during 1875 except the steady
increase of intermittent fever, which seems to take place there every year after the rain has
fallen. Measures were taken to place all sepoys and sowars returning from districts where
cholera existed in quarantine for a few days before re-joining their regiments.
XIX. Vaccination.—The children in the regimental lines were not vaccinated during.
1875, but 16 were done during-the previous year.
Chief causes
of sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
XX. Recommendations made to regimental authorities.—The Medical Offi- -
cer recommended in August that regimental tents should be used as dormitories
in order to prevent the men from exposing themselves to heavy dew-fall and
malarious influences during the night, and that 1½ ounces of rum should be
issued to each man who wished to take it after sun down in the month of October,
when the extremes of temperature between day and night commenced to increase;
these recommendations were carried out.
Recommend
- a t i o n s m a d e
to regimental
authorities.
N 1