ROHILCUND DISTRICT.
129
Principal
causes of
sickness.
XV1. Principal causes of sickness.—Ague, bowel complaints, and ulcers of the feet are
the principal causes of admissions. Together, they form 60.32 per cent. of the total admissions—
ague 27.81, bowel complaints 15.95, and ulcers 16.56 per cent. of total admissions. The
ague was generally of a mild type and uncomplicated. Some of the cases of dysentery were
rather severe; 3 had to be sent on sick leave and one died. Ulcers form about the usual
average-number of admissions. They were mostly neglected sores on the feet, and occurred most
often in young recruits who did not march in time. They were generally caused by kicks from the
feet of other men when at drill. During the marching there were very few admissions for sore
feet. None of the other causes of sickness require to be specially noticed, except measles, which
will be reported on under the heading of epidemics. Venereal affections furnished fewer admis
-sious than usual.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
XV1I. Principal causes of mortality. —Two deaths occurred in, and one out of,
hospital, during the year. The first death was that of an old sepoy who died at his home while
on furlough. The cause of his death is not known. The next occurred in hospital in Septem-
ber, when cholera was prevalent. The man, an old sepoy, had been a long time in hospital,
suffering from diarrhœa. The diarrhœa was cured, but he suffered so much from indigestion,
that he was kept in hospital, and the disease changed to dyspepsia. Diarrhœa, however, set in
again suddenly, and he died collapsed a few hours afterwards. At the post-mortem examination,
amyloid degeneration of the liver and spleen and intestinal glands was found to exist.
The other death in hospital was from dysentery, and occured in Camp at Delhi. The
patient, a fine young sepoy, who came to hospital the day the regiment left Moradabad,
died on the 13th December. Until the day before his death, although the case was seen
to be a severe one, no danger was apprehended. He appeared to be getting on very well,
when suddenly he complained of severe pain on the abdomen, which became swollen, and
all the other signs of severe peritonitis set in. It was at once seen to be a case of perforation
of the bowel and quite hopeless. No post mortem examination could be made, as there was
only one hospital tent, the other tent being required to isolate the cases of measles.
Epidemics.
XVIII. Epidemics.—Six cases of measles were admitted during the year. They were so
mild, and the disease has spread so little, that it can scarcely be called epidemic. The first case
occurred on the 23rd November. The patient had been admitted for ague, and it was only on
the appearance of the eruption that it was recognized to be a case of measles. The man
was at once transferred to the civil dispensary at Moradabad. The second case occurred 14
days later, in a sepoy who had been admitted 4 days previously for ague; and other 4 cases
have occurred since, all on camp. It is difficult to diagnose the disease at first. In nearly all
the cases the fever has been decidedly intermittent, and the eruption makes its appearance one
day, and generally disappears the next. There were no complications in any of the cases,
and all the patients recovered rapidly. The cases were isolated carefully, and no evidence of
how it had arisen or how it spread could be obtained. The first 2 cases occurred in the
right wing, the others came from the left wing, and the disease was not confined to any one
company.
Vaccination.
XIX. Vaccination.—As reported last year, all the old sepoys are protected, either by
having had small-pox, or by having been vaccinated. I procured lymph and got all the
young sepoys and recruits paraded, but they were all, without exception, well marked
by small-pox; very few natives apparently escape the disease. The few children with the
regiment who were not protected were vaccinated successfully.
Recommenda-tions.
XX.
Recommendations.—Everything has been so satisfactory, that it has not been neces-
sary to make many recommendations. Those which have been made have been generally
on trivial matters, and verbally, and the officers commanding have always agreed to them.
Special
observation.
Recruits.
XXI.
Special observation.—This report has been so long delayed, owing to the regiment
being at the Camp of Exercise at the end of the year, and to the imperfect records kept
by the hospital assistant with the left wing and with the depôt, that to prevent further delay,
I have not entered so fully into some points as I otherwise would have done. The recruits
who joined during the year were, as a rule, a remarkably good class of men. Very few
had to be sent back to their homes. The improvement was, no doubt, owing to the different
parties sent on recruiting duty being strictly ordered on no account to take men below a
certain standard. Height 5 feet 9 inches, and 34 inches round the chest.
Inspection.
Inspected on the 15th August 1875 by the Deputy Surgeon General of
the Lucknow Circle. The lines were then in good sanitary condition and
clean; the huts were in good repair, but not well ventilated; however, as
there was no overcrowding of the men, no bad effects have resulted. The
clothing of the recruits was sometimes very insufficient, but was supplied as
soon as brought to notice of the wing officers. A capital bathroom is attached
to the hospital, and the sick use it freely. Mr. Cannon remarks that the 45th
regiment is the healthiest in his circle, and for height, strength, and physique,
he does not consider that it is surpassed in the army.