Duty and
employment.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
Sickness.
Mortality.
Epidemics.
194
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Lines, &c.
Conservancy.
V. Lines, barracks or huts. —See previous reports. No overcrowding.
VII. Conservancy, &c. —As last year; worked satisfactorily during the year.
Diet.
IX. Diet.—As last year; there is no doubt a tendency to underfeeding, but every means
have been taken to prevent it.
Clothing.
X. Clothing.—The uni f or m i s s uf f i ci ent and i s wel l s ui t ed t o t he cl i mat e. The nat i ve
clothes worn by the men are, I think, of too light a nature to protect them from the effects of
cold.
XI. Duty and employment.—The duty was as in preceding years. It is, I consider, hard
work, which none but physically and constitutionally strong men can endure without serious
inury for even a few years. Nights in bed 5.5 in 7 days.
XIII. Marches and service.—There were no marches or services during the year, except
in the cholera epidemic, which unfortunately visited Bunnoo. The regiment went into camp
at Adhuminee, about 9 miles from cantonments, and separated from it by the Kurram river.
The ground was dry, sandy, undulating, and almost without vegetation. The water was fairly
good, and was used by the men for drinking and bathing purposes. Strict orders were issued
that all bathing and washing should be performed below camp, and that after sun-down no
one should enter the river. Drinking water was obtained from above camp. A latrine was
dug about 300 yards below camp, but the men preferred going for the purposes of nature into
the jungle further down. There was but little sickness, and the general appearance of the
regiment was much improved by the residence under canvas. The weather was very fine,
occasionally warm during the day and cold at night. The duty was moderate.
XIV. Hospital. As before; the state of the hospital out-houses has been made the sub
-ject of numerous reports during the last three years, but without any result.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment—
Present
603.6
Absent
137.17
Total 740.8
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths. Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters, Edwardesabad 1st Jan.
25th Oct.
569.17 485 14 16.12 104.30 3.01 2.8
„ C a m p A d h u m i n i e 26th Oct.
12th Nov.
268.78 33
11.61 249.64
4.3
„ Edwardesabad 13th Nov.
31st Dec.
593.6 154
2 46.97 193.7 2.5 7.9
Detachment Edwardesabad 26th Oct.
12th Nov.
270.05 36
2 10.88 135.3 15.03 4 . 0 2
„ Shekh Budin 1st May
16th June.
71
1
.16 10.9
.2
„ Khirgee
3rd Oct.
22nd Dec.
23.88
1
.26 18.8
1.08
„ Zam
11th Dec.
31st Dec.
24
1
.16 76.1
.66
„ Jani Khel
1st Jan.
„
35
10
.42 56.5
1 . 2
TOTAL
603.6 721 18 20.6 119.45 2.9 3.41
Number of deaths in hospital 18; out of hospital 3; total 21; per cent. of total strength
2.8
„ invalided
9 „ „ 1.2
„ sent on sick leave
3; „ „ .4
„ of days spent in hospital 7,551.85; per admission 10.4; per man of total strength 1 0 . 2
„ „ on sick leave 264; per man
88; „ „
.3
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
1 0 . 5
XVIII. Epidemics.—Cholera, in an epidemic form, was rife throughout the Punjab during
the year. The districts of Dera Ismail Khan and Meanwati had been attacked for some
time; indeed, the disease was rapidly declining there before there was a case in Bunnoo. On
the 10th of October a man in the 6th Punjab Infantry was seized, and from this date till
the 13th of November, a period of 35 days, the disease may be said to have retained its hold on
the regiment. During this period there were 24 seizures including camp followers, and 18 deaths.
Twelve soldiers were attacked; of these eight died. Twelve camp followers were seized; of
these ten died. The last case occurred on the 3rd of November and was fatal. I was not in the
station till the epidemic had almost ceased. The system adopted was as follows. A hospital tent
was placed a few hundred yards from the lines, with a full complement of attendants. Into this
all cases about which there was any doubt were sent and at once inspected by the medical
officer of the regiment, who, if he thought fit, sent them on in a dooly to a cholera hospital tent,
two and a half miles away, accompanied by a sick attendant, and all their clothes and furniture.
This hospital had three hospital assistants, a full staff of attendants, and was entirely under the
charge of Surgeon W. Jackson, 5th Punjab Cavalry. The cases once admitted remained there
till the camp was broken up. The patients in it consisted of men from the three regiments forming
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Fevers (agues) 444, as usual, headed the list; dysentery
52; colic 18; diarrhœa 13; mumps 12 and abscess 10.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Cholera 8; fevers 3; pneumonia 3; dysentery 1;
dyspepsia 1; anæmia 1 and empyema 1.