Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Medical
Officer.
146
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
P E R A N N U M .
From
To
Admis-
s i o n s .
Deaths.
Admis-
s i o n S . Deaths. Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Jhelum
1st Jan. 1876 15th Oct. 1876 550.40 560
2 17.18 128.84 0.45 3.12
Ditto on march
16th Oct. „ 30th Nov. „ 577.02 240
1 34.60 330.99 1.35 5.99
Ditto at Camp Delhi 1st Dec. „ 31st Dec. „ 535.87
57
16.61 125.50
3.09
Detachment at Attock
1st Jan. „ 25th Apl. „ 129.46
36
4.31 88.54
3.32
Ditto at Meean Meer 1st Nov. „ 31st Dec. „ 137.48 157
1 20.93 685.13 4.32 15.22
TOTAL
615.86 1,050 4 24.18 170.49 0.64 3.92
Number of deaths in hospital 4; out of hospital 3; total
7; percent. of total strength
1.02
„ invalided
47; „ „ 6.91
„ sent on sick leave
2; „ „ 0.29
„ of days spent in hospital 8,851; per admission 8.42; per man of total strength 13.01
„ „ on sick leave 709; per man
354.5; „ „ 1.04
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
14.05
Principal
causes of
sickness,
Vaccination.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Malarious fevers were the chief causes of admission.
Out of the total number of cases treated, 1,060, there were 830 cases of ague, and 19 cases of
remittent fever. The regiment was fairly healthy until the second week in August, about
which time fever became more prevalent, and from that time the number of admissions steadily
increased. One cause doubtless of malaria at Jhelum is, that large tracts of mud are developed
in the bed of the river whenever the waters recede; these touch on the station, The fever was
not very fatal, only one death occurred from that cause. Dysentery was the cause of 31 admis
- s i o n s ; n o n e o f t h e c a s e s p r o v e d f a t a l . F i f t e e n c a s e s o f a c u t e , a n d 1 4 c a s e s o f c h r o n i c b r o n c h i t i s
came under treatment; none proved fatal. Six cases of pneumonia were treated; two of these
were first admitted with fever; two of the cases proved fatal. There was one case of cancer of
the penis. The man was operated on when on leave at Lahore, but when he rejoined, the
disease was found to have returned without hope of relief.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Seven deaths occurred during the year: two from
pneumonia, one from remittent fever in the head-quarters hospital; one man died from apoplexy
with the detachment at Meean Meer; one man whilst on sick leave from diarrhœa; one on furlough
from cholera, and one man met his death accidentally from drowning in the river Jhelum.
XVIII. Epidemics.—The city and station of Jhelum did not escape a visitation of
cholera, but it can hardly be said to have come in an epidemic form. I had been told by Colonel
Smyly, who was formerly Deputy Commissioner, and who knew Jhelum well, that when cholera
visited that city, it invariably came down the river from Cashmere. The first case of cholera
occurred during the last week in May: a railway coolie was seized after bathing in the river, and
died. In the beginning of June a sepoy of the 22nd was seized after bathing in the river; he
also died. From this time until the 20th of September, one or two or three cases occurred nearly
every week, but the disease can never be said to have made head as an epidemic. Altogether, six
cases occurred in cantonments, five of which proved fatal; all the other cases occurred in the city.
The type of cholera was most fatal, collapse setting in in most cases before any thing could be
done. All the usual remedies failed as at Murree. It is worthy of notice that cholera was
followed by malarious fever.
XIX. Vaccination.—Twelve men of the regiment and forty-eight children were success
-fully vaccinated, and the regiment is believed to be effectually protected.
1st Regiment Bengal Cabalry—Sialkot.
Location and
movements.
Medical Officer.—Surgeon-Major E. McKellar, M. D., has held medical
charge throughout the year
and has furnished the follow
-ing report.
II. Location and mov e-
ments. —on the 1st January
the entire regiment was
on the line of march upwards
from Cawnpore. On the 15th
January it arrived at Lahore,
where it was halted to form part
of the escort of His Royal High
-ness the Prince of Wales. On the
27th it resumed its march en route
to Sialkot, which station was reach-
ed on 1st February. Since that
date no further movements have taken place and no detachments have been given during the
year.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1871
Morar, Dec. 1867
152.
.8
5.1
1872
Cawnpore, Feby. 1872
125.2
1.7
4.5
1873
Ditto ditto
81.4
1.7
3.8
1874
Ditto ditto
83.7
.8
2.8
1875
Ditto ditto
54.7
.27
.87
Average
99.4
1.05
3.41
1876 Sialkot, February 1876
82.38
.26
2.79