126
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Syphilis Syphilis has been more common than is usual in the regiment. The cause seems to have
been the employment of a small number of the men on famine relief work, in 1874-75, from
which 3 returned with the primary disease.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.— The deaths in hospital have been: 2 from pneumo-
nia, 1 from intermittent fever, and 1 from perforation of the small intestine. One of the deaths
from pneumonia took place on the 21st day of the disease, after profuse suppuration and the
formation of cavities in the upper half of the right lung. There is nothing to distinguish this
case from cases of lung destruction usually classed as phthisis, except the rapidity with which
it ran its course. The circumstances under which the second death from pneumonia took place
have been referred to in paragraph XIII. It was an ordinary case of acute pneumonia, and
requires no further remark. In the case of intermittent fever, death took place by collapse,
coming on at the end of a paroxysm of fever. The man who died of perforation of the bowel
was admitted into hospital for what appeared to be an ordinary case of intermittent fever, on
the second day of the illness. The fever was checked by quinine, after two days' treatment,
but returned on the third day, the quinine in the meantime having been discontinued. The bowels
continued regular, and he took his food fairly—8 to 10 chittacks of solids daily—till the ninth
day from the first paroxysm of fever, and no abdominal pain had been complained of. On
this day, after taking his daily meal as usual, he had an attack of vomiting, followed by severe
pain in the abdomen, and death in 36 hours. On post-mortem examination, acute peritonitis,
and a perforation of the ilium, 9 inches above the ilio-cœcal valve were found. Peyers patches,
in the terminal portion of the ilium, were the seat of clean, circular ulcers, from 1/12 to 1/2 inch
in diameter, with thickened edges, one of the largest of which bad perforated the bowel.
Only one ulcer was situated in each patch, and the glands of the portions not involved in
the ulceration seemed in the normal condition, the outline of the patches being with difficulty
made out even with transmitted light. The mesenteric glands, in connection with the diseased
portion of the intestine, were slightly enlarged, but contained no tubercle. The only other
abnormal appearance was slight enlargement of the spleen. Four of the men who died out
of hospital had been sent on sick leave on account of phthisis, one in 1874, and three in
1875. The fifth death out of hospital was that of a sepoy at his home on short leave, who
was reported to have died of cholera.
Epidemics.
Cholera.
XVIII. Epidemics.—One case of small-pox was admitted into hospital on the 9th, and
one of chicken-pox on the 26th January. Both patients had been employed on famine relief
duty; and in both the disease seems to have been contracted on the journey back from
Durbhunga, the fever in the former having commenced in the train, and in the latter on the
fourth day after arrival at Bareilly. They were treated in isolated grass huts, which, on the
discharge of the patients, were burned. On the 23rd March a case of cholera occurred, the
o r i g i n o f w h i c h c o u l d n o t b e t r a c e d . T h e o n l y o t h e r c a s e s h e a r d o f w i t h i n t h e d i s t r i c t a b o u t
that time were 2, a few days afterwards, among a party of invalids proceeding to Nynee Tal,
one of which began in the train before arrival at Bareilly. The measures prescribed for adop
- t i o n o n t h e o u t b r e a k o f c h o l e r a w e r e m i n u t e l y c a r r i e d o u t . O n a c c o u n t o f t h e p r e v a l e n c e
of cholera in several parts of the country, all men granted leave were subjected to a few
days' quarantine on return, during which bathing and the washing of all clothing and
other effects were insisted on. One man died of cholera at his home, and one was taken ill
of the disease while returning from leave, but recovered. At Delhi there was one case of
mumps, clearly due to contagion. The patient admitted having frequently visited his caste
fellows in the 33rd Regiment Native Infantry, among whom the disease had for some time been
prevalent. He was treated in an isolated hut; and the men were forbidden by the com
-
manding officer to visit the camp of the 33rd Regiment.
Vaccination.
XIX. Vaccination.—Nine men having slight or no marks of small-pox were vaccinated.
The result in six cases was successful, and in the other three doubtful. With the exception of
two, all the rest of the men have either had small-pox or have been vaccinated. The man
who was admitted into hospital for small-pox had previously been inoculated, but had no
small-pox marks.
Special obser-
vations and re-
marks.
XXI. Special observations and remarks. —Eighty-five recruits, nearly all natives of Oudh,
have been enlisted within the year. On enlistment, their ages were from 16 to 24 years, their
heights from 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 111/2 inches; and their chests' measurements (over the
nipples with the arms stretched above the head) at the end of complete expiration, from 31
to 36 inches. A good many were rather spare, apparently from under-feeding. All except 4
had some marks of small-pox; 2 had been inoculated; and 1 only vaccinated.
Inspection.
Mr. H. M. Cannon, M.B., Deputy Surgeon-General of the Lucknow
Circle, made his inspection of the lines and hospital of this regiment on
the 8th October 1875. Mr. Cannon reports as follows of the increased
accommodation afforded by the erection of eight new barracks, viz., "The
accommodation is now sufficient and suitable, and the ventilation is good."
The lines and bazar were thoroughly clean and well drained. Of the
several improvements recommended by Mr. Cannon last year, "the only
one carried out has been the application of a sirkee lining to the roof
so as to leave a small space between it and the tiles." This, it is reported, has
been a success, as the highest temperature observed at 2 o'clock P.M. in 1875