Synovitis.
Principal
causes of
mortality,
Vaccination.
inspection.
Lines.
12
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Sickness, mor
-tality and in-
validing,
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. Strength of the regiment—
Present . . .
597.18
Absent . . .
8 8 . 0 1
Total . . .
685.19
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Fevers.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL No. OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH PER
ANNUM.
STATION.
From
To
Admissions. Deaths.
Admissions. Deaths
Daily
average
sick.
Head Quarters, at Bar-
rackpore.
1st January
1875.
31st Decem-
ber 1875.
379.69
442
9
22.10
116.41 2.37 5.82
Wing at Alipore . . . 1st January
1875.
19th Decem-
ber 1875.
217.49
397
3
14.29
182.53 1.37 6.57
TOTAL . . .
. . .
. . .
597.18
839
12
36.39
140.49
2 6.09
Number of deaths in hospital 12; out of hospital 8; total 20; per cent. of total strength . . . 2.9
" invalided . . . 40; " " . . . 5.82.
" sent on sick leave . . . 31; " ". . . 4.52
" of days spent in hospital 13,284; per admission 15.83; per man of total strength . . . 19.38
" "
on sick leave 5,825; per man 187.90; " " . . . 8.50
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . . 27.88
XVI. Subjoined is a tabular form showing the admissions into hospital (average) from
the year 1869 to 1874, as compared with last year for wing:—
For the Regimental Head-Quarters.
M a l a r i o u s F e v e r s .
R h e u m a t i c a f f e c t i o n s . V e n e r e a l
c o m p a l i n t s .
C h e s t a f f e c t i o n s .
B o w e l c o m p l a i n t s .
C u t a n e o u s .
S o r e - f e e t .
G e n e r a l d e b i l i l y .
O t h e r d i s e a s e s .
TOTAL.
Average admissions into hospital for the
last 5 years . . . 477
57
26
25
82
64
64
21
67
883
Admissions into hospital, 1875 . . . 144
19
8
19
89
16
25
41
81
442
From the above table it will be seen that the admissions for the year under notice is exact
-
ly half what the average has been for the five years previous. I think this does not speak
badly for the climate of Barrackpore. The admissions from malarious fevers are but ¼ of the
five preceding years, and although bowel complaints have slightly increased in number, most of
the cases have been of a mild character, with the exception of one of cholera and three of
diarrhœa with choleraic symptoms which, although hardly coming under the head of true
cholera, proved fatal. The number under the column of other diseases was of trifling importance
and of short duration. Bronchitis has been chiefly of an acute form, and may, in most cases, be
attributed to catarrh in the first instance. Among the cutaneous diseases are psoriasis, herpes,
eczema, and itch, &c.; all have been discharged cured. The "general debility" is mostly
among the old and worn-out men, who will be brought before this year's annual invaliding
committee. There was one case of synovitis of the knee-joint in which the leg was allowed
to become bent at right angles to the thigh, but by means of a double inclined plane and screw,
t h e l e g , h a s b e e n c o mp l e t e l y s t r a i g h t e n e d a n d p r o mi s e s t o b e c o me a g a i n a u s e f u l me mb e r .
XVII. The nominal return of deaths and gain and loss statement show the mortality for
the whole regiment, namely, at—
Regimental head-quarters in hospital . . . 9
Regimental head-quarters out of hospstal . . . 6
With wing at Alipore in hospital . . . 3
With wing at Alipore out of hospital . . . 2
Epidemics.
Seven of those men who died out of hospital were on sick leave, and one was shot.
The principal cause of mortality during the year has been from bowel complaints, and in
almost every case the cause could be traced to impure tank water. Mortality in hospital: diarr
-
hœa 4, splenitis 3, ague 2, phthisis pulmonalis 1, apoplexy, pulmonary 1, cholera 1, gun
shot 1, apoplexy 1, general debility 1; 9 of these cases occurred at head-quarters' hospital,
and three in the Alipore hospital; only two cases have terminated fatally since the 18th
September last.
XVIII. Epedemics.— There was no epidemic during the year.
Vaccination.— Number of men unprotected 75, number vaccinated during the year none.
Mr. Cockburn inspected the right wing of this regiment at Alipore on the
20th January, and the left wing at Barrackpore on the 21st of the same month,
The lines at Barrackpore he considered to be well situated, and he found
the barracks in good repair and well ventilated.