Water-supply.
Diet.
Clothing.
Duty and
employment.
Hospital.
Sickness, mortality and
invaliding.
PRESIDENCY DISTRICT.
7
VIII. Water-supply.—Up to the month of May the men made free use of the tank
water near the station magazine, but since that time they have been prohibited from drinking
it, as it is not considered good. Munirampore filtered pipe-water is now in use, but as it is
nearly half a mile from the men's quarters and available only at certain hours; it is not appre
- ciated, as it would otherwise be. If the pipe-water was carried into the lines, or a water cart
provided, it would be a great boon to the regiment. The hospital being at the other end of
the station, about a mile off, pipe-water is not available for the sick, but filtered river water
is supplied to them. The latter source is much preferred, being from their sacred Gunga.
IX. Diet.—Each man is supposed to expend at least Rs. 3-8 per month in providing
himself with the necessaries of life, and receives compensation for dearness of provisions when
necessary. During the year, the compensation of several men was stopped; these were cases of
men suspected of under-feeding themselves, their state of debility not being sufficiently ac
- counted for by the existence of any actual disease. When these cases of debility shewed a
tendency to improve, their compensation was again granted to them, and in several cases there
was a good result.
X. Clothing.—In many cases recruits coming to hospital were found deficient in bedding
and clothing, but this has been in a great measure remedied, as every recruit is provided with
a rezai; still the quantity of clothing and bedding is not sufficient in the cold weather.
Now that a recruit receives a bounty of Rs. 30 on enlistment, there should be no difficulty
in providing him with a flannel shirt, a warm coat, and a blanket in addition to the present
rezai.
XI. Duty and employment. —The duties have been very heavy owing to the large number
of guards required, as has always been the case with native troops at this station. Average
nights in bed 4.
XIV. Hospital. —The hospital is an excllent building, with superior. accommodation, and
in excess of the requirements of the regiment. The sick of the 3rd Bengal Cavalry were treated
in this hospital.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— S t r e n g t h o f t h e r e g i m e n t —
Present
5 9 3 . 6
Absent
6 5 . 7
TOTAL
659.3
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
erumnb of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
STATION.
From
To
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admis- sions. Deaths. Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters, Barrackpore 1st Jan. 1876 31st Dec. 1876 476.7 1,832 18 44 384.3 3.77 9 . 2 3
Detachment, Dum-Dum
Ditto
Ditto
114.7 343 3 5.4 299.04 2.61 4 . 7
TOTAL
593.6 2,175 21 49.4 366.41 3.53 8 . 3 2
Number of deaths in hospital 21; out of hospital 2; total 23; per cent. of total strength
3 . 4 8
„ invalided 39;
„ „
5 . 9 1
„ s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e 1 6 ; „ „ 2 . 4 2
„ of days spent in hospital 16,581; per admission 7.62; per man of total strength 2 5 . 1 4
„ „ on sick leave 2,928; per man 183;
„ „
4 . 4 4
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
2 9 . 5 8
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —The principal cause of sickness was due to
malarial fevers, then follow dysentery, blisters of the feet, diarrhœa, debility, itch, hypertrophy
of the spleen, chest diseases, and slight injuries. The majority of the fevers were of
a mild nature, but often recurrent, and thereby causing debility, which was not easily
removed. In some scorbutic cases, sulphate of quinine was given dissolved in lime-juice, and
with a beneficial result. Some of the cases of malarial fevers were of a severe type, in which
20-grain doses of quinine with 12 minim doses of liquor arsenicalis were required.
The excessive sickness of the regiment might be attributed to the following causes:
(1) inferior physique of the sepoy on enlistment; (2), three years' residence at
Baxa Dooar, Bhootan, where the regiment suffered severely from fever, and most of
the diseases there were of a scorbutic type; (3), change to a damp, feverish climate like
Barrackpore; (4), unhealthy position of the lines; (5) the very heavy duties required
from the regiment at Barrackpore; (6) a considerable amount of exaggeration and
want of inherent manliness in the sepoy to resist sickness. The men themselves attribute
their present sickly state to the climate, and long ardently for an up-country station. There
can be no doubt but that the regiment is suffering from chronic malarial cachexia, the slightest
exciting cause producing an outbreak of fever. Another matter may be noticed in connection
with this subject, and that is the character of the men when suffering from slight ailments.
A man comes to hospital in a crouching despondent state, with his head and body wrapped up
in his cloak and presenting the aspect of utter helplessness; when addressed, his answers are
given in a whining piteous manner; but when examined, he is found to have no actual disease:
Principal
causes of
sickness.
C a u s a t i o n o f
the sickness
of the regi
- m e n t .
Malarial
cachexia.