xvii
such recruits were enlisted. I publish the correspondence connected with
this case, and trust it will convince regimental medical officers that the orders
conveyed in the G. G. O. just cited , do not relieve them in any degree from the
most careful examination of the recruits who join their regiments for enlist-
ment, even after being pronounced fit for the service by other medical officers.
From the Medical Officer,———Regiment N. I., to the Officiating Secretary to the Surgeon-
General, Indian Medical Department, No. 36, dated Calcutta, 12th March 1877.
With reference to your memorandum No. 366 S. of the 9th March, in which, the Surgeon-
General expresses a hope that the duty of examining recruits may be very carefully and anxi-
ously performed by the medical officer of the———Regiment N. I., I have the honor to
report, for the information of the Surgeon-General, that the majority of recruits of this
regiment are medically examined at the time of enlistment at up-country stations, and,
as far as I am aware, are not sent for re-examination to the medical officer on joining the
regiment, except in some few cases, and therefore I do not think I should be held responsible
for the physical condition of recruits whom I have never examined.
From the Officiating Secretary to the Surgeon-General, to the Officer in Medical Charge of the
———Regiment N. I., No. 7142 A., dated Fort William,15th March 1877.
The undersigned is directed to inform Surgeon———, with reference to his memoran-
dum No. 36 of the 12th instant, that it is an essential and important portion of his duty,
as medical officer of the———Regiment, to ascertain, by personal inspection of every recruit
who joins, that he is an eligible one; and further, that the presence of weedy men in the
ranks, and who have been enlisted subsequent to the publication of G. G. O. No. 890 of 1875,
will be considered evidence of carelessness in the performance of an imperative duty. The
physique of the men of the———Regiment should be his special care, as the regimental.
medical officer.
From the Medical Officer,———Regiment N. I., to the Deputy Surgeon-General, Indian
Medical Department,————Circle.
Has the honor to report having made an inspection of all the recruits of the
————Regiment N. I. Six secruits have been discharged as physically unfit, being unlikely to make
good soldiers, and eighteen others are about to be discharged for the same reason. Henceforth
monthly inspections of recruits shall be made.
46. The diseases which caused the sickness and mortality of the Native
Army in 1876 are shewn in Table II at the end of this volume; and the pre-
valence of the most common and fatal diseases is exhibited in Statements X
and XI, in which, for the sake of comparison, the similar statistics of the four
Preceding years are also given:—
STATEMENT No. X.
ADMISSIONS PER CENT. OF TOTAL
ADMISSIONS.
ADMISSIONS PER CENT. OF TOTAL
ADMISSIONS.
DISEASES.
DISEASES.
1876. 1875. 1874. 1873. 1872.
1876. 1875. 1874. 1873. 1872.
Fevers
56.58 49.21 52.31 51.92 55.07 Diarrhœa
2.46 2.78 2.60 2.58 3 65
Cholera
. 2 1
. 1 9
. 0 6
. 0 9
. 4 2 Colic
. 8 9 1.11
. 9 9
. 8 6
. 8 6
Rheumatism
2.17 2.64 2.74 3.14 3.23 Spleen
. 2 1
. 5 3
. 7 2
. 9 0
. 8 2
Syphilis
1.41 1.74 1.83 1.46 1.15 Gonorrhœa
. 4 6
. 6 1
. 6 8
. 5 2
. 4 3
Phthisis
. 1 5
. 1 6
. 1 4
. 1 4
. 1 5 Abscess
1 . 4 2 1.88 1.77 1.77 1.03
Anæmia
. 1 2
. 1 3
. 1 9
. 2 4
. 2 3 Ulcers
1.91 2.37 2.53 2.48 2 . 3 1
Ophthalmia
1.86 2.34 1.98 2.21 1.77 Boils
2.11 2.66 2.63 2.48 1 . 9 4
Diseases of ear
. 4 1 .48
. 5 2
. 3 8
. 3 8 Scabies
. 7 7
. 5 5
. 6 0
. 9 1
. 9 7
Bronchitis
2.59 2.56 1.80 2.53 2.34 Debility
1.10 1.59 1.25 1.21
. 9 8
Pneumonia
. 5 6 1.01
. 7 7
. 7 6
. 6 1 Poisons
. 0 6
. 0 8
. 0 6
. 0 9
. 0 6
Pleurisy
. 2 3
. 2 7
. 2 9
. 3 4
. 2 2 Injuries
8.76 10.44 9.65 9.17 7 . 9 1
Dyspepsia
. 6 1
. 8 9
. 7 9
. 6 7
. 6 2 All other diseases 8.05 8.42 8.75 8.18 7 . 4 1
Dysentery
4.90 5.36 4.35 4.92
. 4 4
On examining Statement No. X, it will be seen that fevers caused more
than half of the total admissions into hospital during 1876, and were also in
excess of the proportions registered during the four preceding years. I have
already, in paragraph 14, stated that malarious fevers were unusually prevalent
in the Presidency, Eastern Frontier, Meerut, Lahore and Rawal Pindi com
-mands. The proportion which admissions from bronchitis and pneumonia bore
to the total admissions was small, but 3.1 per cent. Bronchitis was
slightly in excess of the proportion registered in 1875, 1873 or 1872, although
more markedly in excess of what it was in 1874. It is very satisfactory
to observe that there has been a marked decrease in the admission-rate from
5
Diseases
causing.
sickness
Bronchitisan
d pneumonia.