170
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Mortality.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— The following table shows the diseases which caused
admission into hospital during 1875, and a comparison is made with those of 1874 :—
Diseases.
1874.
1875.
Fevers
...
...
...
...
...
...
144
150
Digestive diseases
...
. . .
... ... ...
...
100
119
Accidents
...
...
...
... ...
85
123
Rheumatic affections ...
...
... ... ...
55
69
Respiratory
„
... ...
...
...
... ...
40
28
Cutaneous „
...
...
... ... ... ...
55
72
Eye
„
... ... ... ... ... ...
24
25
Cellular tissue „
...
...
... ... ...
...
2 0
21
Nervous „
...
...
...
... ... ...
14
11
Venereal„
... ...
...
... ... ...
1 1
5
Scorbutic „
...
...
...
... ... ...
1
6
Other disease
...
...
...
...
...
...
26
21
TOTAL
..
575
650
The type of disease during the year was very mild, but the admissions and daily average
sick were high during and after the heavy rains. Of the 28 cases of respiratory disease, 24
were coryza. Not a single case of pneumonia or bronchitis was admitted.
XVII. Nortality.— No deaths occurred in the regiment either in or out of hospital during
the year. The last death which occurred in this corps from disease took place in December
1873. The two deaths which occurred in 1874 were caused by accident.
Vaccination.
Recommenda
-tions.
XIX.
Vaccination.— Early in the year all the men were examined, and 11 were found
whose protection was doubtful. Six of those were vaccinated, 3 had modified and 3 had good
vesicles. Vaccination was commenced this cold weather with lymph received from Lahore, but
the cases on which it was used turned out failures. A second supply was equally unsuccessful.
The medical officer of the 9th Lancers kindly vaccinated three children with fresh lymph,
but those cases also failed. However, on the 30th December, Dr. O'Leary, 1-6th Royal Regi-
ment, successfully operated on 2 children, and on the 4th January 1876 he vaccinated 2 others
with success. At present operations are being carried on.
XX.
Recommendations.—In August last I recommended that grey flannel, flannel shirts,
and warm socks, such as are used in European regiments, should, if possible, be obtained for the
use of all men willing to purchase them. Application was made to the Government Clothing
Agent for the amount of flannel the men wanted, but unfortunately be had none in store.
All the conditions affecting the health of the regiment were so satisfactory during the past
year, that it was seldom necessary to make any recommendations.
Inspection.
This regiment was inspected by the Deputy Surgeon-General of the Lahore
Circle on the 10th March 1876. The lines were in admirable order, and excel-
lent as regarded cleanliness ; the drainage is described as having been good ;
the buildings occupied by the men were of sufficient capacity, well ventilated,
in good repair, and clean. The accommodation in hospital is stated to have been
ample, and fire-places were to have been constructed in it ; houses for the
hospital assistants and medical pupils were in course of construction. All the
arrangements for the proper care and treatment of the sick were satisfactory.
15th (The Endhiana) Regiment of Native Infantry—Sialkot.
Medical
Officers.
I. .Medical Officers.—Surgeon-Major J. J. McDermott, M.D., was in medi-
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1870 ... Peshawar, Nov.1869 ...
313.5
5
10.1
1871
...
Ditto
ditto ...
179.4
4.9
5.1
1872
...
Ditto
ditto
...
149.3
5
3.5
1873
...
Sialkot, Feb. 1873
...
81.4
3.3
2.6
1874 ...
Ditto
ditto ...
64.4
1.72
2.5
Average
...
157.60
3.98
4.76
1875 ... Sialkot ..
...
101. 56
.56
3.91
cal charge throughout the
year, excepting two months'
absence on privilege leave.
Surgeon-Major H. Potter,
M.D., was in charge for Au-
gust and September during
the absence of Surgeon-Ma-
jor McDermott on privilege
leave. Surgeon-Major Pot-
ter was also in charge of a
detachment of the regiment
left behind at Sialkot, from
the 25th October to the end
of the year, when the head-
Quarters marched to the
camp of exercise, Delhi. Surgeon-Major J. J . McDermott, M.D., has written
the sanitary report.