Syphilis.
Dysentery.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
9 0
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Cholera.
Sloughing
ulcers.
Treatment.
Fevers.
XV1. Principal causes of sickness. —The principal diseases in order of frequency during
the past year were as follow : viz., fevers, abscesses (including ulcers and boils), blisters of the
feet, syphilis and dysentery.
As compared with 1873 and 1874, the admissions during 1875 from some of these diseases
have considerably decreased, as shewn in the following table :—
YEARS.
Total admis
-sions.
Fevers.
Abscesses, boils
and ulcers.
Blisters of
feet.
Primary and
secondary
sy philis.
Chest
diseases.
Dysentery.
1873 . . .
732
287
44
33
15
34
90
1874 . . .
577
153
82
71
38
17
38
1875 . . .
491
148
62
52
38
22
32
It is thus seen that the health of the regiment has been steadily improving since arrival
in Lucknow, inasmuch as there has been a considerable annual decrease in the total number of
admissions, and also in the number of admissions from some of the ordinary diseases.
Cholera.—Cholera appeared in an epidemic form amongst the European troops during the
rains, but fortunately this regiment escaped the scourge, as there were but two mild cases from
the sepoys, and these were contracted when on duty in the Muchee Bhawun Fort. This freedom
of the regiment from cholera in an epidemic form was most probably due to the position of
the lines on an open site ; to the care and attention bestowed on their cleanliness and good
drainage; and also to the order that, on the commencement of the rains, none of the men should
sleep outside their huts at night.
Sloughing ulcers.—In the earlier months of the year there were a number of sloughing
sores under treatment ; in some cases ulcers originally healthy began to slough, and in others
the sloughing commenced in abscesses and boils ; the lower extremities, either the buttocks,
thighs, legs or feet, were the parts most generally attacked. I do not consider that this
unhealthy action was in any way due to hospitalism, as the hospital was in no degree over
- c r o w d e d , t h e v e n t i l a t i o n i n i t w a s g o o d , a n d t h e m o s t s c r u p u l o u s c a r e w a s t a k e n t o a v o i d a n y
propagation of the disease by burning the tow, lint, &c., used in cleaning and dressing the
sores : the patients, too, with these sloughing ulcers were put into tents, but I did not observe
that this change had any immediate beneficial influence on them.
It is most probably, I think, the fact that the outbreak of these sloughing ulcers in the
cold weather was mainly due to some constitutional defect, dependent either on an insufficient or
unvaried dietary. As a rule, the patients suffering from these sores were evidently in bad health,
but none of them had scurvy. From the rapidity with which the sloughing went on, there
were in many cases large ulcers left, the healing of which kept the patients for a long time in
hospital.
On first coming under treatment, measures were taken to allay the constitutional and local
irritation; this being done, great attention was paid to the dietary, and, in some cases, wine or
rum was given.
Decoction of cinchona with chlorate of potash and laudanum, or in some cases tinct.
ferri perchlorid, was given internally, and locally, I applied HNO3 and lotions of the same
with laudanum ; and as soon as the sloughing ceased, I found no local application of greater
use in causing the separation of the dead structures than the "warm dressing" (made of equal
parts of gundaberoza, ungt. resinæ and ol : terebinthinæ) applied in the usual way with a lin
- s e e d m e a l p o u l t i c e o v e r i t . A f t e r t h e u l c e r s b e c a m e c l e a n a n d c o m m e n c e d t o g r a n u l a t e , I f o u n d
they healed rapidly by careful strapping and bandaging. I made a good many trials of carbolic
acid lotions of various degrees of strength, but found them useless.
Fevers.—The fevers were mostly of the intermittent type mild, but a patient once
attacked was liable to frequent recurrence of the attacks ; in these cases the administration of
quinine given in quantity proportionate to the severity of the attack, gave the happiest results,
and the liquor arsenicalis given in decoct : cinchonaæ was also of great benefit.
There were a few severe cases of remittent fever : in one most interesting case the disease
commenced as a quotidian with the exacerbations severe, and the intermissions well marked ; in
it, although quinine was freely given during the intermissions and caused cinchonism, the
exacerbations increased in severity and length, until at last the fever assumed a remittent type
and the patient rapidly sunk into a low typhoid condition, characterized by a dry tongue, sordes
about the teeth and gums, low muttering delirium, subsultus, &c., but he finally recovered by
careful nursing, by proper nourishment frequently given, and by a liberal administration of
ammonia and wine.
Syphilis.—There was nothing remarkable in the syphilitic cases, and, considering the
facilities the men must have in such a large place as Lucknow for very promiscuous intercourse,
the numbers which have come under treatment may not be considered excessive.
Dysentery. —The cases of dysentery were generally of a mild type, and they all readily
yielded to the ipecacuanha treatment.
XVII. Principal causes of m ortality.—There were but two deaths in hospital during the
year, one from pneumonia, and the other from phthisis.
X V I I I .
Epidemics.—There was not any epidemic disease in the regiment during the
year. This exemption was probably due (as has been already stated) to the open position of
the lines and to the great care and attention taken as to their cleanliness, drainage, &c.