LAHORE DIVISION.
121
XII. Exercise, amusements and occupation.—A gymnasium, similar to the one at Luck-
now, was formed on the arrival of the regiment at Meean Meer: the material with which
it is furnished is the same, with one or two slight additions. It is situated partly inside and
partly outside a staff sergeant's bungalow—an arrangement which admits of the exercises
being. carried on to some extent during rainy weather. The course lasts three months: chest and
arm measurements are taken before and after it. Those who went through the course at
the earlier part of the year showed a decided increase of girth and muscle; but latterly so
many of them have suffered from fever, that it has been impossible to form any reliable estimate
of the results. Some of the men have played polo with the European Officers during the year.
There are no gardens kept up in the lines
.
Exercise, amusements and occupation.
XIII. Marches and service.—The regiment marched from Lucknow through Rohilkhand
to Meerut, and thence by the grand trunk road to Meean Meer, on the date already given
. There were few incidents worthy of remark. The weather was cold and pleasant, and very
little rain fell. The encamping-grounds were, for the most part, good and clean. The water-
supply was chiefly from wells; and although occasionally muddy and scanty in quantity, was
generally good and sufficient, and in many places improved since the regiment marched by this
route three years before. At Umballa, as usual, the supply was deficient in quantity. The health
of the men was good; the majority of the admissions into hospital being from amongst those who
had been on detachment at Barrackpore and Alipore during the previous year, and who came
by rail to Cawnpore, and thence marched to Lucknow, just before the regiment left. Several
horses were shot for glanders on the march; and foot-and-mouth disease broke out amongst the
mess sheep.
Marches and service.
XIV. Hospital.—The hospital is the same as in former years. It is in good repair, suitable
in every respect, and afforded sufficient accommodation for the sick, even during the fate sickly
season. During the hot weather the afternoon sun heats the western side of the building intensely,
and the thermometer in the verandah sometimes stands at 110°. Trees have been planted
around the hospital, but it will be long before they attain sufficient height to afford any adequate
shade. Fires were commenced on the 19th December; purdahs have been indented for, and
are expected in a few days; a few rezaies for the use of the sick have been purchased from
regimental funds. During the year, quarters for two hospital assistants and two medical pupils,
a dead-house, and a new latrine have been completed. Each hospital assistant's quarters consist
of only one room, which is quite insufficient accommodation for those who are married
men.
Hospital.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment
Present
38245
Absent
75 76
Total
4 5 8 . 2 1
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average numbe
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
NE It ANNUM.
From
T
Strength. Admis- sions. Deaths.
A
Admis- Deaths. Daily
average sick.
Head-quarters at Lucknow
and Meean Meer.
1st Jan. 1876 31st Dec. 1876 354.10 788
6 22.76 222.53 1.69 6.42
Detachment at Alipore
Ditto
19th Jan. 1876 131
3
.17 41.11
.13
Ditto at Ferozepore. 19th Feb. 1876 31st Dec. 1876 24.13
5
.24 23.84
.99
TOTAL
382.45 796
6 23.17 208.13 1.56 6.05
Number of deaths in hospital 6; out of hospital 1; total
7; per cent. of total strength
1.52
„ invalided
8;
1.74
„ sent on sick leave
. , . . . .
7; ,,
f,
1.52
„ of days spent in hospital 8,482; per admission
10.65; per man of total strength
18.51
„ „ on sick leave 850; per man
121.42 „ „
1.85
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
20.36
The sickness has been more than twice as great as the average of the preceding five years,
and the only two years since the formation of the regiment with which it can be at all com-
pared are the two sickly seasons of 1867 and 1869 at Peshawar: in the former, the admissions
were rather more, in the latter, rather less, than in the past year. Nearly the whole of this
sickness has occurred at head-quarters. In the detachment at Ferozepore there were only
five admissions; although fever is said to have been quite as prevalent at that station as
at Meean Meer. This appears to have arisen, not from the absence of sickness, but from the
men having been excused duty and allowed to remain in the lines. The mortality, too, has
been considerably above the average of the last ten years, and indeed rather greater than in
any year of that period, except 1869, when cholera was epidemic. The number invalided was
less than in 1875,, and below the average of the native army generally, In none of the four
F1