180
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
XIII.
Marches and service. —The regiment marched in course of the annual relief to
Jullunder on 20th December, when it left Peshawar. The effect of its residence of nearly three
years in the most unhealthy lines in that station was noticeable in nearly every face. The men
were pallid and worn from repeated attacks of intermittent fever and malarious cachexia ; but
they rapidly improved on the march ; the admissions into hospital from fever becoming less every
day, and the number under treatment in camp was much less than it ever had been during
the
corresponding period of the year in Peshawar. For the first few marches the men suffered
from blisters of the feet, but they rapidly disappeared. All the camping grounds were clean
and the sanitary arrangements good ; and, judging from its effect on the health of the men,
the drinking water in all of them was pure. The duty in camp was not severe; nights in bed
4 in 7
XIV.
Hospital.— Has been fully described in previous reports. The ventilation of the
centre ward was deficient; but I believe it has since been remedied. The accommodation is suffi-
cient: when the number treated exceeded 60, the convalescents and lighter cases were treated in a
spare barrack in the lines. The out-houses for the accommodation of the medical subordi-
nates are very bad ; they are constructed on the same principle as the huts in the lines, being
dark and low, and only ventilated by the door-way. In February, the hospital latrine, which
had been condemned some months previously as detrimental to the health of the men in hos-
pital and the officers in the neighbouring bungalows, was removed, and, up to the time the
regiment marched from Peshawar, no move had been made to replace it. The flooring of the
hospital is constructed of a pavement of pucka bricks of a very friable and porous description,
and always needing repairs ; any fluid matter falling on it was rapidly absorbed and decom-
posed, and the effluvia arising from it was very offensive and must have been prejudicial to the
health of the men. A liberal supply of firewood was issued during the severe cold months of
January, February, November and December for the use of the hospital. The bedding of the
men was always sufficient.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment —
Present
... ... ... ...
... 598.5
A b s e n t
... ...
. . .
...
... 101.3
Total
...
... 699.8
Principal
causes of
sickness.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT. ON STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
A d m i s s i o n s . Death.
A d m i s s i o n s .
Deaths.
Daily
average
s i c k .
Head-quarters at Peshawar,
and on the march in relief
to Jullundur.
1st Jan.
... 20th Dec. ...
3 5 . 8
1,350
30
39.3 251.9
5.6
7.3
20th Dec. ... 21st Dec. ...
Detachment at Fort Shab-
kadar.
1st Feb.
... 1st Mar.
...
89
8
...
1.25 117.2
...
1.40
Ditto
ditto
... 1st May
1st July
...
89
3
...
.23
20.1
...
.26
Detachment at Fort Michni 1st Mar.
... 1st Apl.
...
89
5
...
.42
66.4
...
.47
Ditto
ditto
... 1st Sept.
... 1st Nov.
...
89
77
...
5.04 513.3
...
5.66
Cherat hills ...
... 1st May
...
1st June
...
116
13
...
.33
9.85
...
.28
Ditto
...
... 3rd Oct.
...
1st Nov.
...
116
29
...
5.16 324.7
...
4.44
TOTAL
. . .
... ...
598.5 1,485
30
4 0 . 6 248.12
5.01
6 . 7 8
Number of deaths in hospital 30; out of hospital 6; total 36; per cent, of total strength
...
5.14
,, invalided
...
...
24;
„
,,
...
3.42
, , s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e . . . . . . 7 6 ; , , , ,
... 10.85
„ of days spent in hospital 14,820; per admission 9.98; per man of total strength
... 21.17
,, ,, on sick leave 11,704 ; per man
154;
„ , ,
... 16.72
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
... 37.89
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Intermittent fever, admissions 1,016; bowel com-
plaints 115 ; chest complaints 52, of which 31 were pneumonia and 15 bronchitis. Inter-
mittent fever supplied 67 . 5 per cent. of total admissions. The close of 1875 contrasts
favorably with that of 1873-74 ; the number of cases of fever having been less, and very
few followed by chest complications, two of which were fatal. I think the diminution
in fever and mortality during that time is attributable in a great measure to the fact
that, during the most febrile months in Peshawar, viz., September and October, nearly
half the regiment was away either on detachment or leave, and not, as in previous years,
living in the most unhealthy and febrile lines in the station, suffering from repeated
attacks of fever, which results in a cachectic condition, in which state the cold of the