Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Inspection.
Sanitary con
-ditions.
Hospital.
Health of the
men.
Patients.
Hospital
36
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of sick
-ness.
Causes of
mortality.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— By far the greatest number of admissions must be
attributed to malarious fevers, of which no less than 557 cases came under treatment. The
disease was very prevalent amongst the men of the regiment, whilst at Morar, between August
and the middle of October last. Syphilis, both primary and secondary, caused 26 admissions,
conjunctivitis 11, dysentery 46, congestion of the spleen 10, pneumonia 13, and boils 30.
There were five cases of small-pox admitted into hospital at Morar.
_XVII. Causes of mortality.— The total deaths at head-quarters amount to 9, viz.,
4 due to pneumonia, 2 dysentery, 1 phthisis, 1 quotidian ague; and a man died on the
line of march from the effects of snake-bite. Out of hospital, one man died from remittent
fever, whilst on furlough.
It will be observed, that the rate of mortality from pneumonia is very large, being 30.76
per cent. of the admissions from that disease.
XVIII. Epidemics.— No epidemic occurred during the year with the exception of small
nox of which 5 cases were treated.
XIX. Vaccination.— Twelve recruits were very recently vaccinated; of these, 6 were
successful, 4 doubtful, and 2 failures. The latter will be re-vaccinated. Upwards of 50
children belonging to the sepoys and camp followers of the regiment were vaccinated about
a fortnight ago, the operation being successful in most, and all in whom it was not so, will be
re-vaccinated.
Deputy Surgeon-General J. P. Walker, M. D., made his inspection of this
regiment on the 4th March 1875. The sanitary condition of the lines, the
huts, water-supply, hospital buildings, and conservancy, was satisfactory; the
latrines, on the trench system, had worked well. The hospital accommoda
-tion is very good, and all the arrangements in it were well looked after.
The men were examined on parade and presented a most satisfactory ap
-pearance, and were apparently fit for any Service; the recruits were very judi
-ciously selected. The patients in hospital were very clean as to their persons,
clothing and bedding. The hospital assistants were reported on as being
professionally well qualified and attentive to their duties.
24th (punjab) Regiment Aatibe Infantry—Jhansi.
Medical
officer.
Movements.
Detachments.
Topography.
Surgeon H. J. Linton in medical charge. The regiment was at the
Roorkee camp of exercise
until the 6th of January,
when it marched for
Jhansi, and arrived there
on the 9th February 1874.
The regiment suppli
-ed the following detach
-ments, viz., to Lalitpur, of
73 rank and file, relieved
every quarter, and of 26
rank and file to Sipri,
relieved every six months.
Surgeon Linton reports:—
Ill.—Topography.— Jhansi
is situated in 25° 29' north
latitude, and in 78° 33' east
longitude; 140 miles west of
Cawnpore, 68 miles south of Gwalior, and 61 miles east of Sipri.
The face of the country, as seen from a neighbouring hill, is neither rich nor interesting
to look at, owing to the natural sterility of the soil, the only cultivation visible being close to
the city. Here a fair extent of land is irrigated from numerous tanks near, and affords rich
crops. With this exception, Jhansi and the surrounding country consists of little else than
detritus from the decaying rock—a bare, bleak, barren and undulating plain, intersected with
numerous deep water cuttings, and ornamented here and there with a hill which consists of a
mass of granite of a dirty brown colour, and a few stunted trees. During the past year a
number of trees have been planted in the station, and, if they grow, will improve the look of
the station generally.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions.
-
Deaths.
Daily sick.
1869 . . . Rawal Pindi, Feb
. 1868, from Peshawar.
194.7
2.1
6 .
1870 . . . Ditto ditto . . .
199.
1.9
5.2
1871 . . . Mcean Meer, Oct. 1870
136.2
1.2
4.
1872 . . . Ditto ditto . . .
273.6
1.9
4.3
1873 . . . Ditto ditto . . .
166.6
2.5
3.
Average . . .
. . .
194.
1.9
4.5
1874 . . . Jhansi, Nov. 1873 . . .
103.1
1.42
2.75