Principal
causes of
mortality.
Invaliding
and sick
leave.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Recommend-
ations.
Inspection.
208
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
A d m i s -
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
Daily
sions. Deaths. average
sick.
From
To
Head. quarters and Right
Wing, Jalpaiguri.
1st Jan. 1877 . 31st Dec. 1877 408.83
445
5
12.50 108.84 1.22
3.05
Number of deaths in hospital, 5 ; out of hospital, 6 ; total
11 ; per cent. of total strength .
.
2.45
„
invalided
.
10 ;
„
„
.
.
2.23
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
10 ;
„
„
.
.
2.23
„
days spent in hospital, 5,015 ; per admission
.
11'2 ; per man of total strength .
. 11.20
„ „
on sick leave 1,890; per man
.
189 ;
„
„
.
4.22
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
. 15.42
Principal
causes of
sickness.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—The prevailing disease was intermittent fever of a
mild form, 279 cases having been admitted out of a total of 445 of all diseases. Bowel com-
plaints—dysentery 2C, diarrhœa 10—total 30; all these recovered. Scurvy, as already noted, en-
tirely disappeared early in the past year. The regiment, on the whole, has been remarkably
healthy.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Five deaths occurred one from acute rheumatism,
two from general debility, one from intermittent fever, and one from accidental drowning.
Invaliding and sick leave. —One subadar and 9 non-commissioned officers and sepoys,
total 10, were invalided. The causes for this were chiefly general debility and chronic rheumatism
in men of long service. Four sepoys of short service were also discharged for want of physique
and non-efficiency.
X V I I I . E p i d e m i c s .
— N o
e p i d e m i c s v i s i t e d t h e s t a t i o n o f a n y k i n d .
XIX. Vaccination. —The sepoys more or less bear the marks of inoculation and vaccina-
tion. No fresh cases were vaccinated.
XX. Recommendations. —Milk diet for the sick in hospital; diminishing the quantity of
atta allowed and increasing the supply of milk instead.
Inspection. —The annual medical inspection was made by Deputy Surgeon-
General J. Irving, M. D ., on the 25th of October 1877. He comments on the
greatly improved health of the men and the disappearance of scurvy. Good
vegetables (including potatoes) and milk are easily obtainable at Jalpaiguri.
The duty is light, and the climate on the whole healthy. There were 23 men
in hospital, the majority of them suffering from slight fever and itch. The
hospital arrangements were satisfactory and sanitary state of the cantonment
good.
18th (The Alipore) Native Infantry—Buxa.
Medical
officer
Location and
movements.
Meteorology
and climate.
Lines and
huts.
Drainage.
Conservancy
and latrines.
I. Medical Officer .—Surgeon-Major Henry Potter, M. D ., held medical
charge from the 29th Janu-
ary until the 31st December,
and writes the annual re-
port.
II. Location and movements.—
The regiment has been stationed
at Buxa during the year; it has
furnished no detachments, and
there lave been no movements.
IV. Meteorology and climate.—
The rainfall last year was 184.62
inches, being a slight decrease on
that of the year before. The
rains commenced in May and
lasted through the months of
June, July, August and Septem-
ber. The temperature was greatly modified by the heavy rains; 88 Flair. (in August) being the
highest registered.
V. Li n e s a n d h u t s w e r e d e s c r i b e d i n l a s t y e a r ' s r e p o r t . S o m e o f t h e h u t s w e r e b l o w n
down and rebuilt during the year, and others were repaired at the close of the year. They were
in good order.
but in the cold weather, when but few were absent they were considerably less.
VI. Drainage.—The drainage, natural and artificial, is all that could be desired.
VII. Conservancy and latrines. —The conservancy of the station is satisfactory. There
is one latrine close to the lines, which is reserved for night use. During the day, the men
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Agra, December 1872 .
205.5
1.3
7.2
1873
.
Ditto
.
161.8
2.
7.1
1874
.
Ditto
.
.
145.2
1.2
4.7
1875
. Buxa, November 1875 .
124.79
1.98
4.59
1876
.
Ditto
.
.
168.76
2.44
5.63
Average
161.25
1.78
5.84
1877
. Buxa .
.
.
.
229.07
3.09
8.35
The average superficial space per man was 57 feet.
cubic
"
615 "