Causation
of dysentery.
Scurvy.
PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
175
Kheyl from 3rd March to 7th May. On the 18th August the head-quarters and 220 rifles were
ordered to Gumbut, about 15 miles from Kohat, on the first outbreak of the Jowakis, for
the purpose of holding the road towards Rawal Pindi. They remained there till the 4th
September. The work, which consisted of patrolling the road from 6 A. till 4 P. M., was very
trying on both officers and men, as the weather was excessively hot. On the 30th August
the head-quarters, together with about 100 rifles of the cantonment detachment, took a part
in that day's expedition in the Jowaki territory. This was an exceedingly hard day's work, the
troops having been under arms from 2 A. M. to 9 P. M. without food, and frequently without
water under a burning sun. In this business one officer and five men were wounded, and 2 men
were knocked over by the heat. On the 9th November the head-quarters and 250 rifles
marched again into the Jowaki country, forming a part of the present expeditionary force.
Of these, up to date two have been killed and three wounded—one mortally.
XIV. Hospital.—The hospital has been frequently described. It has sufficient accommo
dation for all ordinary requirements and is well adapted for the purpose.
XV. Sickness. mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
•
•
•
•
•
•
608.96
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
136.95
Total
.
. 745.91
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
S T A T I O N .
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL
N U M B E R
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
A d m i s -
sions.
Deaths.
Daily
average s i c k .
Head-quarters at Kohat, in-
clusive of head-quarters
and detachments at Kohat,
Gumbut, and. the Jowaki
field force, the sick of
which were all treated at
Kohat.
1st Jan.
. 31st Dec.
.
598.21
754
11
25.55 126.04 1.83
4.27
Detachment at Bahadur
Kheyl outpost.
3rd March
. 7th May
.
60.37
8
...
.77 73.
...
1.27
Total .
.
...
...
6 0 8
. 9 6
762
I 1
25.70 125.12 1.82
4.29
Number of deaths in hospital, 11; out of hospital, 8; total
19; per cent. of total strength
.
2.54
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
15;
„
„
.
.
2.01
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
,
.
.
.
31 ;
„
„
.
.
4.15
„
of days spent in hospital, 9,381 ; per admission .
12 .31; per man of total strength .
.
12.57
„ „
on sick leave, 2,572; per man
.
82.97;
,,
„
.
.
3.45
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
.
16.02
As all the sick and wounded, who were admitted into hospital from that portion of the
regiment which was engaged in the operations against the Jowaki Afridis, were sent into the
hospital at Kohat, it is impossible to make out separate returns. Moreover, the men themselves
were constanly being changed, so that such returns, if made out, would be fallacious. The cases
so admitted, nearly all of which were transferred, numbered 51 from 9th November to 31st
December. As compared with the year 1876, the admissions were 762 against 1,038 : this
diminution is chiefly due to the less prevalence of fever. The total number of days spent
in hospital were 9,381 against 10,750. The mortality, exclusive of the men who were killed in
action or died of wounds, is about the same as in the preceding year. The number of men
invalided is the same also.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—The total number of admissions from all causes is
762. Of these fevers of the different types caused 48.95 per cent.; rheumatic affections 1.70;
diseases of the eyes 1.70; affections of the respiratory organs 8; bowel-complaints 12.33 ;
and skin disease, inclusive of ulcers, boils and superficial abscesses, 9.97. The ordinary autumnal
intermittent fevers have been absent almost altogether Of the 51 admissions in camp, 12
were due to dysentery. This was no doubt owing to the fact that the men, in consequence of
the lightness of their equipment, were obliged to sleep on the damp ground ; for, as soon as they
received their regular allowance of bedding, admissions from this cause ceased. With regard
to the remarks on scurvy made under paragraph IX, I have not had sufficient experience of
that disease to enable me to speak with certainty : the facts are, that about a month after the
troops had been in camp, it was remarked that many of the men had contracted sores which
presented much the appearance of the ordinary Sind or Delhi ulcer. These sores, which were
invariably situated on the extremities, chiefly on the hands and feet, were at first attributed
to scratches from poisonous thorns, but a closer examination of the men attacked showed that
their gums were spongy and inclined to bleed easily, which was not the case with the rest of
the men. On this discovery an inspection was made, and all the affected men were at once
removed to Kohat ; measures were taken to procure regular supplies of fresh vegetables, and
arrangements made to have the men interchanged with those of the station detachment, so
that none should remain in camp for more than about three weeks at a time. Since these pre-
cautions were taken, there have been no fresh admissions from this disease.
Principal
causes of
sickness.