Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Special
observations
and remarks.
Recruits.
152
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment
—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 608.11
Absent .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 85.43
Total
.
.
.
. 693.54
Nu mb e r o f d a y s .
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
av erage
number
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
S T R E N H T H P E R A N N U M .
From
To
Admis- sions.
Deaths.
Admis-
sions.
Deaths.
Daily
average
number
of sick.
332 Head-quarters at
Peshawar.
1st Jan. 1877 28th Nov. 1877 543.42 1,147
3 22.94 231.35 .60 4.22 494.28
33 Head-quarters at
Mackeson.
29th Nov. ,, 31st Dec. ,,
465.68 118
2
9.93 289.02 4.89 2.13 42.10
49 Detachment at
Fort Mackeson.
1st Jan. „ 18th Feb. ,,
115.47
18
1
1.05 116.11 6.46
-90 15.50
30 Detachment at
Fort Michni.
8th April ,,
7th May „
76.28
1
...
0.15 15.94 ...
.19
3.52
38 Detachment at
Shabkadar.
3rd March „
9th April „
81.42
11
...
1.18 129.75 ...
1.44
8.47
62 Detachment at
Mackeson,
7th May ,,
7th July „
31.08
19
...
1.59 359.87
. . .
5.11
5.11
37 Detachment at
Cherat.
11th June „ 17th July „
110.47
25
...
2.92 223.24
. . .
2.64 11.19
62 Detachment at
Michni.
7th July „
6th Sept. „
87.58
18
. . .
1.83 120.98
. . .
2.08 14.87
34 Depbt at Pesha-
war.
28th Nov, „ 31st Dec, „
236.62
35
2 25.59 163.60 9.29 10.81 21.39
TOTAL
...
...
608.11 1,392
8 26.87 228.9 1.31 4.41
Number of deaths in hospital, 7 ; out of hospital, 3 ; total
10; per cent. of total strength
.
1.44
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
11;
,,
„
.
1.58
„
sent on sick leav
.
. .
.
.
3;
,,
,,
.
.43
„
of days spent in hospital, 9,809; per admission
7.04; per man of total strength
. 14.14
„
„
on sick leave, 548; per man
. 182.66;
„ „
.
.79
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. .
. 14.93
Principal
causes of
sick ness.
The total number treated is less than last year, but the death-rate in numbers and per-
centage is higher. The health of the regiment has suffered very materially since it has been
in Peshawar, and it will take years to get the regiment to its former standing.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— The causes of sickness have been chiefly malarial.
Some of the disease produced in camp was no doubt due to the bad water and want of variety
in diet above mentioned. Bowel complaints gave a large number of admissions. Chest affec-
tions were few considering the great amount of exposure and fatigue to which the men were
sub j ect.
XVII. .Principal causes of mortality.—The deaths were as follows: pneumonia 4; bowel
complaints, 3; ague 2; gun-shot wounds 1.
XVIII.
Epidemics.—There have been no epidemics during the year. Ague has prevailed
as usual in this station, though in a less severe form than I have seen it in previous years.
Many cases I ascribed to the effects of fatigue in men who had previously suffered.
XIX. Vaccination.—Twenty-eight men were vaccinated during the year, 12 of them suc-
cessfully: all the recruits who were not marked by small-pox, or had not been vaccinated, were
operated on. In my opinion, the regiment is well protected.
XXI. Special observations and remarks.—The chief cause of sickness has been, of
course, ague. This was of a milder form than in previous years, as there was a smaller
rainfall than. usual. Dysentery and diarrhœa formed a large percentage of the admissions
in camp, and were due mainly to want of variety in the diet; cold and exposure in some
instances; bad water no doubt contributed to swell the list. The recruits received during the
year have been fairly good, but not good enough; we ought to get much finer men, and hope
to do so this year. The health of the camp-followers in Peshawar was good, but when on
service, before the issue of postheens, they suffered severely. Afterwards there was some slight
difficulty with regard to their rations, but their general health was better.