Hospital.
Sickness mor
-tality and
invaliding.
92
Exercise &c.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
supplied from those at head-quarters; the duty was consequently sometimes heavy, but appa
-rently no bad result followed on this. The average number of nights in bed for each rank is:—
Native officers . . .
3.17
Havildars . . .
4.14
Naicks . . .
3.83
Drummers . . .
13.27
Sepoys . . .
4.20
XII. Exercise amusements and occupations .—As a rule, the men do not seem to care
much for sports or amusements.
All the recruits, however, are ordered to devote a certain portion of each day to gymnastic
exercises which much improves their muscular development.
No steps have as yet been taken to errect a new hospital, owing to a ques
-tion of expense which has arisen regarding the most desirable site.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding .—Strength of the regiment—present 579.43;
absent 93.96; total 673.39.
Salubrity of
the year.
Cause of the
large amount
of invaliding
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL
NUMBER OF
D a i l y a v e r a g e n u m b e r o f s i c k .
PER CENT. OF
STRENGTH PER
ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
D a i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
Head-quarters at Agra . . . 1st January
1874.
31st Decem-
ber.
447.67
450
6
30.94 100.52 1.34 6.91
Detachment at Ajmere . . . 1st January
1874.
22nd Janu-
ary 1874.
299.13
41
3
11.51 227.3 16.6
3.84
Ditto at Fatehgarh
27th Janu-
ary 1874.
15th Octo-
ber 1874.
133.22
134
. . .
4.05 140.12
. . .
3.04
Ditto
at Ulwar . . . 1st January
1874.
9th Febru-
ary.
56.
1
. . .
.51 16.42
. . .
.91
Ditto
at ditto . . . 10th
Sep-
tember.
31st Decem-
ber.
53.80
23
. . .
2.57 137.47 . . . 4.78
To TAL . . .
. . .
. . .
579.43
649
9
35.14
1 1 2 . 1.55 6.06
Number of deaths in hospital, 9; out of hospital, 9; total, 18; per cent. of total strength . . .
2.68
" invalided, 92; " " . . . 13.66
" sent on sick leave, 17; " " . . .
2.52
" of days spent in hospital, 12,827; per admission, 19.76; per man " . . . 19.05
" " on sick leave, 1,366; per man 80.35; " " . . .
2.03
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . . 21.08
There has been a large proportion of sickness throughout the year, but this is in a great
measure due to a large number of chronic cases, ulcers, &c., that have remained in hospital for
a long period and thus swelled the returns. On the whole, the year has been a very healthy
one.
As to invaliding, no fewer than 92 men were invalided this year, but this is not to be won
-dered at, when it is remembered that the regiment was raised during the mutinies at a time
when quantity was more looked to than quality, consequently a large number of men of very
inferior physique were entertained, who have had for all these years to perform duties for which
they were ill fitted, and finally a three years' residence in Peshawur naturally told upon their
already enfeebled constitutions, and rendered them quite unfit for further service. There is still
a considerable number of the same class of men in the regiment, and when these are gradually
weeded out, and their places supplied by the same class of recruits as are now being entertained,
the regiment will be greatly improved in efficiency.
Prevalent
diseases.
Deaths.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness .—There were, during the year, 246 admissions for fever
alone; of these 230 were for intermittent, and 16 for remittent fever; 24 admissions were for
muscular and chronic rheumatism, 12 for primary and 6 for secondary syphilis.
Diseases of the respiratory system yield 40 admissions; of these, 17 were for bronchitis,
7 for pneumonia, and 11 for pleurisy. Diseases of the digestive system yield 48 admissions,
25 being due to dysentery, and 12 to diarrhœa. This year there were 14 admissions for
gonorrhœa, 6 for bubo, and 3 for orchitis; this, with 12 for primary syphilis, gives a pretty large
proportion of admissions for venereal disease. It was chiefly confined to those men who
returned from the famine relief operations, and who had contracted the disease while absent.
Diseases of the cutaneous system again this year yield a large number of admissions; ulcers
give 46, and boils 39; blisters of the feet also yield a large number, there having been no less
than 74.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality .—This year the. mortality has been somewhat less,
there having been 9 deaths in hospital this year, as compared with 15 last year; out of hospital,
however, the proportion has been larger, there having been 9 deaths this year as compared with
4 last year. Of the deaths, 5 were due to intermittent fever, 4 to general debility, 2 to diarrhœa,
2 to remittent fever, 1 to pleurisy, 1 to bronchitis, 1 to dyspepsia and 1 to embolism.