Clothing.
Duties.
Exercise, &c.
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality and invaliding.
Fevers.
Bowel co
m-
plaints.
Cause of
decreased
prevalence.
Ophthalmia
Pneumonia.
70
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Conservancy.
Diet.
ably cool and pleasant, there having been constant light winds; the daily range of temperature
also was not so great as has been noticed in other years. These circumstances, no doubt
account to a certain extent for the remarkable salubrity of the year.
VII. Conservancy .—I would refer to the remarks made in the report for last year and
for 1872, and have here to remark that every defect mentioned in those reports remains in statu
quo, although during the year the evils resulting from sewarage contamination of water; which is
believed to exist, have not made themselves manifest as in former years.
IX. Diet .—Food supplies were abundant and of good quality, except that vegetables during
the hot season are always scarce, and consequently dear. One case Of scurvy (swollen bleeding
gums) was treated in hospital. Two or three instances of cachexia were attributed to under
-
feeding: at all events they rapidly improved when liberally dieted in hospital.
X. Clothing.—No changes; has been suitable in all respects.
XI. Duties.—As described in former reports: nights in bed at head-quarters 4.
21.
XII. Exercise and amusements .—No change; all recruits are put through a gymnastic
course which is well adapted to develope the muscles of the chest and body generally.
XIV Hospital .—Has been fully described in previous reports; during the year it has
been repaired and twice whitewashed.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding .—Strength of the regiment—present, 788.6;
absent, 140.2; total, 928.8.
Prevalent
diseases.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL.
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 Sehore . . . 1st January
1874
31st Decem-
ber 1874
720.9
407
2 9.97 56.4
2 .
1.3
Detachment at Indore . . . ditto ditto ditto ditto
55.8
57
. . .
1.26 102.1
. . .
2.2
Escort, Govenor-General's
Agent for Central India . . .
1st January 23rd January 72
1
. . .
.42
22.2
. . .
.58
Ditto Ditto
4th December 31st December
68
9
. . .
2.22 178.9
. . .
3.26
T O T A L . . .
. . .
. . .
788.6
474
2 11.45 60.1
2 .
1.4
Number of deaths in hospital, 2; out of hospital, 2; total, 4; per cent. of total strength . . .
.43
" invalided, 10; " " " . . .
1.09
" sick on leave,
3;
"
"
"
.
.
.
.3
" days spent in hospital, 1,474; per admission, 8.8; per man " " . . .
4.49
" " sick leave, 1,118; per man,
111; " " " . . .
1.2
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
5.69
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—The year under review has been remarkably healthy,
there having been only 471 admissions, which number contrasts favourably with what has been
the average of the last four years, viz., 781.1. The cases treated, also, especially the bowel
complaints, have been of a more tractable type as is indicated by the dimunition of the average
period spent in hospital by each case.
The majority—59 per cent. of admissions—resulted as usual from the three types of malari
-
ous fever. In a total of 278 of this fever treated, only 20 were of the tertian, and 12 of the
quartan form; bowel complaints have been much less prevalent than during the last four years.
Dysentery caused 25 admissions, and diarrhœa 22, total 47, against a total of 73 treated last year.
Moreover, these complaints were not the cause of death either in or out of hospital, or of inva
-
liding, as has been too much the ease of late years.
I am unable to account for this improvement unless it is attributable to the increased rain
-
fall, and the slightly diminished average monthly temperature which was experienced during
most months of the year, as every other condition, conservancy, duties, diet, water-supply,
etc., remained exactly the same as in former years.
Catarrhal ophthalmia comes next in order, and yielded 25 admissions.
Pneumonia gave 8 admissions, of which 1 died; they were all of extremely asthenic type,
and required early stimulation and the support of nourishing food.
No other causes of admission require special notice.
Deaths.
XVII. Mortality.—There have been only two deaths in hospital, one from puenmonia of
asthenic type, and one from acute Bright's disease which occurred in a man who was under treat
-ment for quotidian fever, the puffy appearance of whose face attracted attention to the kidneys.
On examination, urine was found of the specific gravity of 1014 and contained 2/3 albumen.