114
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OP BENGAL,
LAHORE DIVISION.
(INCLUDING THE STATIONS OF MEEAN MEER, FEROZEPORE, MOOLTAN, DHARMSALA AND BAKLOH.)
Average strength present during the year
.
.
. Cavalry 796.67 Infantry 3,765.39
„
daily sick per cent. of average strength
.
.
”
2.90
”
4.36
Ratio of mortality
”
”
.
. ”
. 7 9
”
1.41
19th Regiment
, Bengal Lancers
—meean meer.
Medical
Officer.
Location and
movements.
Detachments.
Topography,
&c.,
Meteorology
and climate.
Rainfall.
I. Medical Officer.—Surgeon-Major G. A. Watson, has held medical
• c h a r g e o f t h e h e a d - q u a r t e r s
of the regiment throughout
the year.
II. Location and movements.—
The head-quarters of the regiment
have been stationed at Meean
Meer during the whole of the year,
furnishing only a small detach-
ment of 25 men under a native
officer to Ferozepore. This de-
tachment has been relieved three
times in the course of the year,
viz., February, May and Octo-
ber, A guard of seven men has
been stationed at the Baikoonta
Rukh, 14 miles from Meean Meer,
and one of 5 men at the Pudree
Rukh, all through the year; but these men when sick always come in to the head-quarters
hospital.
III. Topography,&c.—The topographical details of the station were given in last year's
report, and there is nothing to add to what was there stated. The Canal irrigation has certainly
not been less, and probably a little more than last year, and there has been no material change
as regards the amount of land cultivated in cantonments. The "rabi" harvest was abundant,
but the " kharif " crops, as was the case in many other parts of India, almost entirely
failed for want of rain, except where canal irrigation was available, A swarm of locusts visited
the station about July 8th. Slight shocks of earthquake were felt on the 3rd, 17th and
24th November.
IV. Meteorology and climate.—The total rainfall of the year as measured at the Lahore
Observat ory was 20. 23 i nches; and, al t hough I am not aware of any regi st er bei ng kept , t he
fall at Meean Meer was probably not materially different. The most important points worthy
of remark in connection with this are the comparatively large quantity, amounting to more
than one-half of the total rainfall, which fell during the first four months of the year, and the
very small amount which fell during the mouths of July and August. As it is interesting to
compare the fall during these months in the present year with that for the same periods in
1875 and 1876, I have subjoined the following tables :
—
Rainfall at Lahore daring the months of January, February,
and April.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH,
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Mooltan, March 1870 .
111.6
.44
3.16
1873
. Lucknow, Feb. 1873
123.1
.43
4.49
1874
.
Ditto
.
84.07
.21
3.6
1875
.
Ditto
.
104.8
.87
3.76
1876
. Meean Meer, Mar. 1876
208.13
1.52
6.05
Average
.
126.34
.69
4.21
1877
. Meean Meer
.
.
81.61
1.52
3.09
Contrast with
two preceding
years.
Year.
Amount.
REMARKS.
1875
.
.
.
.
.
.
1.58 inches.
Taken at the Lahore Observatory.
1876
.
.
.
..
.
.
2.36
”
1877
. .
.
.
. .
10.79 ,,
Rainfall at Lahore . during the months of July and August.
1875
.
.
.
.
.
19.79 inches.
Taken at the Lahore Observatory.
1876
.
.
.
.
.
.
18.75
,,
1877
.
.
•
.
•
•
2.13
„
Temperature.
The latter table is particularly worthy of observation, as the years 1875 and 1876 in which the
rainfall during July and August was heavy, were bad fever years, whilst in 1877, when the
rainfall during those months was very slight, there was comparatively little malarious fever.
The mean temperature of the year, as recorded at the Lahore Observatory, was 75.47°, which
does not differ much from the average of former years; but, as might have been expected from