Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Medical
officer.
Location and
movements.
Lines.
Drainage.
Water, food
and clothing.
Duties and
employment.
Marches and
service.
H ospital.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
172
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
There has been a very marked decrease in the sickness of the battery as compared with
1876, the number of admissions being nearly a third less and the "total temporary loss of
service per man of total strength" a trifle over half what it was in 1876.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— Malarial fevers caused 34 out of a total of 52
admissions.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality .—One death occurred out of hospital in a patient
who went to his home on furlough ; cause not known.
2nd Regiment Punjab Cabalry—Kohat.
I. Medical officer.— Surgeon-Major G. Farrell has been in medical
charge throughout the year.
II. Location and movements.—
The regiment has been stationed at
Kohat and its immediate neigh--
bourhood throughout the year.
Small detachments have been
located at Abbottabad, in Hazara,
and Bahadur Kheyl in the
Kohat district during the same
period.
The regiment occupies the
same lines, whose drainage is
good. The sanitary defects
noted in the report of 1876
still exist. No change has
occurred as regards water,
food orc l o t h i n g .
XI. Duties and employment.—For the greater part of the year these have been the usual
duties of regiments that garrison Kohat, and they do not appear to have exercised any unfavor-
able influence on the health of the men. The average number of nights passed in bed to one
on duty has been 4 . 43. Since the 19th August the regiment has been more or less employed
on the blockade of the Afridi tribe of Jowakis, as will be explained in a subsequent para-
graph.
XI I I . Ma r c he s a nd s e r vi c e. — T h e
r e g i m e n t r e m a i n e d i n g a r r i s o n a t K o h a t t i l l t h e m o n t h
of August, since when it has been more of less employed on the blockade of the Jowaki Afridis
whose territory skirts the Kohat district for some miles. The chief duties of this service were
patrolling the road leading from Kohat towards Rawal Pindi for a distance of some 30 miles.
Small parties were located at intervals along this road with a strong detachment with head-
quarters at Gumbut, 15 miles from Kohat. On the 30th August 80 sabres accompanied a
column of troops that marched through portion of the Jowaki country, and early in November
some 50 sabres accompanied the field force under Brigadier-General Keyes, C.B., in the active
operations against the same tribe. These duties, extending over a period of nearly five months,
were of an exceptionally trying character. The patrolling parties had but scant shelter from
the sun, and had often to pass many hours without food and water. Several of the places where
they were located were exceptionally dirty, and the water bad. The weather during November
and December was unusually wet and cold, and the men employed with the field force inside
the hills had very inadequate shelter. These duties appear to have produced some cases of
dysentery and those indolent ulcers known as Delhi boils and Frontier sores, as will be noticed
hereafter. But, with these exceptions, the men were very healthy, notwithstanding the
lengthened period and trying nature of their duties.
XIV. Hospital .—The hospital accommodation provided for the cavalry regiment at Kohat
has been fully described in previous annual reports. The hospital buildings have been kept
in good repair during the year.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment—
Present
. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 390.64
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
99.70
Total .
. 490.34
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT, OF STRENGTII.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Edwardesabad, Jan. 1872
332.9
1.4
7.6
1873
.
Ditto
.
.
.
211.4
2 .
6.7
1874
.
Ditto
.
.
.
182.5
1.8
5.8
1875
. Kohat, Jan. 1875
.
168.66
1.85
5.17
1876
.
Ditto
.
.
.
194.91
1.43
5.9
Average
.
218.07
1.69
6.23
1877
. Kohat
.
.
.
111.09
1.63
4.03