Location.
Conservancy.
12
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Clothing.
Duty and
employment.
medical officer remarks "It is astonishing how quickly recruits improve in flesh
and vigour after they have joined." The clothing is suited to the climate and to
the duties of the men. Regarding the ammunition boots, the medical officer
remarks:—"The shoe is the ordinary ammunition pattern. I do not think it is
the best possible for the native soldier. There were thirty-four cases of blistered
feet under treatment during the year, which, though not excessive, is yet a con
-siderable cause of loss of service."
XI. Duty and employment.— The men have been employed in the ordinary routine duty
of the regiment. In addition to which, during the months of June, July, August and Septem-
ber, they guarded. the central and district jails, in consequence of the local police being engaged
in famine relief work. This duty was a considerable tax on the men, reducing the nights in
bed from 10.5 to 3.4; but I could not satisfy myself that it materially interfered with the
health of the men.
Sickness,
mortality, and
invaliding.
Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment— present 638.1; absent
60.5: t otal 698.6.
P E R I O D .
S t r e n g t h .
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
STRENGTHE PER
ANNUM.
From
To
A d m i s s i o n s .
D e a t h s i n H o s p i t a l .
A d m i s s i o n s .
D e a t h s .
Da i l y a ve r a ge Si c k.
Head Quarters at Bhágalpur . . .
1st January 31st Dec. 1874 604.2
357.
2
11.9
56.33
0.33
1.87
Detachment at Berhampore
. . .
Ditto
. . . 24th Mar.
"
117
18
. . .
2.1
67.63
. . .
1.80
Ditto
at Alipore . . .
Ditto. . .
4th Feb. " . . .
62
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
TOTAL . . .
. . .
. . . 638.1
375
2 12.4
58.77
0.33
1.94
Number of deaths in hospital 2; out of hospital 3; total 5; per cent of total strength . . .
.71
" i n v a l i d e d 2 0 • " " . . . 2.86
" sent on sick leave 14; " " . . .
2 .
„ of days spent-in hospital 4,313; per admission 11.50; per man of " " . . .. 6.18
" on sick leave
2,070; per man 147.8; " " . . . 2.96
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . . 9.14
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Mortality.
XVI .
Principal causes of sickness.—Intermittent fever gave the greatest
number of admissions into hospital, viz., 114; then next, in order, come
dysentery, blisters of feet, abscess, acute rheumatism, bronchitis, chronic rheuma
-tism, diarrhœa, &c. &c.; venereal diseases gave only 12 admissions during
the year.
XVII
. P rincipal causes of mortality.—Two men died in hospital during the year—one
of fever (remittent) and one of cholera,
Three men died on sick leave, two from tubercular disease, one of the lungs, and another
of the larynx; and one who was sent to his home for fever.
:
In all these cases I think,.excepting the one of cholera, can be traced the influence.of the
malarious climate of Cachar, where all these men had served before they came to Bhágalpur.
It is worthr of remark, that while the jails were under the regimental guards, cholera
raged :excessively amongst the prisoners; but not one sepoy on duty ever had choleraic
symptoms. In reference to this, it ought to be added that the sepoys on duty lived for the
time being in a shed-like building just outside the prison walls, within which they never
entered, and that they never obtained their water from the well inside the prison.
The grain they used was ground by the prisoners within.
There was not any epidemic disease during the year. The regiment is con
-
sidered to be well protected against small-pox.
33rb Regiment, Madras Native Infantry—Doranda..
This regiment has been stationed at Doranda since February 1872.
Deputy Surgeon-General Irving inspected it on the 25th January 1875. He
describes the conservancy arrangements as being most objectionable and
insanitary. Each sepoy's hut has a small enclosure, some 6 or 8 feet square,
in a corner of which is a latrine: These latrines are occasionally flushed,
and the water allowed to pass out into a drain which runs between two
rows of huts. Dr. Irving looked at many of these privies and drains and
found them filthy. He recommends that if every hut has its little privy,