Water-supply.
Bazar supplies.
Clothing.
Duties.
Marches and
service.
Hospital.
Venereal
disease in
detachments.
Amusements,
gymnastics.
Sickness, mor
tality, and
invaliding.
22
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
and that it is impossible for the men to get ready for morning parade if they have to wait for
their turn at the latrine. A number of men therefore resort to fields just outside the canton
-ment boundary and close to the lines.
The latrine accommodation for cantonments is quite insufficient, but the funds at the dis
-posal of the cantonment committee do not allow of an increase of latrines and establishments.
VIII. Water-supply .—Good.
IX. Bazar supplies .—Good. The men have always appeared to be well fed, and there has
been no sign of under-feeding in the regiment during 1874. Spongy and blue gums, which I
consider sequelæ of chronic ague, but which some medical men consider a symptom of under
-feeding, have entirely disappeared from the regiment.
X. Clothing .—No change. See last report. Good.
XI. Duties .—The duty at head-quarters has been ordinary, and did no harm. The aver
-age number of nights in bed, for all ranks, has been 6.01 throughout the year.
The detached duties produced much sickness and mortality. The detachment at Mozuffer
-pore had six cases of death. Two were violent deaths, two deaths from cholera, one from
anæmia, and one from debility following measles.
A party, 25 strong, was employed on famine-reliet duty in Bengal: one man died from
cholera, and another re-joined terribly diseased from syphilis.
A great deal of venereal was contracted at Chunar, Mozufferpore, and Patna. The
returns of the detachments show 48 cases of venereal treated in the detachment-hospitals; but
a great number of concealed diseases did not come under treatment until the men had returned
to head-quarters, and then the cases were generally severe and protracted from complications,
due to concealment and neglect.
X I I . A m u s e m e n t s , g y m n a s t i c s.—Amusements do not call for any special remark. Gymnas
-tics were regularly practised in the regiment during 1874. Every man at regimental head
- q u a r t e r s ( w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f m e n o v e r 1 4 y e a r s ' s e r v i c e , a n d o f m e n e s p e c i a l l y e x c u s e d b y t h e
medical officer) has been put through a course of gymnastics previous to the beginning of the
musketry instruction course. The recruits are exercised daily from enlistment to their joining
the ranks. The result in the recruits is well marked and most satisfactory; their muscles are
firmer than before; their chests have opened out, and their carriage is much better.
Among the sepoys the change is, of course, less striking, but the Adjutant reports that the
men can handle their rifles with much greater facility in all the exercises since the introduction
of gymnastics; they perform all the movements with smartness and ease, and falling out of the
ranks has almost disappeared.
Measurements of chest and arms before and after the course have not been taken in 1874,
but will be taken in 1875.
XIII. Marches and service— No service.
The detachments proceeded to their stations partly by rail and partly by road. No remarks
called for.
XIV. Hospital.—No change since last report; the new hospital has not been built yet.
The present accommodation is deficient and unsatisfactory; tents were pitched during nearly
the whole year; and there has been no overcrowding. The buildings have been kept very
clean, and the patients have always appeared comfortable enough. The men show a decided
preference for the tents.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding .—The sickness in 1874 is considerably greater
than in 1873, amounting to 627 admissions in 1874, against 476 in 1873. The excess was
principally due to an unusual number of admissions at Chunar and Berhampoor; but the
admissions at head-quarters were also 10 per cent of strength over those of 1873.
Strength of the regiment— present 663.88, absent 31.33; total 695.21.
PERIOD.
S t r e n g t h .
T O T A L N U M - B E R O F
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
A d m i s s i o n s .
D e a t h s .
A d m i s s i o n s .
D e a t h s .
D a i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
Head-Quarters, Benares . . . 1st Jan.
31st Dec. 356.33
277
3
23.83
77.8 0.84
6.7
Detachment at Chunar . . .
1st Jan.
31st Dec.
70.
105
. . .
2.29 150.
. . .
3.27
" at Patna . . . 4th March 1st July . . .
89.
45
. . .
5.98 153.79 .: .
6.72
" at Mozufferpore . . .
4th March 23rd July 174.42
59
6
5.08 86.96 8.84
2.01
" at Berhampore . . . 7th March 31st Dec.
157.88 141
. . .
7.44 109.01 . . .
4.73
Total . . .
. . .
. . .
663.88
627
9
36.2
94.44 1.35
6.77
Number of deaths in hospital, 9; out of hospital, 3; total, 12; per cent of total strength . . .
1.72
" invalided, 19; . . . " " . . .
2.73
" sent on sick leave, 7; . . . " " . . .
1.
" of days spent in hospital, 13,211; per admission 21.06; per man of " . . .
19
" " " on sick leave, 1,297; per man 185.28 " " . . .
1.86
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
20.86