PUNJAB PRONTIER FORCE,
177
The weather was very cold, windy and rainy during the period the force was out, and
in consequence pneumonia prevailed to some extent in this regiment during the time it was
at Panialah.
The regiment furnished detachments to the following frontier outposts during the year,
viz., Drabund, Manjee, Jutta, Ghirni, Zam, and Tonk, also to the sanitarium of Shaikh
Budin, as well as on one occasion (left wing) to the camp of His Honor.
Mr. Costello deduces the following conclusions regarding the meteorology
of the year from a table in which observations for 1874 are contrasted with six
preceding years.
There has been nothing in the range of the barometer during the past year to distinguish
it particularly from previous years.
The height of the barometer was decidedly lower than in any of the preceding six years,
probably caused by the very unusual rainfall (13.65 inches) of the past year.
The mean temperature, the mean maximum temperature, and the lowest temperature
were all lower in the past than in most of the previous years given in the table. This was
also due to the greater rainfall.
The greatest maximum temperature was lower than in 1872 and 1873, owing to the same
cause. The mean daily range of temperature was above the average. The greatest daily
range did not exceed the average for the last seven years. The mean dew-point was, not-
withstanding the extraordinary rainfall, below the average ; this was due to the great dryness
of the last four months of the year, during which not a drop of rain fell.
The mean strength of the wind (6.408 miles) was below the average. The direction o
the wind differed from preceding years in having been from the north west instead of the
north-east as heretofore. I think that this was caused by the unusual rainfall, as rail
generally comes from the north-west.
The rainfall ( 13.65 inches ) was very high for the Derajat.
There has been a steady increase (although not clearly shown in this table ) in the rainfall
of the Derajat since we took the Punjab, clue, I should say, to the greater cultivation and
irrigation which came in with our rule. Probably, this greater rainfall will deprive in time
Dera Ismail Khan of its reputation for healthiness. 8.30 inches fell in June, July, and August
the remainder in January, February, March, and April. 4.42 inches fell in July alone, am
3.72 in August. So much rain falling in these latter months told heavily afterwards as regards
" malarious " fever, as may be seen under Section XVI.
The sanitary circumstances of the regiment have undergone no change
and supplies have been plentiful and duties light ; nights in bed, 5 . 38 in 7.
The hospital does not afford sufficient or suitable accommodation and a nev
building properly constructed with the requisite out-houses is considered
absolutely necessary.
IV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the Regiment—present 610.83
absent 128.83; total 739.66.
Detachments.
Meteorology.
Rainfall.
, Sanitary cir-
cumstances.
Supplies.
Duty.
Hospital.
Sickness, mor-
- tality and in-
validing.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
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
STRENGTH PER AN
NUM.
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 Dera Is-
mail Khan ...
... 1st Jan.... 9th Jan. ... 591.44
16
...
33.44 109.5
. . .
5.65
Head-quarters at Camp of
Exercise, Panialah
... 10th do. ... 2nd Feb. ... 408.74
30
...
21.50 111.62 ...
5.26
Head-quarters at Dera Is-
mail Khan ..
... 3rd Feb. ... 31st Dec.... 480.20 821
4 32.80 188. 0.91 6.83
Detachment at Dera Ismail
Khan
..
... 10th Jan.... 2nd. Feb. ... 202.41
21
1 21.68 157.7 7.51 10.71
Detachment at Zam, Tonk,
and Khirgi ...
... 1st do. ... 31st Dec....
56.39
30
...
0.72 53.2
...
1.28
Detachment at Jutta, Ghirni,
Manjee and Draband ... 1st do. ... 31st do. ...
60.40
28
...
0.87 46.3
...
1.44
Detachment at Sheikh Budin 19th Sep. ... 3rd Nov.... 71.00
9
...
0.85 82.7
...
1.20
Detachment on escort duty,
Lieut.-Govr.'s Camp
... 22nd Nov. ... 28th do. ... 330.14
21
...
14.14 304.3
...
4.29
TOTAL ...
......
. . . . . .
610.83 976
5 33.25 159.8 0.82 5.44
Number of deaths in hospital,
5 ; out of hospital, 7 ; total, 12 ; per cent. of total strength 1.62
„
invalided,
34 ;
,,
, ,
, ,
. . .
4.59
„
sent on sick leave,
7 ;
„
„
„ ... 0.94
„
of days spent in hospital, 12,138; per admission, 12.3 ; per man of
,.
, , . . .
16.41
,,
,, on sick leave, 1,141; per man 163 ; „
, ,
, , . . .
1.54
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. . .
... 17.95
w 1