46
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Inspection.
slight morning remissions, for fifteen or twenty days, and gradually assumed a typhoid;
character, with well marked subsultus, and in one case carpology. These cases were all treated
with large doses of quinine during the remission without any apparent benefit, and were only
saved by a liberal use of mutton broth, with stimulants : slight bronchitis was a common
complication, In no case was there any marked splenitis. The five deaths, as stated before, were
all traceable to retreated attacks of fever.
Deputy Surgeon-General J. Pattison Walker, D., paid a visit of inspe
c - t i o n t o t h e w i n g o n t h e 1 2 t h M a r c h 1 8 7 5 . H e f o u n d t h e s a n i t a r y c o n d i t i o n s
satisfactory and saw all the men in undress. "They presented on the whole a
satisfactory appearance, though the men bore traces of having suffered severely
from July to December 1874 from endemic ague" Dr. Walker attributes this
ague to seasonal influences affecting with exceptional severity the men in their
first year of residence. at Banda.
Medical
Officers.
Meteorology.
11th Regiment, Madras Native Infantry,—Nagode.
Surgeon C. Sibthorpe held medical charge of the regiment from 1st
January to 26th June, Surgeon A. Thomas from 1st July to 29th August ;
Surgeon C. A. Harvey from 30th August to 31st December. The latter officer
writes the annual report.
The climate of the year was very favorable ; 48 inches of rain fell, and this
is about the average rainfall.
Conservancy.
Watter -supply.
Duties.
Sickness, mor
-tality and in
- v a l i d i n g .
Two public latrines on the trench system were erected during the year
and were freely used by the men ; attempts were being made to cultivate the
cantonment lands that were used for the disposal of sewage. The water-supply
is from wells, and is of good quality and abundant ; the well water is not liable
to any contamination. The duties have, not been excessive, though perhaps
the running drill is rather trying on the old soldiers. Average number of
nights in bed 7.01.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.— Strength of regiment, Present 666.14, absent
20.89 ; total 687.03.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NU M -
BER OF
A v e r a g e d a i l y n u m - b e r o f s i c k .
PER CENT. OF
STRENGTH PER AN-
NUM.
STATION.
From
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 .
Nagode . . .
1st January
1874.
31st Decem-
ber 1874.
666.14
402
3 14.06 60.34
.
4 5 2.11
Number of deaths in hospital, 3 ; out of hospital, 1 ; total, 4, per cent. of total strength . . .
5 8
" invalided, 46; " " " . . .
6.69
" sent on sick leave,
6 ; . . .
. 8 7
" o f d a y s s p e n t i n h o s p i t a l , 5 , 1 3 1 . 9 0 ; p e r a d m i s s i o n , 1 2 . 7 6 ; p e r m a n o f " 7.47
" on sick leave, 767; per man, 127.83 ; " . . .
1.11
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
8.58
Prevalent dis
-eases.
Vaccination.
Malarious fevers constituted more than half of the total number of admis
-sions. The men during the cold months kept remarkably free from any pul
-monary diseases ; this exemption, in the opinion of Surgeon Harvey, was owing
to the men being warmly clad well housed and well fed.
The vaccination and re-vaccination of the regiment was well attended to
and there were 313 successful cases. Although small-pox was prevalent in the
town. of Nagode, but four cases occurred in the regiment and all terminated
favorably.
Inspection.
Sanitary state
of the station.
The hospital was inspected by Deputy Surgeon-General J. T. C. Ross on
the 5th September 1874. Altogether the station was looking better than on his
previous inspection ; the drains were cleaner and the old native infantry lines
had been further levelled. Since the public latrines have been moved nearer the
lines, the greater proportion of the men use them ; but the system was not in
accordance with the Quarter Master General's circular on the subject.
The hospital was in very tidy order, the clothing was good and clean, and
the medical details were generally well attended to. The recruits seemed to be
a promising, well-grown set of young men.