ALLAHABAD DIVISION.
27
• XII. Exercise and amusements.—The akhara, or wrestling pit, referred to in last year's
report, was built and opened in the hot weather. I do not think the men use it as much as
they might. The recruits, who ought to use it most, have sometimes told me that they have so
much drill to do, that they have not time to wrestle. And, indeed, there is a good deal of truth
in this
XIV. Hospital.—The hospital is in good repair. In accordance with a recent General
Order, country blankets have been obtained from the Commissariat Department ; they are use-
ful just now, when the weather is so cold, but, as a rule, the patients have quite enough bedding
of their own. Once or twice I have had to report patients for having insufficient bedding. The
deficiency was in each case made up by order of the Commanding Officer. Coarse chicks for
all the doorways have been indented for, and will probably be supplied in a few days.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment—
Present .
.
.
.
. .
.
.
.
.
. 635.7
Absent .
.
.
.
. .
.
.
.
.
.
7 5 . 2
Total .
. 710.9
Exercise and
amusements.
Hospital.
Blankets.
Sickness, mor-
tality and in-
validing.
S T A T I O N S .
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions.
Deaths.
Admis-
sions.
Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Dinapore. 1st January . 31st Dee.
.
507.1
278
1
8.88 54.82 .2
1.75
Detachment at Berhampore
Ditto
Ditto
.
128.6
179
...
4.22 139.2
3.28
Total
. . .
. . .
6 3 5 . 7 457
1
13.1
71.9
.16
2.06
Number of deaths in hospital, 1; out of hospital, 3; total
4; per cent. of total strength .
.
.56
„
invalided .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
15;
"
"
. .
. 2.11
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
5 ;
,,
,,
.
•
.
.70
„
of days spent in hospital4, 779; per admission
10.46; per man of total strength .
.
6.72
" "
on sick leave 958; per man
191.6;
,,
"
.
. . 135
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. 8.07
The figures just given contrast in every respect very favorably with those of the previ-
ous six years, and more especially as regards mortality. Were it not for the Berhampore
detachment, the contrast would be more favorable still. As it is, I think I am quite justified
in saying that the health of the regiment has been very good during the year.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Of the total 457 admissions, 197 were clue to fever,
the great majority of these being cases of ordinary quotidian ague. Of these 197 cases, no
less than 91, nearly half, occurred at Berhampore. Proportionate to strength, there should
have been less than 50 cases at that station. The men relieved in October were in poor health,
many of them being debilitated and spanæmic, with dull skins, yellowish and watery conjunc-
tivæ. In 1876 there were 196 admissions for fever. What the Cachar outposts did for the
regiment early in 1876, Berhampore did in 1877. In Dinapore itself fever is by no means
prevalent.
The remaining most common causes were affections of the digestive
system (55), skin diseases (46), accidents (45), chest diseases (27), rheumatism,
(24), and venereal diseases (7). There were 43 admissions from blister of the
feet, against 53, the difference being on account of less marching ; there were
18 cases of so-called asthma, more properly cases of chronic bronchitis with
emphysematous lungs, in which a little fresh cold brought on asthmatic attacks.
The admissions for all the more common diseases were much fewer than in previous years,
thus bearing out my opinion that Dinapore was a healthy station for native troops.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—The single death which occurred in hospital during
the year is accredited to "internal hæmorrhoids." Death was hastened by an attack of pleurisy
implicating the diaphragm. Two men died at their homes—one was on furlough; the cause of
his death is unknown ; the other was on sick leave. This man died of secondary syphilis.
The fourth and remaining death occurred at Dinapore, but out of hospital. The unfortunate
boy, a bugler, was at position drill when he was shot by a comrade. When he was shot, he
was holding his rifle at the "ready." The ball passed through his right hand, through the
stock of the rifle, and thence through the right lobe of his liver, which it tore simply in
pieces ; it then, passing through the diaphragm, went right through the pleural cavity, without
touching the lung, and lodged behind under the skin of the back. Death was almost
instantaneous.
XVIII. Epidemics.—I am thankful to say that we had no epidemic in the regiment
during the year. In the spring and early summer, small-pox, and then cholera, were rather
prevalent in and around cantonments. In the regiment we had but one case of each, and both
recovered. In either case all the usual precautionary measures were adopted. Many of the
Contrast with
1876.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Blister of the
feet.
Death in
hospital.
Out of
hospital.
Case of
gunshot.
Small-pox.