Principal
causes of mor
tality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination,
Recommenda-
tions.
Inspection.
118
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
STATION.
P E R I O D .
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
of
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
-
Head-quarters, en route from
Morar to Meean Meer
.
,
1st Jan. 1877 16th Feb. 1877
696.6
101
2
4.34 112.53 2.22
.63
Head-quarters at Meean
Meer
.
.
.
. 17th Feb. „
31st Dec. „
572.8
1,400
3
33.36 280.53 0.60
6.30
Detachment at Umritsur
.
1st Aug. „
29th Dec. „
121.65
112
...
1.56 222.54
...
1.28
TOTAL
.
.
... ...
639.25 1,613
5
39.26 252.32 0.78
6.14
Number of deaths in hospital, 5; out of hospital, 6; total
11; per cent. of total strength .
.
1.56
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
20;
„
„
•
•
2.83
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
19 ;
„
,,
.
.
2.69
„
of days spent in hospital, 14,307; per admission
8.87; per man of total strength
.
.
20.29
„
”
on sick leave, 2,766 ; per man
. 145.57;
„
,,
.
.
3.92
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
.
.
24.22
Principal
causes of sick-
ness.
XVI.Principal Causes of sickness.—There Were 1,227 admissions from ague. Troops
always suffer from miasmatic fever during their first year at Meean Meer; the ague during
the second and third year giving place to diseases of a cachectic character, usually the
sequelæ of repeated attacks of fever. Dysentery comes next with 80 admissions, and anæmia
with 53. There were 15 admissions from chronic rheumatism, and 10 from pneumonia, and
34 from other chest affections.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.— Ague, one death (heat apoplexy) ; tubercular perito-
nitis, 1 death; acute bronchitis, 1 death ; acute pneumonia, 2 deaths; total 5.
XVIII. Epi demi cs. —There was no epi demi c.
X.1X. Vaccination.— Twenty-nine sepoys were vaccinated. The men are fairly protected
by vaccination and small-pox.
XX. Recommendations.— Attention was drawn to a suspicion of the men stinting them-
selves in food, and prompt measures were taken with a view to remedying this evil.
Inspection.— Dr . Ray inspected this regiment on the 29th of January
1878. There is a difficutly in draining this as well as other lines in Meean
Meer, but every effort is made to remove surplus surface water. The lines
were in good order when visited by the Deputy Surgeon-General. The venti-
lation of the men's huts is considered defective. The hospital arrangements
were efficient, and the sick well looked after; an isolation ward, or hut for
contagious diseases, a shed for storing dry-earth, and a zenana enclosure for
the hospital assistants' quarters, are considered desirable additions. The men
had suffered a good deal from autumnal fever in October.
26th (Punjab) Aatibe Infantry-Meean Meer.
Medical
Officer.
Location and
movements.
Topography,
&c.
I. Medical Officer, — The annual report is written by Surgeon-Major
A. K. Reed, who held medi-
cal charge during the greater
part of the year.
II.
Location and movements: —
The
head-quarters have been
present at Meean Meer through-
out the year, and a detachment,
which had been stationed at
Umritsur, rejoined on the 17th
March, on being relieved by one
from the 23rd (Pioneer) Native
Infantry. Since then no change
has taken place beyond furnishing
a company to Fort Lahore, the
sick of which are treated in the
regimental hospital.
III.
Topography, &c.—Meean
Meer is situate about 5 miles north-west of Lahore, and is the site formerly occupied by the
standing camp of the Khalsa army, from which circumstance the soil is said to be much
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
.
.
.
.
,
Peshawar, Nov. 1871 .
Ditto
.
Meean Meer, Nov. 1874.
Ditto
.
Ditto
.
225.8
186.
212.2
220.28
225.78
2.2
3.1
1.8
3.29
1.29
3.4
2.7
3.8
5.1
5.33
Average
.
214.01
2.33
4.06
1877
. Meean Meer
.
.
144.24
1.72
4.47