Epidemics.
Vaccination.
I nspection.
120
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
ment. From primary syphilitic disease there were only 4 admissions against 15 in 1876.
All "solutions of continuity" of the integument took long to heal ; an average of 19.29
days appears for each case, showing a deficiency of reparative function. Though the returns
show statistically an average state of good health, a careful analysis cannot but impress one
with the idea that cachexia is the penalty demanded by acclimatization as regards malarious
disease.
XVII. Principal causes of mortatity.— Nine patients succumbed in hospital during the
year ; of these eight died from pneumonia and one from perforation of the ileum. It will be
seen that the mortality from pneumonia was 53.33 per cent. of admissions, or nearly that of
cholera. In all these cases cadaveric rigidity was extremely marked, and, when a post-mo
r t e m
examination was made, cardaic embolism was found ; the ammonia treatment was that used
with the jacket poultice of linseed meal, bran and mustard.
XVIII. Epidemics.—There was no epidemic during the year.
XIX. Vaccination was commenced among the children in December. The men are fairly
protected by vaccination, and having had small-pox.
Inspection.—Deputy Surgeon-General G. H. Ray, M.D., inspected on the
30th of January 1878. The regiment had been sickly in Peshawar, and al-
though its health has improved somewhat at Meean Meer, there still remains
a large residue of cachexia and much positive sickness. Since the corps arrived
at Meean Meer, the loss by invaliding, discharge and death has amounted to 350,
so that only about half of the men who came from Peshawar remain with the
regiment. The men who were inspected were in fair condition, but 99 were
under treatment with chlorate of potash and lime juice for symptoms of scurvy.
The recruits were a fine looking lot of young men. The lines were clean on the
day of inspection; the hospital in good order, and its equipment in a service-
able condition.
8th Bengal Cabalry—Mooltan.
Medical
Officer.
Meteorology
and climate.
Lines,barracks
and huts.
Drainage.
Conservancy
and latrines.
Location and
movements.
I. Medical Officer.—Surgeon-Major E. 0. Tandy held medical charge of the
regiment during the entire
year.
II. Location and movements.—
The regiment marched from
Peshawar in course of general
relief on the 24th December
1876, and arrived at Mooltan
on the 8th February 1877,
when it occupied the lines just
vacated by the 13th Bengal
Lancers.
IV. Meterology and climate.—
The maximum temperature was
107° in June, the lowest 48 in
December. The maximum ranges
were in May and October. There
was an unusally heavy rainfall
on the 6th and 7th of September, when it amounted to over 9 inches.
V.
Lines, barracks and huts. —Descriptions of the lines have been given in previous reports.
On arrival the regiment found the huts so utterly out of repair as to be almost uninhabitable,
many of them completely fallen down, and it was several months before they were thoroughly
repaired. They were again tremendously injured by the heavy rain. The lines are well ven-
tilated and not over-crowded; they are agreeably protected from the sun's rays by magnificent
large trees.
VI. Drainage.—The surface drains in the lines were at once put in repair when the
regiment arrived, but the ground is so level that they do not work very efficiently. The
channel from the canal to the north side of the lines by which the canal-water used to flow
into the lines has been closed up. There is a large excavation about 200 yards behind the
bazar between it and the road, which at seasons is full of water and generally contains some ;
the smell from this is often very offensive, but it would be very costly to drain or fill it in.
After the great rainfall in September the lines were inundated for some days till the water
was removed by percolation and evaporation.
VII. Conservancy and latrines.—A new latrine has been built during the year on the south-
west of the lines. There are now three, including that for the hospital, but the men prefer
making use of the fields on the other side of the railway ; these are so far from the lines
that no ill effects are likely to result. Four sweepers are supplied by cantonments for the
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Meerut, Feb. 1870
.
101.9
.6
3.3
1873
Ditto
155.6
.8
4.3
1874
.
. Peshawar, Mar. 1874
.
.
134.07
1.1
3.5
1875
.
Ditto
.
163.31
.88
. 4.53
1876
.
Ditto
.
139.01
.88
3.35
Average
.
.
158.78
.92
3.79
1877
. Mooltan
.
.
.
110.94
..
2.7