28
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Cholera.
Hooping
cough.
Dengue.
Vaccination.
camp-followers have large families, so there are a good many children in the regiment. In the
cold weather 1876-77 every unprotected child was vaccinated. It is only reasonable to
suppose that our immunity from small-pox was in a great measure due to this. There was,
in fact, no nidus for the disease. Small-pox appeared amongst the native civil population of
the district towards the end of February, and cholera early in March. Small-pox appeared
to diminish as cholera increased. Cholera was much more prevalent than in the previous year,
especially in the month of April. On 20th May, there was a fall of rain (1 . 5 inches). This was
followed by a very marked diminution in the number of cholera cases. At the end of May,
again, there was a slight recrudescence, but only for a short time. In the month of November
there was some hooping-cough amongst European children in cantonments. We had no case
in the regiment. Towards the end of the year, a few cases of dengue occurred amongst the
European inhabitants of cantonments; none that I am aware of amongst natives, and none
in this regiment.
XIX. Vaccination.—The following table shows the number of persons vaccinated during
the year, with the results:
Class of persons.
Successful.
Modified.
Failed.
Total.
Officers, officers' wives, and staff subordinates
.
.
.
4
1
4
9
Sepoys and recruits
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
5
3
6
14
Children
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
26
...
* 4
30
Total
.
.
35
4
14
53
* O f t h e s e , t w o h a d g o o d m a r k s o f p r e v i o u s v a c c i n a t i o n .
Recommenda-
tions made
during the
year, and
results.
Recruits.
Vaccination is going on at present. Every unprotected child in the regiment, and every
recruit that has been entertained since March last, will be vaccinated in a few weeks. Alto-
gether the regiment appears to be very well protected against small-pox.
XX. Recommendations made during the year, and results.—The recom-
mendations made during the year had reference to—(1),preventing the men
from frequenting places where small-pox and cholera prevailed; (2) the disuse
of the impure water of the Soane; (3) sleeping outside of their huts when
the weather was hot; (4) the use of charpoys. Orders were issued in accord-
ance with all the suggestions made.
Fifty-three recruits were examined during the year. Of these, 33 were passed and 20 re-
jected. Of the passed recruits, 24 were for the ranks, the remaining 9 being bandboys
and buglers. The following table of their ages, heights, weights and chest measurements may
be interesting :—
Age.
Height.
Weight.
Chest measurement.
24 Recruits, average
.
.
.
.
20½ years
Ft.
5
In.
81/ 6t h
St.
9
lbs.
8 ¾
343/4 inches.
9 Bandboys and buglers, average .
.
16½ years
5
2 ½
6
10
26.9 inches.
Inspection.
Dinapore lock
hospital.
One of the recruits was 29 years of age. He had previously been in the regiment, and had
taken his discharge.
Inspection.—Deputy Surgeon-General J. Irving, M.D., in his inspection
report dated 31st December 1877, comments favorably on the sanitary condition
of the regiment and the hospital arrangements. The floor of the hospital is damp
in some places. It is proposed to remedy this by placing a layer of asphalt on
it. A good practice obtains in the regiment of having the men's huts cleaned
out every Sunday and freshly "leeped." The bazar latrines are said to be a
nuisance, but the movable mat latrines used by the regiment are reported to
answer well. The cinchona alkaloid has been largely used by Surgeon Moriarty
in cases of malarious fever, and found efficient.
Dinapore lock hospital.—Dr. Irving in his inspection report of this insti-
tution states that the hospital arrangements are efficient, but that the rules
are evaded by both men and women, the result being that the amount of disease
prevailing among registered women and soldiers presents no correspondence,