Medical
Officer.
Location and
Movements.
Topography.
Sanitary
condition of
station.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
44
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT 0F THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Christison remarks, " nor any considerable village in the neighbourhood. The
opportunity for illicit communication such as exists in Agra is therefore
wanting."
24th (Punjab) Regiment, Native Infantry—Jhansi.
I . M e d i c a l O f f i c e r
. —Sur geon H. J. Li nt on r et ai ned char ge of t he r egi -
ment throughout the year.
II. Location and movements.
— T h e r e g i m e n t h a s r e m a i n e d a t
head-quarters during the year.
Detachments of 73 and 23 men
respectively have been sent to
Lalitpur and Sipri every quarter.
III. Topography.—During the
past year, owing to the great
want of rain the crops failed,
and a great number of the in-
habitants of Jhansi emigrated in
the hope of finding elsewhere
sufficient food for themselves and
their families. The nullahs which
generally contained sufficient
water for their wants, had dried
up, and in many places the wells had done the same. Owing to the above cause, and the
consequent heat, the year was very trying to the native population.
The sanitary condition of the station and regiment remain as previously
described. The drinking waters were analysed during the year, and one well
was found to be very hard. This is the favourite well, and the consumption.
of the water seems to do no harm. The men are well-fed, and duties are not
severe. The same hospital is in use.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment.
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
. .
. 607.3
Absent
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
8 0
Total
.
687.3
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Mean Meer, Oct. 1870 .
273.6
1.9
1873
.
Ditto
ditto
.
166.6
2.5
3.07
1874
. Jhansi, 9th Feb. 1874 .
103.1
1.42
2.75
1875
.
Ditto
. .
122.1
.86
3.79
1876
.
Ditto
.
133.47
.57
3.29
Average
.
.
.
159.77
1.45
3.44
1877
. Jhansi
.
.
.
98.96
.72
2.97
Venereal
disease.
PERIOD.
S t r e n g t h .
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
S T A T I O N .
From
To
A d m i s s i o n s . Deaths.
A d m i s s i o n . Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-Quarters at Jhansi . lst Jan. 1877 31st Dec. 1877 487.62 427
3
13.78 87.56 0.61 2.82
Detachment at Nowgong .
Ditto
14th Feb. "
158
21. ...
5.33 107.80
. . . 3.37
Ditto
Lalitpur .
Ditto
31st Dec. "
73
122
. . .
2.49 167.12 ...
3.41
Ditto
Sipri .
.
Ditto
Ditto
26
31 ...
0.61 119.22 ...
2.34
Total
,
. 1st Jan. 1877 31st Dec. 1877 607.3
601
3
18.1
98.96 0 .49 2.97
Number of deaths in hospital, 3 ; out of hospital, 2 ; total
5 ; percentage of total strength .
. 0.72
"
invalided
7 ;
,,
,,
.
. 1.01
"
sent on sick leave
. . . . . .
5 ;
"
.
. 0.72
"
of days spent in hospital 6,607; per admission 10.99 ; per man of total strength
.
. 9.62
"
on sick leave 1,080 ; per man
,
.
.
216 ;
"
.
. 1.57
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength .
. 11.19
During the past year the regiment has enjoyed fair health on the whole, but has suffered
severel y from venereal . Thi s, as al ready report ed, i s owi ng, t o proxi mi t y of t he l i nes t o t he
city of Jhansi, and also to the fact that the men are met half-way by the women from the
city and surrounding villages. During the past year, the character of the disease was of a
most virulent type and very difficult to contend with. Fevers, as a rule, were of a light type
and yielded to simple remedies. Chest diseases were also of a light type. One man died from
remittent fever, one from rheumatism and one from pneumonia. Blisters of the feet still con-
tinue to swell the admissions, 21 being admitted during the year. Twenty-six ulcers of the feet
were admitted. Owing to the light duties, these blisters and ulcers were not so bad as they
would have been had the work been hard.