Marches.
Hospital.
88
Duty.
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
XI.
Duty.—The "nights in bed" have been as follows for all ranks:—
Native officers . . .
3.16
Havildars . . .
3.91
Naiks . . .
4.25
Buglers . . .
9.66
Sepoys . . .
4.41
Its effect.
Duty in this respect has fallen during the greater part of the year very heavily on the men
A wing has done duty for a whole regiment at both Umballa and Meerut. The two nights
in bed only, remarked on in some weekly returns, though not immediately affecting the
health of the men, no doubt made them more prone to attacks of malarious fevers. The
return march of the regiment from the camp of exercise, and that of the right wing on its
return from Umballa, were attended with evident bebefit to the health of the men.
XIII. Marches .—The regiment returned from the camp of exercise by regular marches,
as did the right wing from detached duty, and without incidents worth of notice.
XIV. Hospital. Two bath-rooms on a very small scale at each end of the western veran
-dah of the hospital have been built and fitted up according to regulation during the year.
Bath-room.
Sickness, mor
-tality and in
- v a l i d i n g .
The hospital accommodation, insufficient for any but ordinary occasions, has been supple
-mented by tents. At Umballa it was reported good.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding .—The sickness in 1874 has been excessive, and
the mortality far exceeded that of many previous years. The wing at Umballa had a large
percentage of admissions, but disease was there of a milder type, and no death occurred in the
detachment.
The particulars of the sickness, mortality and invaliding are as follows:—
Strength of the regiment—present 643.96, absent 57.73; total 701.59.
P E R I O D .
S t r e n g t h .
TOTAL NUM-
BER OF
D a i l y a v e r a g e n u m b e r o f s i c k .
PER CENT. OF
STRENGTH PER AN-
N U M .
From
To
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
D a i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
CampofExerciseand
march.
1st Jan. . . . 11th Jan. . . . 419
5
. . .
14.6
39.49
. . .
3.48
Head-quarters, Meerut . . . 11th Jan . . . 31st Dec . . . 482.81
1,217
13
25.85 259.89
2.77
5.34
Detachment at Meerut . . .
1st Jan . . . 11th Jan . . . 258
8
. . .
6.9 102.9
. . .
2.67
Do. at Umballa
and march.
5th Mar . . . 15th Nov . . . 236.6
380
. . .
12.74 228.9
. . .
5.39
TOTAL . . .
. . .
. . .
643.96
1,610
13
34.9 250.01
2.01
5.42
Number of deaths in hospital, 13; out of hospital, 1; total, 14; per cent. of total strength . . .
1.99
" invalided, "23; " " " . . . 3.27
" s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e , 4 ; " " " . . .
.57
" of days spent in hospital, 12,758; per admission, 7.92; per man of " " . . . 18.17
" " " on sick leave, 1,235; per man, 308.7; " " " . . .
1.76
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . . 19.93
Prevalent
di-sease.
Deaths.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Recommenda -tion.
Prevalence.
of spleen di
-sease.
In right wing.
XVI. Principal cause of sickness .—The bad health of the corps has been due to ague,
the liability to milder forms of the disease also showing itself amongst the men of the wing
at Umballa.
XVI. Mortality .—Deaths have been chiefly due to malarious fevers and their com
- p l i c a t i o n s . S o m e o f t h e d e a t h s h a v e b e e n f r o m a t t a c k s o f a n u n u s u a l c h a r a c t e r , a n d p r o b a b l y
connected with the influence of cold acting on men debilitated by repeated attacks of fever.
In these rapidly fatal cases of collapse supervened on an ague fit.
XVIII. Epidemics .—A case of small-pox was treated at Umballa, and one of chicken
-
pox Meerut, during the year.
XIX. Vaccination .—Vaccination of the children in the lines, bazars and officers'
com-pounds was succesfully carrried out.
XX. Recommendations.—In November, less frequent and shorter, and not too early drills
and parades were recommended; these suggestions were attended to.
XXI . Special observations.—Prevalence of spleen disease in the corps. Toward the end of
the year, a thorough examination was made of every man present, with a view to ascertain the
state of the regiment after the unusual prevalence of ague during two consecutive seasons.
The men, particularly those who had been on duty during both seasons at Meerut, were
found to be still very anæmic.
In the right wing, which (as a body) was detached to Umballa in 1874, there were found
79, men with enlarged spleens.
A Company, high caste Hindoos . . .
27
B Do.,do. do. . . .
1 6
C Do., low do. . . .
17
D Do., Hill-men, Dogras, &c. . . .
12