Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Remarks.
50
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
STATION.
P E R I O D .
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admi s-si ons. Deaths.
D a i l y a v e r a g e
sick.
Head-Quarters and left
wing.
1st Jan. 1877. 31st Dec. 1877 369.85 549
9
17.25 148.43 2.43 4.66
Number of deaths in hospital, 9; out of hospital, 2; total
11; per cent. of total strength .
. 1 . 6 2
" invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
24; "
"
.
. 3.52
"
sent on sick leave .
.
.
.
. .
4; "
"
.
. .58
"
of days spent in hospital 6,264; per admission .
11.4; per man of total strength .
. 9.20
"
"
on sick leave 732 per man
. 183;
"
"
.
. 1.07
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
. 10.28
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Reduction of
fever.
Inspection.
XVI. Principal muses of sickness. —Ague, as usual, heads the list with 220 admissions
out of the 549; most of these cases happened at Delhi and on the march. Owing to the
slight rainfall there were very few fever cases in August and September as compared with the
previous year. Many men came to hospital with blistered feet caused by ill-fitting boots
worn without socks. In the majority of cases boots were excused, and the men returned to
duty, but 39 cases were severe enough to cause admission. Diarrhœa 26 and rheumatism
25 are the only other diseases that call for any remark. There was no epidemic disease.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Eleven deaths occurred during the year, out of which
five were from pulmonary diseases; four ague; one cardiac disease and one hepatitis. Two of the
first named cases died in the general hospital at the camp, Delhi, one on the march, and the
rest in Banda. The case of cardiac disease occurred in the person of a young private who
had been sent several times to hospital as being unable, to run when on parade. No
valvular disease was discovered, nor anything beyond a, somewhat weak circulation; death was
sudden, and a post-mortem examination disclosed a large clot of semi-organised lymph in the
right ventricle extending into the pulmonary artery. Another post-mortem was held m a case
of pneumonia, the result of which bore out the diagnosis of the disease.
XVIII. Epidemics. —During the year no epidemic disease appeared in the regiment.
XIX. Vaccination. —There was no vaccination during the year. At the present time all the
children, as also recruits and unprotected men are undergoing the operation.
XXI. Remarks. —On the whole the men have been healthy; the unusual cold weather
(to a Madras sepoy) at Delhi and on the march no doubt tried them severely, or at least the
weak ones, for the rest came back in much better physical trim than when they started, and
there is no doubt it did them an immensity of good. Nothing would do the men more
good than an outing of a similar kind every year. The very marked diminution of fever cases
was owing to the very slight fall of rain over this district, the effect of which has been to lower
the number of admissions in all the four hospitals in this town and cantonment. Cholera
appeared in the district and in a few instances in the town, but did not show itself in the
lines, or cantonment population. The health of the European officers was not good during the
year, owing to the extraordinarily long continuance of the hot wind and the almost total
absence of any decent downfall to cool the atmosphere.
Inspection. —The Officiating Deputy Surgeon-General, Allahabad Circle,
paid a visit of inspection to this regiment on the 16th of November. Dr.
Hutchinson considers that "no human being could be more unfavourably situated
for enjoying the blessings of air and light than the sepoys of this wing." The
system of conservancy in use worked well. The men were healthy, and to all
appearance well-fed. The fever of the past season had been exceptionally
mild. The hospital was in good order. There were only five men on the sick
list on the day of inspection.
5th Regiment, Bengal. Cabalry—Nowgong.
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movements.
Detachments.
I. Medical Officers.—Surgeon-Major T. G. Skardon, who relieved Surgeon
J. C. Shircore on the 14th
February, has prepared a
very careful report.
II. Location and movements. —
Head-quarters at Nowgong
throughout the entire year; de-
tachments at Saugor, 1st Jan-
uary until 13th February; on
march to Nowgong, 14th to 23rd
February; at Nagode,. 1st to 31st
January; on march to Sutna 1st
and 2nd February; at Sutna, 3rd
February to end of year.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Jhelum, November 1871
161.9
1 .
4.9
1873
.
Ditto .
.
45.5
1.1
1.5
1874
.
Ditto .
.
69.47
.87
1.78
1875
.
Ditto .
. 127.23
.87
2.43
1876
. Nowgong,
February
168.71
.22
3.66
1876 . .
.
.
Average
.
114.56
.81
2.85
1877 . Nowgong
.
. .
91.58
.21
2.67