Special
remarks.
Causation of
dysentery.
6
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Diarrhœa.
Inspection.
Medical
Officers.
Meteorology.
Lines.
XXI. Special remarks. —Dysentery, as mentioned under heading XVI, has been one of the
principal causes of sickness in the regiment during the year. That this disease is often due to
the use of impure drinking water is au etiological fact admitted by most authorities ; that bad
water has, to some extent, been the cause of the disease in the case of the 28th Regiment Native
Infantry, may, I think, be concluded from the following facts.—The water-supply was changed
on the 20th of August ; prior to that date, the men had been using tank water of very bad
quality, but municipal water has been supplied ever since, and the number of cases of dysentery
has considerably diminished, as will be seen by a glance at the accompanying table :—
Average number of monthly admissions for dysentery for the periods stated—
For the whole of the year 1873 . . .
12.66
For the whole of the year 1874 . . .
1 0 . 0 8
From January 1st to July 31st, 1873 . . .
11.71
From January 1st to July 31st, 1874 . . .
11.00
From August 1st to December 31st, 1873 . . . 14.00
From August 1st to December 31st, 1874 . . .
8.80
In the above table the admissions for dysentery in 1873 have been compared with those of
1874 as the most likely method of arriving at a correct conclusion, the number of admissions
always varying with the season of the year. A glance at the table will show that the number
of admissions for dysentery during the present year has been considerably less than in 1873 ;
also that the decrease occurs in the latter part of the year—August to December—the difference
between the average number of monthly admissions from January 1st to July 31st of 1873 and
1874 being very trifling, only .71.
The total number of admissions for diarrhœa during the year has been greater than that
of 1873, but the number admitted from August 1st to December 31st of 1873 and 1874 shows
a slight decrease in favor of the present year, but not so marked as in the case of dysentery.
Although the total number of admissions for all diseases during the present year has been
less than that of the previous one by 192, still the daily average number of sick has been much
greater—35.02—as compared with 28.75 ; this is due to the great number of cases of chronic
malarial cachexia, chronic dysentery, and diarrhœa, for Which diseases many of the men were
sent to their homes on sick leave.
Deputy Surgeon-General C. R. Francis, M. B ., inspected this hospital on
the 19th October 1874. He was well pleased with his inspection : the patients
looked comfortable and well cared for, the hospital was clean, and the medical
details properly carried out.
10th Regiment, Aative Infantry—Barrackpore.
The head-quarters of the regiment has been stationary at Barrackpore
during the year, and fur
- n i s h e d a d e t a c h m e n t o f 1 1 0
men to Dum-Dum, which
was relieved twice. The
following medical officers
held charge of the regi
- m e n t : — A t h e a d - q u a r t e r s ,
Surgeon E. A. Birch from
1st January to 13th March
Surgeon-Major J. B. S.
Brown from 13th to 23rd
March, and Surgeon Duncan
from 23rd March to the
end of the year. At Dum
-
Dum, Surgeon Scott was
in charge of detachment
from 1st January to beginning of December, and Surgeon Duke, 62nd Regiment,
for the latter month.
There were few peculiarities in the season in any way remarkable. The
rainfall is described as being under the average, and at no time was there any
heavy or one continuous fall for a period beyond a few hours. It was noticed
that the admissions from ague increased in numbers, while the water in the tanks
was subsiding.
The lines were kept in proper order, and there was not any overcrowding
of the men in the huts.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily Sick.
1869 . . .
Cawnpore, January
111.7
2.4
3.7
1869, from Shahjahan-
put and Moradabad.
1870 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
201.1
.5
4.7
1871 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
177.9
.9
4.2
1872 . . .
Barrackpore and Ali-
275.4
2.10
7.95
pore, April 1872.
1873 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
175.9
3.3
5.63
Average . . .
. . .
188.4
1.8
5.2
1874 . . .
Barrackpore . . .
172.27
2.67
6.45
Drainage.
VI. Drainage of station and lines. —The station ground is almost a perfect level, and
natural drainage in any form can be scarcely said to exist. The artificial drainage of the
station and lines is carried out by means of surface drains, which empty themselves into tanks