150
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
medicines and hospital necessaries, has recently been vacated for the accommodation of spe
- c i a l c a s e s , o r f o r a n y s i c k n a t i v e o f f i c e r w h o s e q u a r t e r s m i g h t n o t b e c o n s i d e r e d a f i t p l a c e t o
treat him at. This has rendered it necessary to provide some other place for the hospital
stores; a corner of the hospital verandah has therefore been fenced off for that purpose until
some other provision for them can be made.
Sickness, mor-
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment—present 631 . 35;
absent 72. 32; total 703.67.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL
NUMBER 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
ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
D e a t h s .
i
sions.
.
Admis-
sions. Deat hs .
D a i l y A v e r a g e S i c k .
Head-quarters at Peshawai 1st January 30th Oct. 513.62 806 2 19.65 189.03 .41 3.82
Detachment at Fort Michni 1st January 2nd Jan.
89.00
„ „ „ d o .
2nd Febry. 2nd March
89.00
7
1.04 102.46
1.16
„ „ „
S h u b k u d -
1st April 1st May
75.80
1
.71 15.22
.93
der.
„ „
C h e r a t .
9th May 4th June
101.75
7
1.35 93.
1.32
„ „
F o r t M i c h n i
1st July
31st Aug.
89.00 15
2.54 96.90
2.85
„ „
C h e r a t .
28th Sept. 23rd Oct.
101.00 22
3.00 305.76
2.97
Head-quarters on the march
to Meean Meer.
31st Oct.
28th Nov. 628.66 349 1 47.23 723.61 2. 3
7.51
Head-quarters at Meean
Meer.
28th Nov. 31st Dec.
457.83 101 8 39.61 243.99 19.25 8.65
Detachment at Umritsur. 30th Nov. 31st Dec.
192.20 32 1 5.96 189.34 5.91 3.10
TOTAL
631.35 1,340 12 24.51 212.24 1. 9
3.88
Number of deaths in hospital, 12; oat of hospital, 1; total 13; per cent. of total strength
1 . 8 4
invalided 42;„ „ „ 5 . 9 6
sent on sick leave 23; „
„ „
3 . 2 6
„ of days spent in hospital, 8,947; per admission, 6.48; per man of total strength 1 2 . 3 5
„ „
on sick leave, 3,060; per man, 133.05; „ „ 4.34
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
1 6 . 6 9
Prevalent
diseases.
Deaths,
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Inspection.
XV/. Principal causes of sickness. Fevers, bowel complaints, skin dis
- e a s e s , b l i s t e r s o f t h e f e e t , i n j u r i e s a n d s y p h i l i t i c d i s e a s e s , w e r e t h e p r i n c i p a l
causes of sickness.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. Up to the time of' the arrival of the regiment at
Meean Meer, the mortality had not been remarkable, only four deaths having occurred in ten
months—2 at Peshawur, 1 at Rawal Pindee, and 1 at Shadra camp. The death at Peshawur were
from phthisis and remittent fever. Those. on the march were from bronchitis and pneumo
- n i a ; t h e f o r m e r d i e d i n t h e h o s p i t a l o f t h e 2 1 s t N a t i v e I n f a n t r y , w h i t h e r h e h a d b e e n s e n t
for treatment.
The principal mortality took place after the arrival of the regiment at Meean Meer, since
when, 7 deaths have occurred here and 1 at Umritsur: 4 of these are due to bronchitis,
1 to phthisis, 2 to remittent fever, and 1 to anæmia. Malarious fevers followed by chest affec
- t i o n s h a v e b e e n v e r y p r e v a l e n t o f l a t e a m o n g s t t h e m e n ; c a s e s o f t h i s k i n d a r e s t i l l o n t h e
increase, and in the present condition of the men they are more difficult to deal with than
in ordinary cases of this description. One man died at his home whilst on sick leave.
No epidemic occurred, and no vaccination was performed during the year.
Deputy Surgeon-General Banister, in his inspection report remarks:
—
"The regiment was passing its third year of residence in Peshawar, and had suffered con
-siderably, although not disproportionately, from the climate, and in course of relief proceeded
in the following October to Meean Meer. At my inspection on the 22nd April, the lines were
in general disrepair, and far from clean and orderly. The hospital also was in some confusion
owing to white-washing and other works then in progress. One of the 18 patients was in a
precarious state from pneumonia; 3 were on sick leave and one on the convalescent list. There
are no suitable quarters for hospital assistants. Among the 80 recruits were 27 Dogras, men
of slighter frame and developement than the generality of their race."