Sickness and
mortality
among
European
officers.
Mortality
according to
age.
ii
Sickness and
mortality of
the native
army.
Health of
Madras
troops in
Bengal.
Number
ineffective
from sickness.
Sick leave.
Deaths.
Death-rate.
3. The ratio to strength of sickness and mortality of the whole native
army in Bengal and its
several sections, is shown in
Statement No. II. The sick
-ness is computed on strength
"present," or that furnishing
hospital admissions. Madras
regiments serving in Bengal
again contrast favorably
with Bengal troops in this
respect ; but their ratios
are rather higher than those
of the two preceding years.
The Punjab Frontier Force
maintains its position as
the least healthy section of the army. But the figures indicating the sickness
of the Central India Force, this year, fall beneath even those of Madras
troops. The number of men constantly in hospital, and therefore ineffective,
was 2,236, which is equivalent to 3.27 battalions of 715 men, against 3.12 in
1873, calculated on the same principles. Each admission or case spent 11.2
days in hospital, and, each sepoy of the whole army 13, against 11.2 and 13.1
in 1873. In addition to this, 992 men proceeded on sick leave, or 1.6 per cent
of strength, against 2.08, 2.4, 2.10, 1.91 and 1.61 in the five preceding years.
These men spent 122,543 days on sick leave, thus giving an average of 335.7
men constantly on sick leave, equal to .47 of a battalion. There were thus 2,571
constantly ineffective from sickness ; or 4.86 per cent of strength (present)
representing a loss of 3½ battalions of the hypothetical strength above indicated.
The corresponding figure in 1873 was 3.8, so that the loss of service from sickness
has on the whole been less.
4. The total number of deaths was 819. Of these 536 occurred in hospital
and 25 in the lines, making a total of 561 casualties among the strength
"present." The remaining 258 deaths took place among men on leave, escort
duty; &c.—out of those, in fact, who constitute the "absent" strength of
statement No. I. The deatn-rates shown in Statement No. II are total deaths
reckoned on total strength. The mortality of the various sections of the army
take the same order in 1874 as in previous years ; the Punjab Frontier Force
showing the highest rate, the regular army coming next, the Central India Force
next, and the Madras troops last. The deaths occurring with regiments, reckoned
on "present" strength, amounted to 1.06 per cent against 1.35 in the preceding
year, and 1.03, 1.76, 1.45, 1.45 and 1.69 in the five previous years. The per
-centage of deaths in hospital to the number of sick treated was .74 against .93,
.92. 1.05. .88. 1.03 in the five preceding years.
5. The average strength of the European officers of the native army
amounted to 571.4, among whom 225 admissions took place, or 39.4 per cent.,
and 9 deaths, or 1.57 per cent. The principal diseases were fever, injuries,
bowel complaints and liver affections.
STATEMENT No. III.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
UNDER 25.
ADOLESCENTS.
25—40.
ADULTS.
ABOVE 40.
AGED MEN.
No.
Death-
rate.
No.
Death-
rate.
No.
Death-
rate.
Artillery . . .
34.15
.95
49.83
.65
16.01
1.02
C a v a l r y . . .
26.59
.54
55.11
.73
18.28
1.72
Infantry . . .
35.11
.94
55.56
1.33
9.82
1.98
Regular Army . . .
34.31
.96
54.92
1.49
10.77
1.71
C. I. Force . . .
27.53
.19
56.26
1.06
16.20
1.63
P. F. Force . . .
33.31
1.09
54.83
1.32
11.86
2.71
TOTAL . . .
33.49
.93
55.03
1.42
11.47
1.89
STATEMENT No. II.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH.
Admis -
sions.
Daily sick. Deaths.
Regular Army . . .
127.71
4.21
1.34
Central India Force . . .
88.89
3.15
.92
Punjab Frontier Force . . .
172.36
4.75
1.36
Army of Bengal . . .
132.97
4.23
1.31
Madras troops . . .
106.53
3.20
.91
6. 1 have caused a table to be constructed showing the constitution and
mortality of the native
army according to age
. It is placed in the Appen
-dix (No. III). Statemen
t No. III is an abstract of
it ; columns 2, 4 and 6
showing the proportion of
adolescents, adults, and
aged men constituting the
different branches and
sections of the native
army ; and columns 3,
5 and 7 the death-rates
of the periods specified.
It will be observed that the Cavalry contains a larger proportion of aged men,
and the Infantry of youths ; nd. that the Central India Force contains more
elderly men and fewer adolescents than the other sections. The mortality