Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Inspection.
Station staff
hospital.
Lock-
hospital.
32
MEDICAL AND SANITARY. REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Sickness,
mortality
and invaliding.
blankets and pillows for the sick has been a great boon. It would be still more grateful to the
sick men to have comfortable bedding to lie on, instead of the ordinary carpet that a sepoy
generally possesses.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment—
Present
. . . . . . . . .
. . 642.64
Absent
. . . . . . . . . . . 62.21
Total . . 704.85
STATIONS.
PERIOD.
Strength.
T O T A L N U M B E R
O F
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PERCENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
A d m i s s i o n s .
Deaths.
Admi ssi ons. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Gorakhpur 1st Jan. 1877 3rd Mar. 1877
561.50 572
6 16.23 101.89
1 . 0 6 2.89
Ditto
at Benares . 15th Mar. „ 31st Dec. „
Detachment at Benares . 1st Jan. „ 15th Mar. „
8 1 . 1 4 55 ...
1.43 67.8 ... 1.86
Ditto at Chunar
. 10th Apl. " 31st Dec. „
Total
.
...
. . .
642.64 627
6 17.66 97.56 .93 2.74
Number of deaths in hospital, 6 ; out of hospital, 3; total
9 ; per cent. of total strength . .
1.28
" invalided
.
. . . .
. .
12;
"
"
. .
1.71
"
sent on sick leave
. . . .
.
3 ;
"
"
.
. 0.42
"
of days spent in hospital 6,449 ; per admission 10.28; per man of total strength . . 9.20
,,
" on sick leave 248; per man
. 82.66;
"
"
. . 0.35
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
9.55
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Ague, dysentery and blistered feet were the most common causes of admis-
sion. The ague cases were slight, and readily yielded to the cinchona febrifuge.
The dysentery was mostly consecutive to fever, and the blistered feet caused
by want of socks and badly fitting boots.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Six deaths occurred in the regimental hospital, as
follows :—jaun dice 1; remittent fever 4, and cholera 1.
Three deaths took place out of hospital from the effects of malarial fever.
XVIII. Epidemics.—No epidemic this year. One case of cholera occurred in the regiment
on 31st October, and terminated fatally on the 1st November 1877.
XIX. Vaccination. —The number vaccinated this year was 32, viz.,—successful 21 ;
failures 11.
Inspection.—Dr. Hutchinson inspected the regiment on the 20th November.
The lines were clean, but the accommodation afforded by the huts is inadequate
and inferior. The new hospital is a mile from the lines, a distance which might
in a case of cholera or sunstroke cause unfortunate and irreparable delay. The
building affords ample and comfortable accommodation for the sick, and is well
provided with out-houses. The men were healthy at the time of inspection, and
all the wants of the sick carefully looked to.
St at i on, st aff hospi t al ,— i n s p e c t e d 2 4 t h D e c e m b e r , c o n t a i n s i n s t r u m e n t s a n d
medicines appertaining to the staff charge. The sick are treated in the infantry
hospital ; it was in good order.
Lock-hospital, inspected on the same day. The hospital arrangements
were satisfactory. The average number of women on the roll had been 72, among
whom 152 admissions had taken place, viz. , 76 from gonorrhœa, 70 from primary,
and 6 from secondary syphilis. The ratio per cent. of venereal admissions in the
European garrison had been 44.1. Illicit prostitution is said to be easy of
accomplishment and difficult of detection in a place like Benares.