Prevalent
diseases.
Deaths.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Inspection.
140
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding .—Strength of the regiment—present, 624.01;
absent, 67.03; total, 691.04.
STATION.
PERIOD.
S t r e n g t h .
TOTAL NUM-
BER 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 AN-
NUM .
From
T o
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
Admis-
sions.
D e a t h s .
D a i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
Head-quarters at Jhelum . . . 1st January
1874.
9th Novem-
ber 1874.
581.14
289
2 11.96 57.99 0.40 2.06
Ditto Camp of Exercise . . . 10th Novem-
ber 1874.
31st Decem-
ber 1874.
467.03
76
. . .
13.94 114.41
. . .
2.98
Detachment Attock . . . 20th August
1874.
4th Decem-
ber 1874.
128.09
92
. . .
6.12 340.82
. . .
4.77
Ditto Jhelum . . . 10th Novem-
ber 1874.
31st Decem-
ber 1874.
151.40
13
. . .
4.44 60.29
. . .
2.93
TOTAL . . .
. . .
. . .
624.01
470
2 14.67 75.32 0.32 2.35
Number of deaths in hospital, 2; out of hospital, 3; total, 5; per cent. of total strength . . . 0.72
" invalided, . . .37; " " " . . . 5.35
" sent on sick leave, . . .5; " " " . . .
0.72
" of days spent in hospital, 5,356; per admission, 11.39; per man " " . . . 7.75
" " " on sick leave, 912; per man 182.4; " " " . . . 1.32
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .
9 . 0 7
The principal causes of sickness were ague (244 admissions), boils (29),
dysentery (26), conjunctivitis (23), primary syphilis (10), and blister of the
feet (20). The Attock detachment was specially unhealthy, having suffered
from the severe type of fever prevailing in the Peshawar valley. Of the 5
deaths, one was caused by accidental drowning, another due to accidental frac
-ture of the skull, another to congestion of the liver, and another to cholera.
No epidemic occurred. 71 children were successfully vaccinated.
Deputy Surgeon-General Banister reports:—
My inspection was made on the 14th October. The lines were in admirable order and
the barracks clean, in good repair and efficiently ventilated, but there was a tendency to over
-crowding in the married quarters. The hospital arrangements were perfectly satisfactory,
and there were only 11 under treatment for comparatively slight complaints. The latrines,
like all pucca buildings used for this purpose, could not be kept free from smell, and was
badly arranged and objectionably situated. The servants complained of being unprovided
with suitable quarters.
17th Bengal Cavalry—Sialkot.
Location and
movements.
Rainfall.
Food.
Duties.
Surgeon-Major H. Potter, M. D., in medical charge, reports that the regi
-ment remained at Sialkot
throughout theyear, sending
only small parties to horse
fairs to purchase remounts.
The rainfall is reported
to have been scanty. Food
supplies were, however,
cheap, and the men con-
sequently well fed; duties
were light, nights in bed
8.34, and in other respects
the sanitary circumstances
of the regiment underwent
no change.
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1869 . . . Sitapur, July 1869, from
Barackpore.
126.9
1.6
4.3
1870 . . .
Ditto
ditto . . .
126.6
.8
3.5
1871 . . .
Ditto ditto . . .
153.1
.4
4.8
1872 . . . Sialkot, March 1872 . . .
167.1
1 .
5.2
1873 . . .
Ditto
ditto . . .
157.1
.4
5.4
Average . . .
. . .
146.2
.8
4.6
1874 . . . Sialkot . . .
154.5
.4
5.6
Hospital.
XIV. Hospital. The hospital was described in previous reports. Quarters for the medi
- c a l s u b o r d i n a t e s a r e s t i l l w a n t i n g . S u c c e s s i v e B r i g a d i e r s - G e n e r a l h a v e d o n e a l l t h e y c o u l d t o
have them built. It is believed that they are now sanctioned, and there is some hope that
their foundations will be commenced by the time that the regiment will be leaving the
station. The floor of half the hospital was lately bricked, and the appearance of the building
has been much improved by this arrangement.