iv
Sickness and
mortality in
the several
commands.
Causes in
1874.
Presidency
district.
Sirhind
Division.
11. The next statement exhibits the sickness and Mortality of the several
commands:—
STATEMENT No. VII.
MILITARY COMMANDS.
S e r i a l n u m b e r .
Daily sick
per cent. of
strength.
S e r i a l
number.
Admissions
per cent. of
strength.
Serial
number.
Deaths per
cent. of
strength.
Eastern Frontier District . . .
1
5.65
3
154.22
1
3.04
Presidency District . . .
2
5.44
4
147.82
3
1.52
Sirhind Division . . .
3
5.18
7
132.35
11
.92
Peshawar District . . .
4
4.93
1
194.07
2
1.67
Punjab Frontier Force . . .
5
4.75
2
172.34
5
1.37
Meerut Division . . .
6
4.54
5
145.17
4
1.44
Lahore Division . . .
7
4.07
6
141.39
9
.99
Gwalior District . . .
8
3.87
8
128.17
6
1.25
All ahabad Division . . .
9
3.82
11
89.92
13
.84
Rajpootana . . .
10
3.81
10
105.61
8
1.10
Saugor District . . .
1 1
3.69
9
113.55
12
.89
<illegible/>
< i l l e g i b l e / >
3.32
12
86.53
10
.94
<illegible/>
< i l l e g i b l e / >
3 .
14
83.17
14
.66
<illegible/>
< i l l e g i b l e / ><illegible/>
15
69.36
15
.41
<illegible/>
< i l l e g i b l e / ><illegible/>
13
84.45
7
1.15
<illegible/>order of both sickness and
<illegible/>Three of the regiments are
<illegible/>favorable climatic conditions
< i l l e g i b l e / > S u r g e o n O B r i e n a t p a g e 1 9 0 ,
r u r i o u g u s a r e a c t u a l l y , f r o m t h e r a b o r i o u s j o u r n e y s t h e s e p o y s h a v e t o u n d e r t a k e
e n r o u t et
o a n d f r o m t h e i r h o m e s ,
a cause of sickness and often of death. For the same reason, sick leave, which
is so beneficial in other corps and circumstances in restoring health, would, if
recommended for the weakly or ailing, kill rather than cure. During the year
under report the movements in course of relief, and the operations on the Duffla
frontier and hills were added to the ordinary causes of ill-health; the three local
regiments were, for the first time since their formation 50 years ago, made
to interchange stations. Two of them suffered from cholera on the voyage
between Gowhatty and Debrooghur. Four of the regiments in the command
— t h e 1 6 t h , 4 2 n d , 4 3 r d a n d 4 4 t h — t o o k p a r t i n t h e D u f f l a e x p e d i t i o n . T h e 3 r d
Native Infantry, which remained stationary at Silchar, had least sickness, and
the 38th Native Infantry, which was located at Buxa in the Bhootan Hills—a
station which has always affected the health of sepoys prejudicially—most.
The 42nd Native Infantry had the highest death-rate, due mainly to the Out
- b r e a k o f c h o l e r a , a n d t h e 1 6 t h N a t i v e I n f a n t r y , t h o u g h v e r y s i c k l y , t h e l o w e s t .
The reports submitted by medical officers regarding these corps have been given
in greater detail than others, on account of the very unfavorable state of health
which obtained in them during the year.
The presidency district comes second in order of sickness, and third in order
of mortality. This command has also an unfavorable sanitary history. The
climate of Bengal is inimical to the health of Hindustanis, and the duties at
the presidency are severe. The regiments were stationary and were subjected
to no unusual conditions of a kind calculated to affect their health injuriously.
The 10th and 39th, stationed at Barrackpore, Dum-Dum and Alipore, were the
most sickly. The 37th and 28th, stationed in Fort William and Alipore res
-pectively, were moderately healthy, the Body Guard more so, and the statistics
of the 4th Native Infantry at Bhaugulpore present a most remarkable con
-trast with those of the other corps in the command. Malarious diseases and
bowel complaints were the main causes of sickness, and many of the men
manifested scorbutic symptoms, due partly to climatic and partly to dietetic
causes. Surgeon Duncan, at page 8, gives a most interesting description of how
the health of recruits was observed to deteriorate on their joining the regiment
.
< i l l e g i b l e / > o c c u p i e s a h i g h p o s i t i o n i n r e s p e c t o f p e r m a n e n t
< i l l e g i b l e / > e r o f m o r t a l i t y . T h e r e g i m e n t o c c u p y i n g J u l l u n d u r
<illegible/>or Phillour and Loodianah, generally suffers con
-<illegible/>rs, but the exceptionally severe sickness of 1874
, < i l l e g i b l e / > c a n t o n e d a t U m b a l l a , b e i n g o n d u t y i n t h e f a m i n e