Epidemics.
Vaccination
182
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORTS OF THE NATIVE ARMYOF BENGAL.
Sickness, mor-
tality and in-
validing.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. —Strength of the regiment— present 599.67;
absent 127.82; total 727.49.
STATIONS.
P E R I OD.
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.
Admis-
sions.
Deat hs.
Admis-
sions.
Deat hs .
Da i l y a v e r a g e s i c k .
From
To
Head-quarters with His
1st Jan. ... 13th Jan.
409.35 903
2 22.96 220.43 .48 5.60
Honor the Lieutenant-
Governor ...
31st Dec.
Dera Ghazi Khan
... 13th. „
D e t a c h m e n t s .
Camp of His Honor
1st „
9th April
183.12 25
...
1.97 50.32
. . . 1 07
the
Lieutenant-
Governor of the
Panjab
...
Mangrotha
... 15th April
31st Dec.
41.
52
...
1.44 177.33 ...
3.51
Harrand and Drigri
Ditto
Ditto
58.92 93
...
2.85 220.40 ...
4.83
1st Jan.
9th April
9 5 . 5 5
8 4
1 4.47 168. 2.01 4.67
Rajanpur
1st Oct.
31st Dec.
Bundowala
1st Jan.
19th April
28.20
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
1st Oct.
31st Dec.
Dera Ghazi Khan ...
1st Jan.
13th Jan.
139.04
7
... 17.02 141.221 ... 12.24
TOTAL
...
... ...
... ...
599.67
1 , 1 6 4
3 29.11 194.10
. 5 0
4.85
Number of deaths in hospital, 3; out of hospital, 6; total, 9; per cent. of total strength
... 1.23
„
invalided 26;
, ,
, ,... 3.57
„
sent on sick leave 5;
, ,
, ,
...
68
„
of days spent in hospital, 1,0617; per admission, 9.12; per man of total strength
14.59
, ,
„
on sick leave, 570, per man,
1.14;
„
, ,
. . . .78
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
...
... 15.37
Principal di
seases.
Foot sore.
Treatment .
Causes of
death.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness—Periodic fevers as usual gave the largest percentage of
admissions. A sudden increase of cases occurred in August, reaching its maximum in September
and falling again rapidly in November. The recruits and younger soldiers suffered especially,
some being admitted as often as four times in a month. The cases of anæmia admitted were
generally the result of repeated attacks of fever. Blisters of the feet gave a large number of
admissions, and were often long and tedious in healing. Commencing as a small blister, gener--
ally caused by the pressure of the boot, they frequently took an unhealthy action, ulceration
rapidly extending, until often two or three small ulcers communicated together forming a large
sore, generally on the dorsum of the foot. This ulcer now presented all the appearance of
the Scinde sore.
Many of them took weeks to heal. The application found most successful and rapid in its
action was an ointment composed of
—
U n g . H y d r a r g ...
...
. . .
. . . 3 ii
, , R e s i n a ...
. . .
. . .
... 3 iv
Turpentine
...
. . .
...
...
3 i
A drachm of this was added to 3 ii of
Acid, carbolic ...
...
...
... 3 p
simple ointment.
Tar.
...
. . .
...
... 3 iv
Ung. simplex
. . . ...
. . .
... 3 iv
This was applied for four days, and then zinc ointment substituted for two days, after which
the tar ointment was again applied. After a week's application, as a rule, white granulations
were observed dotted here and there over the sore. The edges took on the same action, and
the granulations gradually coalesced, and the sore slowly healed. The new skin remained tender
and sensitive for some time afterwards.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Two deaths occurred, 1 from pneumonia, 1 from
anæmia, and one in the detachment at Rajanpur from hydrophobia, the result of the bite of a
mad jackal. The patient, who was a havildar, was bitten in the lip, and on the same night a
mule was also bitten. The symptoms of hydrophobia developed themselves in the quadruped
weeks after, and he was shot. The man was admitted to hospital on the 2nd December, and
discharged when his wound was healed. The symptoms of hydrophobia, however, showed
themselves on the 29th, and he died on the 30th December 1874.
Six men died out of hospital; one man committed suicide in the lines by shooting him-
self, one man died of fever, four men died at their homes, and the cause of their death has
not been ascertained.
XVIII. Epi demi cs. —None.
XIX. Vaccination. —No men were vaccinated when enlisted; they showed either marks
of small-pox or inoculation.