Principal
causes of
sickness.
Epidemics.
Precantions
against
cholera.
Special
observations.
Recruiting.
66
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Cholera at Edur.
were not held. They are now held regularly. All the men with itch are sent to hospital until
well; and on their discharge, they have to make up their duty for the number of days they were
in hospital. Daily bathing parades are held for all itch patients, and it is hoped by these
means to keep the men cleaner. These large "admissions" of itch give the appearance of a
greater reduction of the effective strength than is really the case, as nearly every one, if
necessary, could go out to duty at any time. The endeavour is to make things unpleasant for
them, if they will not keep themselves clean. At one of the first of these weekly parades over
50 itch cases were found. It is needless to point out how very objectionable such a state of
things must be to officers superintending the musketry course.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— In fevers of the intermittent class, it will be noticed
what a small proportion the tertian and quartan forms bear to the quotidian. Severe cases of
fever here are rare, although those sufficient to produce malaise and yet not render a man non
-effective, are common enough. Guinea-worm has not kept up to the high figure in admissions
it attained last year. Itch has just been remarked upon, but with regard to the causation
of it, it is to observed that it seems to be the natural condition of the Bheel. Many of the lads
who come up for enlistment are in such a state of filth, that it is impossible to properly examine
them until they have been sent to wash in the river, and even then the task is not pleasant.
XVII. Principal causes of mortalily.—Malignant cholera gives 2 deaths; enlarged spleen,
1; bronchitis, 1; pneumonia, 1. The cases of cholera occurred among the men of a guard from
the Oodeypore detachment while at Edur, in the neighbourhood of which place cholera was
rife. This is further referred to under the next paragraph. Of the four deaths out of hospital two
died by violence, one on sick leave with enlarged liver, and one from cause unknown.
XVIII. Epidemics.—No e pidemic has occurred within 15 miles of head-quarters, nor
near any of the detachments. In the middle of November, cholera prevailed at a fair held
at Samlegee, 30 miles south of head-quarters on the Ahmedabad road. Owing to this, the fair
was ordered to break up, people ill with cholera travelling wheresoever their friends chose to take
them. A piquet was placed on the road outside Kherwara, and admission refused to all
coming from the infected district, and this had the best results, as cholera occurred up to within
16 miles of the station but came no further. Early in December, the Oodeypore Resident,
escorted by part of the Oodeypore detachment accompanied the Maharana of Oodeypore to
Edur upon his marriage. During the stay there, cholera appeared, and from what can be
gathered from the native doctor who was there, about 14 attacks took place, 7 of which
terminated fatally. Five men of the guard. of the Political Agent were attacked, and 2 of them
died, the other 3 recovering. They were treated by the native doctor before spoken of, but who,
not being in Government service, kept no records. The Maharana and his following, some
2,000, left Edur on their return via Kherwarra. As they reached here on the 17th, and the
date of the last attack among the whole was 9th December, and as no stay was intended in
Kherwara, the force simply marching past the station, no measures were thought necessary
beyond seeing that such arrangements were carried out. The guard attached to the
Resident was halted 2 miles out and inspected; the healthy men sent in, and the convalescents
kept out until 21st December, so that all necessary disinfection could be carried out. The
convalescents were then sent into head-quarters. At the hospital all precautions against
overcrowding were taken, and especial care was paid to the state of the bazar and village.
All cases of illness among any travellers were ordered to be immediately reported to the
medical officer.
Vaccination.
Recommen-
dations.
In the difference that exists among the opinions as to the causation of cholera, it would be
presumptuous to give any very decided opinion. But inasmuch as some consider that the disease may
be propagated by people already attacked being carried into localities previously not affected, no
manner of precaution at the same time being observed, it may be assumed that to allow those
already attacked at Samlegee to go where they wished, was scarcely the way to circumscribe
the limits of the disease, and it seems equally possible that it may have been the means of
introducing cholera into Edur.
XIX. Vaccination.—The men object to vaccination, and probably from two reasons,—
first, that a large proportion of them have had small-pox; and secondly, that the disease seems
to be very mild in character among them: only one case of small-pox occurred during the
year among the men of the corps, and no case has been reported from the cantonment for
the same period.
XX. Recommendations,—All recommendations, such as repairs to the hospital latrines
removal of any rubbish, &c., have been carried out. The officer commanding has been
consulted about the advisability of ordering a small meat ration for the Bheel part of the corps,
but the amount of pay drawn by the men is a difficulty. The point is still being considered.
XXI. Special observations.— (3). Recruiting.—Up to the present year little care seems to
have been taken in the selection of recruits as far as regards size, the hospital assistant at
Kotra being allowed to pass men. Consequently in the ranks are men of all heights, and
some of very inferior physique, especially in the Kotra companies. A standard of 5 feet
5 inches as the minimum height, with a good chest of 33 or 34 inches for youths of 18 or 19 has
been laid down, and although only in force for some few months the result is most satisfactory,
the new recruits being a really fine-looking body.
Sickness
ac-
cording to
race.
(4). The Hindostani element in the corps does not give relatively so many admissions
to hospital as the Bheel, and this may possibly be owing to the fact of the former being a
much smarter man, and so tending to rise to those positions which give increased pay, with
consequently better food. Added to this, the Hindustani is cleanly, and his food is of a different
kind to that eaten by the Bheel, the latter readily eating oordukodra and kooree.