Clothing.
Duty and
employment.
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality, and
invaliding.
Causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Recommend-
ations.
Inspection.
132
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
former, and 8 of the latter, per rupee. Vegetables, which are always rather dear at this station,
became scarce, and more than usually expensive in the hot weather. These causes led, in the
case of some of the men at least, to the use of an insufficiently nourishing diet, but this Was
checked by an order of the commanding officer prohibiting all indulgences to Men reported
as showing symptoms of scurvy or underfeeding.
X. Clothing.—The men generally are well supplied with undress-clothing. The majority
have provided themselves with country-made woollen socks for use in the cold weather, but
good many of these are obliged to dispense with them on duty as they find their ammunition
boots, which have to be of a size to fit the bare foot, too tight to be worn with socks. There
is, however, a marked decrease in the number of admissions into hospital for blisters of the feet,
to which the use of socks has no doubt contributed. These socks cost 2½ to 3 annas a pair,
and are consequently within the means of the sepoy ; but they are much tub thick for wear
in the hot season, and therefore cannot be brought into general use.
XI. Duty .—The station duties have not been severe ; but a great number of small escorts
have been required, from which employment the men not infrequently returned in bad health.
The average number of consecutive nights in bed has been 8.
XIV.
Hospital.—The
former rough brick floors have been covered with 3 inches Of pucka
terracing, and a partition wall thrown across the middle of the large ward, so that the accom-
modation for the sick now consists of four wards with ample space for 12 beds, and a fire-place in
each. The outside doors have been repaired, but the purdahs, for the inner openings are
still retained. Country blankets for the patients have been supplied by the Commissariat Depart-
ment in accordance to G. O. No. 22 of 1877. A dead-house is still wanted.
XV.
Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment
Present
. . . . . . . . . .
630.28
Absent
. . . . .
.
. . . .
73.38
Total
.
.
703.66
S T A T I O N .
PERIOD.
Strength
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
A d m i s -
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Rawal Pindi 1st Jan.
. 31st Dec.
.
560.6
428
...
13.15
76.34
...
2.34
Detachment at Attock
1st Jan.
.
24th Oct.
.
9th Feb.
.
31st Dec.
.
175.5
84
...
4.66 160.02 ...
2.65
„
Murree
. 30th Apl.
. 4th Aug.
.
59.0
12
...
0.58
74.71
...
0.98
Total
. 1st Jan.
, 31st Dec.
.
630.28 524
...
14.7
83.13
...
2.33
Number of deaths in hospital, 0; out of hospital, 3; total
3; per cent. of total strength
. 0.42
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
11;
„ „
. .
1.56
„
sent on sick leave .
.
.
.
.
.
.
4;
„ „
. .
0.56
„
of days spent in hospital, 5,365; per admission
. 10.23; per man of total strength .
. 7.62
„
on sick leave, 1,034; per man .
. 258.5;
„ „
.
. 1.47
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
. 9.09
Principal
causes of
sickness.
XVI.
Principal causes of sickness.— Nearly one-half of the admissions into hospital have
been for diseases of malarious origin, including 237 cases of intermittent and 3 of remittent
fever, and 7 of hypertrophy of the spleen. The cases of fever were admitted chiefly from May to
October ; 89 were accompanied by some enlargement of the spleen, and 9 by enlargement of
both spleen and liver. Next to fever, bowel-complaints, including 29 of dysentery and 10 of diarrbœa,
have been the most common. Of these some have been attributable to the insufficiently cooked
food and other errors of diet; but generally no cause has been traceable. Of diseases of the respira-
tory organs, there have been 15 cases of catarrh, 7 of bronchitis, 4 of pneumonia, 1 of pleurisy,
and 1 of phthisis. These have in most cases been referable to some exposure to cold, generally
on escort or night duty, or to sudden atmospheric change. The inducements to underfeeding, and
the use of an insufficiency of vegetables, referred to in paragraph IX, have led to 6 admissions
for scurvy, and 22 patients admitted for other diseases have shown symptoms attributable to the
same cause: Only 22 cases of blisters of the feet caused by the ammunition boots have come
under notice, which is a great improvement on former years.
XVII.
Causes of mortality . —There have been no deaths of men present with the regiment,
but one died on sick leave, granted on account of phthisis, and 2 on furlough.
XVIII.
Epidemics.—The only admissions under this head were 5 for chicken-pox in March
and April.
XIX.
Vaccination.—None.
XX.
Recommendations.— Several recommendations having reference to the water-supply,
alterations in the hospital, &c., have been made. They have all been attended to, and need not
be detailed.
Inspection.—The annual medical inspection was made by Deputy Surgeon-
General F. F. Allen, C.B., on the 4th of November 1877. The lines were clean,
but there is a deficiency of space, and the ventilation of the huts is not good.