Deaths.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Recommend-
ations.
Fires.
Verandahs.
Hospital
store-room.
Hospital
latrine.
122
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Sickness, mor-
tality, and in-
validing.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.—Compared with the previous year, sickness
has been much greater in 1874, during which there were 810 admissions to 469 in 1873.
The deaths in 1874 have only been 2 to 6 in 1873, and the invaliding 15 to 62 in the same
year: the great difference in the latter was due to men enlisted in 1857 above the customary
age at which recruits are entertained, having by 1873 completed their full time for pen--
sion.
Sickness,
mortality, and
invaliding.
Prevalent
diseases.
XV. Sickness, mortality, and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment—present 582.16;
absent 115.28; total 697.44.
S T A T I O N .
P E R I O D .
S t r e n g t h .
T O T A L N U M B E R O F
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 .
A d m i s - s i o n s .
Deaths.
Admis-sions.
Deaths.Dai l y average si ck.
Head-quarters at Rawul Pi ndee . . .
1 s t J a n . . .
18th Jan . . .
6 7 0 . 6 6
2 0
. . .
1 3 . 7 3
60.47 . . .
2.04
D i t t o o n t h e m a r c h
1 9 t h " 6th Feb . . .
6 8 7 . 7 8
1 8
. . .
2 3 . 1 0
50.27 . . .
3.35
D i t t o a t M e e a n M e e r
7 t h F e b . . . .
3 1 s t D e c . . . .
5 2 9 . 7 9
7 7 2
2
2 3 . 0 5
162.15.42
4.35
T o t a l . . .
. . .
. . .
5 8 2 . 6
8 1 0
2
2 2 . 8 0
139.13.34
3.92
Number of deaths in hospital, 2; out of hospital, 0; total, 2; per cent. of total strength . . . .28
" invalided, 15; " " . . . 2.15
" s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e , 8 ; " " . . .
1.14
" of days spent in hospital, 8,353; per admissions, 10.31; per man " . . . 11.97
" on sick leave, 641; per man, 80.50;
" " . . .
.92
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength . . .12.89
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— Of malarious fevers, which produced the greatest
amount of sickness, there were of ague ( a) admissions 328, (b) 82, (c) 2, remittent fever, 28.
They were most prevalent in September, October and November, during which months 354 out
of 440 admissions were due to them alone. Most of the diseases of the respiratory system
occurred in March and December. Of disease of the spleen there were 22 admissions, whilst
the prevalence of dysentery and diarrhœa was throughout the year very slight, only 7 of each
having occurred.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.— Only two deaths took place in the year—one from
cancer in July, and one from remittent fever in December.
XVIII. Epidemics.—None.
Inspection.
XIX. Vaccination.—None.
XX. Recommendations.—The imperfect ventilation of the huts was noticed and improved
as far as practicable by making apertures in their back walls. The commanding officer having
remarked that the sick would be benefited by fires in the months of December and January,
he was solicited to bring the subject to the notice of the Major-General, and in doing
so was informed that firewood was not allowed for native hospitals at Meean Meer, but
since then fuel has been sanctioned, and it is hoped that this urgent want will be rectified
next year.
A verandah to each row of huts is much needed, and a godown for storing hospital neces--
saries has become indispensable, owing to the room in which they were formerly kept having
been taken up for a bath-room. An attempt will be made to obtain the construction of both
next year.
The defects of the hospital latrine pointed out at page 193 of volume for 1870, of Bengal
Army Medical Reports, still exist, and were it not built of pucka masonry, there might be some
hope of getting another erected in its place, larger, and on a different plan. The seats have no
partitions, and are only seven in number, too few when the average daily sick exceeds 50, an
event that occurs in the latter months of every year. Its condition will be a subject for re--
presentation in 1875.
The regiment was inspected by Deputy Surgeon-General G. H. Ray, M.D.,
on the 13th of January 1874. He considers the want of verandahs to the
huts to be a great sanitary defect. The hospital would also be improved by the