Comparison
with 1.876.
Effect of the
climate of
Bengal on
Punjabis.
Causes of
sickness.
Principal
muses of
dckness.
Principal
muses of
no r tali v.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Recommend-
ttions.
Special
)hservat ions.
5
PRESIDENCY DISTRICT.
accommodation, but no steps have been taken to remedy the defect. I cannot say that either
this or the heavy duties have had directly any unfavorable influence on the health of the men.
The men have little time for recreation, but are fond of wrestling and
athletics. The hospital accommodation is ample and good. There is room for 80
patients, and the highest number under treatment during the year was 65,
average 21.55.
Exercise, &c.
Hospital.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment-
Present
6 4 7 . 6 7
Absent
5 6 . 2 3
Total
7 0 3 . 9 0
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER OF
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admissions. Deaths.
Dai l y aver age numbder of si ck.
Admissions. Deaths.
Dai l y aver age si ck.
Alipore
1st Jan. 1877
31st Dec. 1877
647.67
787
10
21.55 121.51 1.54
3.32
Number of deaths in hospital, 10; out of hospital, 3; total
13; per cent of total strength
1 . 8 4
, , i n v a l i d e d
16; ,, ,,
2 . 2 7
, , s e n t o n s i c k l e a v e
3 0 ; , , , ,
4 . 2 6
,, of days spent in hopspital, 7,868; per admission
9.99; per man of total strength
1 1 . 1 7
,, ,, on sick leave, 4,431; per man
147.7; ,, ,,
6 . 2 9
T o t a l t e m p o r a r y l o s s o f s e r v i c e p e r m a n o f t o t a l s t r e n g t h
1 7 . 4 6
• There is very little difference between the sick-rates of 1877 and the previous year. It is
rather less in 1877, being 3-32 per cent. of strength per annum, as compared with 3.46 per
cent. of strength in 1876. The rate of mortality has increased, however, by over one-half,
it having been 1.14 per cent. of strength in 1876 and 1.84 in 1877. The year towards its
end was no doubt a very unhealthy one over nearly the whole of Lower Bengal ; and the
sepoys of the regiment being all Punjabis, the climate would naturally affect them more, being
so different to their own. When I returned from six months' leave in November, I was very
much struck with the difference in the appearance of the men. It was not so much that they
had lost in physique, although they certainly looked less robust than formerly, as a want of
tone and spirit about them, which impressed me very much. In men coming to hospital
this was very striking. However slight the ailment, they always seemed much depressed and
almost to give themselves up for lost. The number of deaths compared to what they have
been for the last few years in the regiment may have to some extent caused the feeling, and
the feeling itself would be likely in some cases to help towards the fatal termination of an
illness. I am glad to report there seems to be considerable improvement among them
latterly. Climate, heavy duties, distance from their homes preventing them availing themselves
of furlough, appear to me to have been in the order stated the chief causes of sickness during
the year. I have found that men, once they have been reduced to a certain extent, not to
pick up strength in this climate. The only chance is to send them in time on sick leave to
their homes.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Malarious fever, with affections of the spleen result
-ing from them, and bowel-complaints are the chief causes of sickness. The former accounts
for 59.97 per cent. of the total admissions, and the latter for 16.51 per cent. Affections
of the chest, viz., bronchial catarrh, bronchitis, pneumonia, and pleurisy, nearly all following
on fever, give 33 admissions, or 4.19 per cent. of the whole; ulcers, usually the result of
blows, give 30 admissions ; injuries, 20; and skin affections, 17, of which 11 were cases of itch.
One case of mumps occurred, but the man was carefully isolated, and the disease did
not spread, although at the time it was very prevalent among the men of the left wing of the
36th Native Infantry.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—Ten deaths occurred in hospital, viz., 3 from
dysentery, 3 from ague, 2 from hypertrophy of spleen, 1 from phthisis, and 1 from general
debility. Two men died at their homes while on sick leave, and 1 died while on furlough.
The cause of death in these cases is not known.
XVIII. Epidemics.—There was no epidemic disease throughout the year.
XIX. Vaccination.— All the men have been carefully inspected. In only six was there
any doubt as to their being protected. They were vaccinated, but without success. Forty-
eight children of men of the regiment and camp-followers were vaccinated, all successfully.
XX. Recommendations.—All recommendations have met invariably with favorable con-
sideration. They have chiefly related to conservancy matters, diet and hours for parade.
XXI. Special observations.— A large number of the cases of malaria us fevers,—in fact,
I may say, nearly the whole,—have been treated with the cinchona febrifuge, given in 10-grain
B