Principal
diseases.
Mortality.
Epidemics,
Vaccination.
163
PUNJAB FRONTIER FORCE.
(b.) 23.52 men attended the surveying class at Roorkee College from the 29th May to the
end of the year.
(c.) A g u a r d o f 2 h a v i l d a r s a n d 2 6 me n w a s w i t h t h e C o mmi s s i o n e r a t P e s h a w a r f r o m
the 1st January to the 8th June. A similar number started for Peshawar on the 9th
November, and remained there until the end of the year. They were relieved monthly.
(d.) Lastly, a detachment of 40 men of the cavalry proceeded to Abbottabad on the 30th
October, and was present there at the end of the year.
The average maximum temperature was less by 11.00° than in 1873. The average
lowest was also less by 3.83°. The highest temperature, 104°, was recorded in June, and the
lowest, 25°, in December.
Rain fell on 28 days; the total amount collected was less by 2.35 inches than in the
previous year. There were slight falls of rain in January, February, March and April. The
hot-weather rain commenced on the 1st July, and fell regularly during that and the two
succeeding months, but ceased on the 11th September, after which no rain fell.
Eight severe shocks of earthquake were felt, six of which were in October. The majority
of the vibrations were from east to west, or vice versâ.
The sanitary circumstances of the corps have undergone no change
during the year. Food supplies were plentiful, and duty, though severe, not
prejudicial to health. Nights in bed 5.15. Attention has been drawn to the in
-sanitary condition of a drain inside the fort.
XIV. Hospital. —The hospital remains the same as in previous years. The building is
very much shut in on all sides. It is extremely close
''
during the hot months, drafty and cold in
the winter. It is badly lighted by small windows near the roof and loopholes in the walls:
a separate ward is much needed for the treatment of contagious cases.
The want of suitable houses for the hospital servants, medical pupils, and kahars, is
very much felt. The building for the latter is not near sufficient for the number attached to
the regiment.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of regiment, present 790.47
absent 307.47; total 1097.94.
Climate.
Rainfall.
Earthquakes.
Sanitary cir
-cumstances.
Hospital.
Sickness, mor
-tality and in-
validing.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL
NUMBER OF
Da i l y a v e r a g e
n u mb e r o f s i c k .
PER CENT. OF
STRENGTH PER
ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. De a t h s .
Admis-
sions. D e a t h s .
D a i l y
a v e r a g e
s i c k
Head-quarters at Mardan 1st Jan.
31st Dec.
782.92 1,007
5 37.07 128.62 .63 4.73
Detachment at Abbottabad 30th Oct.
31st Dec. 40.00
2
.23 28.98
.57
TOTAL
790.47 1,009
5 37.30 127.64 .63 4.72
Number of deaths in hospital, 5; out of hospital, 4; total 9; per cent. of total strength
.81
" i n v a l i d e d 8 1 ; " " 7.37
" sent on sick leave 6; " "
.54
" of days spent in hospital 13,541; per admission, 13.42; per man of " 12.33
" " "on sick leave 610; per man 101.66, " "
.55
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
12.88
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Under this head first comes ague, which caused 367
admissions; contusions and slight injuries 65; boils 60; conjunctivitis 50; diarrhœa, and
bowel complaints 33; lumbago 29; bronchial catarrh 29; and enlargement of the spleen 18.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —The deaths in hospital were due to the following
diseases:—Acute bronchitis 1, ague 2, diabetes 1 , phthisis 1.
X V I I I . E p i d e m i c s .
— T h e r e w e r e n o e p i d e m i c s .
XIX. Vaccination.—Eight recruits who joined during the autumn were successfully
vaccinated—all the men are protected either by previous attacks of small-pox, or by inoculation:
103 children also gave successfull results. This may seem to be a large number of unprotected
persons to be in so small a station, but is, I think, explained by the corps being a local one, and
nearly all the married men having their families either in Peshawar or some of the contiguous
villages, and only as opportunities occur bring their children into cantonments; for this reason,
any comparison with the "births and deaths" returns is of little or o use here. The plan adopted,
and which was found most effective, was that of inspection. At the commencement of the
vaccinating season, all the children in the lines were inspected by troops and companies,
and when all the unprotected ones were vaccinated, periodical examinations of new-comers were
made monthly; so that no unprotected person could for any great length of time be resident
in the lines.