MEERUT DIVISION.
85
39th (The ,Allngurh) Regiment, natibe Infantry.—meernt.
I. Medical Officers.—The officiating medical charge was held by five
different medical officers.
The permanent Surgeon of-
the corps, Surgeon C. J.
McKenna, M . D., rejoined
from furlough on the 25th
December, and furnishes the
annual report.
II. Location and movements.
—
The head-quarters of the regi-
ment, strength 533, were at the
Imperial Assemblge at Delhie
from the 1st to the 18th January
1877, when they marched viâ
Ghazeeabad and Begunaábad for
Meerut, where they arrived on
the 30th January, and where they
have been stationed for the
remainder of the year. I have been informed that the sanitary condition, food and water-supplies
both at Delhie and on the line of march were good and satisfactory. A detachment, strength
158, together with the women and children, were at Meerut from the 1st to the 20th January
1877 under the medical charge of Surgeon P. J. Freyer, and afterwards of Surgeon-Major
J. M. Fleming.
The sanitary circumstances of this regiment presented no very remark-
able feature during the year. Notwithstanding the hot, rainless season, the men
enjoyed a high standard of health. The lines are in good repair and kept
very clean. Meerut is undergoing an improved system of drainage Which will
benefit these lines as well as other parts of the station. The trench system of
latrines has been introduced and works well, but Dr. McKenna points out that
the utilization of the material as manure is a necessary of the safety of the
system, and that the formation of a series of cesspools whether covered by a thin
layer of earth or not is dangerous. The men are well nourished. As regards
clothing, duty and exercise, there is nothing new to report. The same hospital
(on the old standard infantry plan) is in use. The great defect is the want of
windows or glazed doors; in other respects it affords comfortable accommodation
to the sick, and the out-houses are sufficient and in good repair,
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1872
. Jhansi, Dec. 1869
.
130.4
2.1
3.9
1873
Ditto
.
.250 . 03
. 8 6
7.06
1874
. Barrackpore,`Jan. 1874,
2216
. 1 . 7.8
R. W. Alipore, Apl.
1874.
1875
. Barrackpore and Alipore
14049
2.9
6.09
1876
.
Ditto
.
120.21
2.93
3.56
Average
.
.
.
172.54
1 7 8
5.68
1
1877
. Meerut 20th Jan, 1877 .
51.63
1 5 6
2.23
Medical
Officers.
Location and
movements.
1)etachment.
Lines.
Drainage.
Latrines.
Food.
Clothing,
duty and
exercise.
Hospital.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding. — Strength of the regiment.—
Present .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
627.50
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
.
.
.
73.43
Total
700.93
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
S T A T I O N S ,
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER OF
Daily
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-
i o n s . Deaths.
Admis-
s i o n s . Deaths.
Daily
a v e r a g e n u m b e r o f s i c k .
Head-quarters Delhie on line
of march.
1st Jan. 1877
19th Jan. 1877 522
26
...
14.90
95.66
...
2.85
Head-quarters at Meerut . 20th
ditto
31st Dec. 1877 626.93
290
6
14.16
48.79
1
2.25
Detachment at Meerut
. 1st
ditto
19th Jan. 1877 158
8
1
10.23
97.26 12.16
6.47
Total .
. Head-quarters
.
.
.
627.50
324
7
14.00
51.63 1.11
2.23
Number of deaths in hospital, 7 ; out of hospital. 4 ; total,
11 ; per cent, of total strength
. 1.56
„
invalided, 22; discharged as physically unfit, 1 ;
23 ;
„ „
.
.
3.28
„
sent to their homes on sick leave
.
.
7 ;
„ „
.
.
0.99
„
of days spent in hospital, 5,110 ; per admission . 15.77 ; per man of total strength
.
.
7.29
„
on sick leave, 948 ; per man
.
.
.
135.57 ;
„ „
.
.
1.35
, Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
. .
8.64
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Comparing the sickness of 1877 with that of the five
previous years, I find that the percentage of admissions to strength is considerably
than half of what it has been in any year of that period. As before remarked, I am inclined
to attribute this very satisfactory state of things to the scanty rainfall of 1877.
Principal causes of sick-
ness.
w