Vaccination.
Recommenda-
tions.
Inspection.
LAHORE DIVISION. 127
The woollen putties lately ordered for native regiments will be much more serviceable
than the old gaiters of cotton cloth with endless buttons. These were so troublesome to put
on and off, that the men could not, without great delay, take off their boots to cross a
stream.
XI. Duties, &c.—The duty has not been severe, and the average number of nights in bed
was 7. In addition to the ordinary drills and musketry practice, the men have been
employed in building barracks.
XIV. Hospital.— The hospital is a very good one. A dead-house and houses for the
hospital servants are being built.
XV . Sickness, mortality. &c.—Average strength—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 635.31
Absent . .
.
.
.
.
. .
.
.
.
.
83.77
Total
.
. 719.08
Duties, &c.
Hospital.
Sickness,
mortality, &c.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
A d m i s -
s i o n s .
Deaths.
Admis-s i o n s . Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters. Dharmsala . 1st Jan. 1877 31st Dec. 1877 612.15
911
8
37.20 148.85 1.30 6.07
Detachment, Kangra
. 17th Oct. „
Ditto
100.08
58
. . .
6.52 278.32 ...
6.51
Total
.
...
...
635.31
969
8
43.72 152.35 1.30
6.88
Number of deaths in hospital, 8; out of hospital, 2 ; total .
10 ; per cent. of total strength .
1.39
„ invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
20 ;
„
,,
.
.
2.78
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
.
20;
„
„
.
.
2.78
„
of days spent in hospital, 14,256 ; per admission.
14.71; per man of total strength .
.
19.82
„
„
on sick leave, 1,135; per man
.
56.75 ;
„
„
.
.
1.57
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
21.4
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.—Intermittent fever, as ususal, caused a greater number
of admissions than any other disease. The number of cases was 524 against 472 last year ;
large proportion, however, were only slight cases.
There were 3 cases of remittent fever, the same number as last year.
Pneumonia caused 16 admissions against 10 last year, and bronchitis 13 against 11 last
Year. Of dysentery there were 35 cases, while the year before there were 99. There were 44
admissions for muscular rheumatism, caused in great measure by the men being employed in
building barracks, which involved a good deal of unaccustomed muscular exertion in the
carrying of timber, slates, &c. The eases of primary syphilis were 8 against 15 last year;
and of gonorrhœa 13 against 4 in 1876.
Of the 87 cases of contusion, most were slight injuries to hands and feet occurring durin g
the building operations; none resulted in permanent injury. Only 32 cases of blistered feet
occurred, but the regiment did not march.
X VII. Principal causes of mortality.— Of the 8 deaths in hospital, 2 were caused by
phthisis, 1 by tubercular peritonitis, 1 by chronic bronchitis, and 4 by pneumonia. The
deaths out of hospital were both from phthisis, one of the men being on furlough, and the other
on sick leave. The former showed no sign of the disease on leaving the regiment.
Of the men who died, five had served in the Malay Peninsula, and two had suffered
severely from fever and dysentery during the expedition.
XVIII. Epidemics.— There was a slight outbreak of small-pox, 3 sepoys and 2 children
being attacked. They were at once removed to the small-pox hospital. Only 2 of the cases
were at all severe, and all made good recoveries. The treatment consisted mainly in the
outward application of carbolized oil, which I believe very greatly diminishes the severity of
the disease and the risk of infection, the fœtor being almost entirely done away with.
All these cases had been previously vaccinated or inoculated.
XIX. Vaccination.— Three recruits and 53 children were vaccinated. during the year.
All in the regiment are protected by vaccination or inoculation. Most of the recruits have
undergone the latter process in Nepal.
XX. R e c o mme n d a t i o n s . —T h e
r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s h a v e b e e n m e r e l y v e r b a l o n e s r e l a t i v e t o
clothing, duties, &c., and have always been acted upon.
Inspection.—Deputy Surgeon-General G. H. Ray, M.D., inspected the
regiment on the 27th of November 1877. The men were comfortably accommo-
dated, the barracks being clean, roomy and well ventilated. All sanitary
arrangements were satisfactory. The hospital had been lengthened and other-
wise improved, and affords ample and good accommodation. Quarters for ser-
vants are much wanted. The hospital equipment was serviceable, and all the
arrangements for the care of the sick satisfactory. The men were in good
health, and the station free of unusual sickness.
Princ ipal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.