62
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Return of
rainfall.
of the rice, maize and bajra crops, and the unwonted demand upon our supplies by the large
number of emigrants wandering throughout these provinces. As the year has been so remark-
able in its rainfall I here give an analysis of it in greater detail than usual.
Month.
Total fall
in
inches.
Nfimber of
days on which
it fell.
Date of fall (inclusive).
January .
.
.
.
.
. . .
...
Februar
.
•
.
.
1.46
1
6th instant.
March
.
.
.
. .
...
...
April
.
.
.
.
.
. . .
...
. . .
May
.
.
.
.
.
0 . 6 1
3
4th, 7th, and 17th instant.
June
.
.
.
.
.
4.44
7
3rd, 7th, 24th, 25th, 28th to 30th instant.
July
.
.
.
.
.
5.16
6
1st, 13th to 17th instant.
August
.
,
.
.
.
3.06
9
4th to 6th ; 25th to 29th ; 31st instant.
September
.
.
.
.
0.20
1
1st instant.
October .
.
.
.
.
1.80
2
6th, 7th instant.
November .
.
.
.
. . .
...
December .
.
.
.
.
4.26
5
6th to 9th ; 18th instant.
Total
.
20.99
34
Level of sub-
soil water.
Crops.
Lines, conser-
vancy.
Diet.
Cl ot hi ng, &c. .
Thus it becomes apparent that not only was rain deficient in quantity, the usual annual fall
being over 50 inches, but most irregular in its distribution.
With reference to the level of the sub-soil water, no means were at hand for recording it
accurately. I ascertained, however, before the rain of December, that numerous wells, which
usually contain water up to the commencement of the hot weather, had become completely
dry, and others, which at that time of the year generally contained water to a depth of from 6
to 7 feet, then contained only half that quantity. Thus there had been a considerable subsi-
dence of the sub-soil water.
The rain of the 6th and 7th October fell just in time to save the joari crops which were
beginning to droop from the excessive dryness of the soil and air. The rain which commenced
to fall on 6th December, in a manner simulating the commencement of the rainy season pro-
per, was also most opportune, giving an immense impetus to the growth of the cereal crops,
which were just sprouting, and which would otherwise inevitably have perished to a large ex-
tent. Agricultural prospects here were much brightened by this late rain.
No change has taken place as regards the lines or their drainage. Conser-
vancy arrangements continue the same, and the supply of water was ample and
good.
IX. Diet.—The men were unaffected by the increased rate in the price of provisions in the
city, noted in section IV of the present report, since large stores of grain had been massed
sufficient to outlive two years of famine. The men of the regiment therefore were exception-
ally well-off. The price of food for horses, too, in the same way remained unaltered.
As regards clothing, duties and amusements, the report contains nothing
new. The same hospital is in use, and is kept in good repair.
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding,
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment—
Present
. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
302
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
191
Total
.
.
493
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
O F
Daily
average
number of
sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions.
Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Goona
.
1st January . 31st December 266.46
78
1
3.88 29.27
0.37
1.45
Detachment with Agent G.G.
,,
.
2nd March .
20.88
...
...
0.22
. . . ...
1.95
Detachment, Sehore
.
„
. 31st December
30.03
14
...
0.42 46.62
...
1.39
Total
.
...
...
302
92
1
4.52 34.03
.33
1.49
Number of deaths in hospital, 1; out of hospital, 3; total •
4; per cent. of total strength
.
.
0.81
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
6;
„
„
.
.
1.21
„
sent on sick leave .
.
.
.
.
.
11 ;
,,
,,
.
.
2.22
„
of days spent in hospital, 1,650 ; per admission
17.93 ; per man of total strength
.
.
3.34
,,
on sick leave, 1,337; per man
•
121.54;
„
„
.
.
2.71
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
6.05