Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Inspection.
3
PRESIDENCY DISTRICT.
prescribe in fever cases. My experience is, when quinine has to be given at all, it should be
administered in full doses—in fact, until the therapeutic action of the drug is fully induced.
Under this mode of treatment, the fever is not so liable to recur, and the consequence is a
fewer number of admissions. Another and very influential cause affecting the total admis
-
sions from all causes, but probably fever in particular, was the number (48) of old and broken
-
down sepoys, who were invalided early in the year. The second cause of admission was
dysentery. Of this disease there were 70 cases, all of whom, it is very satisfactory to have
to state, recovered. Blister of the foot, as before stated, took the third place. Chest
affections were the next cause in order of frequency—41 eases in 1874 against 44 in 1873.
The next disease of importance was diarrhœa, there being 29 admissions during the year.
As before noted, there has been a very remarkable decrease in the number of admissions from
this cause, nearly 50 per cent. less than last year, viz., 29 in 1874 to 56 in 1873. The
Other diseases causing admission were of minor importance, with the exception of venereal
disease, which gave in all 22 admissions—13 from primary syphilis, 1 from secondary syphilis,
and 8 from gonorrhœa.
I found it quite impossible to trace the locality where the sepoy contracted the disease.
I had, however, reason to suspect that those who got disease were in the habit of visiting the
Kidderpore bazar, the women of which are not subject to the Contagious Diseases' Act.
XVII.—Principal causes of mortality.—The following statement, in tabular form, gives all
the information regarding the deaths "in hospital":—
Large doses of
quinine.
Dysentery.
Blister of foot.
Chest diseases.
Diarrhœa.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
DISEASE.
Died.
Total number
treated.
Per cent. of total
treated.
Per cent. of total
strength pre-
sent.
90 Tetanus . . .
1
1
100
.16
306 (a) Bronchitis . . .
1
9
11.11
.16
464 Enteritis . . .
1
1
100
.16
557 (a) Cystitis . . .
1
4
25
.16
905 General debility . . .
3
5
60
.49
Per cent. of total strength present . . .
1.16
XIX. Vaccination .—None of the men were vaccinated during the year, but the regiment
is considered to be pretty well protected from small-pox.
Deputy Surgeon-General C. R. Francis, M. B., inspected this hospital on the 7th October
1871; he found all the hospital arrangements in a very satisfactory state, and the patients
well cared for. The conservancy arrangements were excellent: the latrine designed by Dr.
Cowie* is described as being as good, if not better than, any he had ever seen, "being simple,
effective, and cheap."
XVIII. Epidemics.—There was no outbreak of epidemic disease during the year.
Surgeon-Major Barnett was in medical charge during the entire year.
The regiment was station
-ed at Ballygunge during
the year, with the excep
-tion of a detachment of
22 men sent to Dacca
as a special escort to the
Viceroy from 31st July to
9th August, a detachment
of 28 men with the Vice
-
roy at Hazáribagh from
6th October to 10th Nov
-
ember, and 21 men on es
-
cort duty at Sonepore from
22nd November till 9th
December.
YEAR.
STATION.
PERCENT ON STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths. Daily sick.
1869 . . . Dehra-Dún . . .
156.5
1.5
3 . 8
1870 . . . Ballygunge, Nov. 1869.
233.9
.87
5.6
1871 . . . Ditto . . .
197.5
.11
6.07
1872 . . . Ditto . . .
276.7
. . .
5.98
1873 . . . Ditto . . .
201.8
1.16
3.86
Average . . .
. . .
213.3
.73
5.06
1874 . . . Ballygunge . . .
151.2
1.15
3.3
Location and
movements.
The rain-fall during 1874 was above the average, and the heat was not exces
-
sive. The men of the body-guard have ample barrack accommodation, according
Meteorology.
* Vide report for 1873 page 2.