Epidemics.
Cholera.
Small-pox.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
36
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
PERIOD.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
STATION.
From
To
Strength.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Admis-
sions
Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Cawnpore . 1st Jan. 1877 . 31st Dec. 1877
614.25
457
1
13.65 74.40
.16
2.22
Number of deaths in hospital, 1; out of hospital, 1; total
2; per cent. of total strength
. .28
" invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
28;
"
"
.
.
3.98
„
sent on sick leave .
.
.
.
.
.
.
6;
"
,,
. . .85
"
of days spent in hospital 4,985; per admission
.
10.9; per man of total strength .
. 7.10
"
"
on sick leave 1,004; per man .
.
167.3;
„
.
. 1.43
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
. 8.53
The principal causes of admission into hospital were,—injuries (103)
mostly slight ; fevers (95), also slight and readily curable by cinchona febrifuge ;
stomach and bowel complaints (55), including 20 cases of dysentery, which
yielded readily to large doses of ipecacuanha ; abscesses, ulcers and boils (52) ;
and venereal complaints (44). These were contracted in the sudder bazar,
where the lock-hospital arrangements do not exercise any influence. There
were 23 cases of ehest disease and 17 of rheumatism.
XVI. Principal causes of mortality.—One death occurred from diarrhœa in hospital.
The man had been suffering from ague for a long time, and was very weak when cold
and wet weather set in. Diarrhœa supervened, and the patient succumbed to the disease.
There was one death also out of hospital in the line. A young sepoy, whilst on guard, shot
himself with his rifle. He took off his right boot, and, lying down, pulled the trigger with his
toes, placing the muzzle of the rifle against the navel. The fifth and sixth dorsal vertebræ
were splintered, and the spinal chord torn across. The reason for the suicide was not known.
Death appeared instantaneous.
XVIII. Epidemics.— Cholera and small-pox. (1) Cholera.—The first case of cholera.
reported in the Cawnpore district was on the 12th June 1877, and the reports for the months
from that time were as follows :—June, 53 cases and 23 deaths ; July, 20 cases and 9 deaths ;
August, 18 cases and 8 deaths. None occurred among the troops in the station. (2). Small-pox.
About the middle of November cases of small-pox commenced to occur in the city of Cawnpore,
and, judging from the reports sent in, the epidemic must have been a severe one to the end of the
year. There were reported in the city :—November, 70 cases and 70 deaths ; December, 602
cases and 303 deaths. In cantonments (sudder bazar) cases began to occur early in December,
and during the month 115 cases were reported with 4 deaths. In the district of Cawnpore,
within 5 miles of cantonments, small-pox began to occur, according to the reports, at the end
of December. Eighteen cases were recorded and 2 deaths. Among the native troops in the
station, including regimental camp-followers, there occurred 8 cases of the disease ; 4 in the
31st Punjab Native Infantry and 4 in the 15th Bengal Cavalry.
The totals of the cases are in
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
The City.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
672
373
Cantonment bazar
.
.
.
.
.
.
115
4
Cawnpore district (5 miles radius)
.
.
. 18
2
Native troops
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 8
...
Total
.
.
.
.
.
813
379
Small pox in
the 31st
Native
Infantry.
Vaccination.
In the 31st Regiment - Punjab Native Infantry only one case of small-pox occurred among
the sepoys, in a drummer, and this man had been residing in the city on leave (with a daughter),
where disease was prevalent. He returned to his house in the lines on the 1st December and on
the 7th the disease appeared in him, and the next day on his child. Both had been vaccinated.
In the drummer the disease ran an irregular course, and proved abortive; the child had the
disease in a mild form. These two cases were treated in a tent pitched for the purpose, and
isolated from the lines and hospital. The house in the lines was well fumigated with sulphur,
" leeped," and closed for 10 days. On the 10th December a third case of small-pox occurred in
the lines of the regiment, in a child of a khalassi, and a fourth on the 20th December in the
child of a sweeper. Both cases were sent to the city small-pox hospital near " General Gunj "
for treatment. In cantonments there is no special arrangement for the treatment of epidemic
diseases among camp-followers and native residents of bazars. The localities where the disease
has appeared have been placed out of " bound" for soldiers and regimental camp-followers.
XIX. Vaccination.— Every sepoy and camp-follower in the lines of the regiment is now
in a protected state from small-pox. In 1876 it was carefully ascertained what numbers among
the sepoys were in an unprotected state, and these were vaccinated during November and
December of that year. During November of 1877 all the recruits of the year were examined
by me, and two lads were vaccinated; the rest bore marks of small-pox on their person. Some
had the marks of inoculation—the Pathan portion. The camp-followers were also examined
at the same time, and 41 children have been vaccinated during November and December of the