149
PESHAWAR DISTRICT.
country was quite unsuited for cavalry, the regiment was unable to take any active part in the
operations. We remained a few days encamped in front of the village of Kandao. On the
7th December we were ordered to encamp in front of the Shirgussa Pass, through which one
of the columns under Colonel Buchanan advanced on Bori. We remained at Shirgussa
till the end of the year, with the exception of a few days spent at Fort Mackeson. The
encamping ground is situated about half a mile in front of the Pass; it is a fairly elevated site
intersected by large nullahs. The soil is soft and porous, and there is a good deal of sand and
shingle mixed with it, the detritus of the neighbouring hills. The rocks in the hills are chiefly
limestone, and the water is highly impregnated with salts of lime. The bed of a stream
running through the Bori rocks is quite white from the deposit of chalk on the gravel. The
water for the troops was obtained from a spring at the base of the Shirgussa ridge. It was
probably free from organic impurities, at least at first, but it is very hard. According to
recent authorities, this latter point is not of much importance in a hygienic point of view; its
chief disadvantage being that it leads to the loss of much soap and is therefore unfavorable
to cleanliness. The source of the water is liable to be polluted by the washings from the ridge,
where a considerable portion of the troops had bivouacked for several nights, and where a
strong party has been encamped since the beginning of the campaign. It is a significant
fact that three cases of typhoid fever occurred among the British Officers in camp. No
strict system of conservancy was carried out for the camp in general, and a great many of
the native soldiers, and most of the camp-followers, resorted to the nullahs all round, which are
filthy in the extreme. The health of the regiment has been excellent all through. Slight
cases of dysentery and diarrhea were common, but there was almost a complete absence of
chest affections.
XIV. Hospital.—The deficiencies in the hospital were adverted to in last year's report.
The accommodation has been sufficient this year, owing to the exceptionally healthy state of
the regiment, the average daily sick being a little over 11. There are no quarters for
subordinates. The latrine is suitable and the dry-earth system carried out.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.—Strength of the regiment—
Present
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 385.56
Absent
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
70.57
Total
.
. 456.13
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
STATIONS.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Admis
- sions. Deaths.
Head - quarters at Peshawar . 1st Jan.
. 30th Nov.
.
318.34
320
1
10.69 109.85
.34
3.35
Ditto
Shirgussa . 30th Nov.
. 31st Dec.
.
257.
13
...
2.
59.55
...
.77
Depôt at Peshawar
.
.
Ditto
.
Ditto
.
96.
15
...
9.24 178.12
...
9.62
Detachment at Fort Shab-
kadar.
1st Jan.
.
5th Jan.
50.
17
...
.57 86.5
...
1.14
Ditto
ditto
.
. 20th Feb,
.
6th May
Ditto
ditto
.
.
6th July
6th Sept.
Detachment at Fort Michni.
1st Jan.
.
5th Jan.
4 8 .
32
. . .
1.22 139 80 ...
2.54
Ditto
ditto
.
. 20th Feb.
.
7th April
Ditto
ditto
.
.
6th May
.
6th .July
Ditto
ditto
.
.
6th Sep.
.
3rd Nov.
Detachment at Fort Abazai
3rd Jan.
.
2nd Feb.
.
50.
...
...
...
...
...
...
Ditto
Fort Mackeson 27th „
.
5th
„
.
60.
3
...
1.04 223.47
...
2.12
Ditto
ditto
.
. 26th Oct.
. 30th Nov.
.
150.
23
...
3.02 171.39
...
2.26
TOTAL
.
. . . . . .
. . . . . . 385.36 423
1
11.92 109.71
.25
3.09
Number of deaths in hospital, 1; out of hospital, 1; total
2; per cent. of total strength .
.43
„
invalided
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
19;
„ „
.
4.16
„
sent on sick leave
.
.
.
.
.
3;
„ „
.
.65
„
of days spent in hospital, 4,273; per admission
10 . 1 ; per man of total strength .
9.36
„ „
on sick leave 496; per man
. 165.33;
„
„
1.80
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
.
. 10.44
A comparison with tormer years will show that the regiment was never before so healthy.
There were only 3 men sent on sick leave, against 31 last year, and the temporary loss
of service per man, which last year was 32.2 days, has fallen this year to 10.4. This ,remark-
able improvement is due to the general good health of the year and to the sanitary improve-
ments which have been carried out in the lines.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Ague caused 267 admissions, against 516 last year.
There was no marked increase during the autumnal months. Dysentery caused 23, ulcers 14,
rheumatism 15, and contusions 26 admissions. There was one rather remarkable case of a
gun-shot wound. The man was hit by a Sneider bullet in the abdomen a little to the left of
the stomach, and the bullet was found lodged under the skin near the 3rd lumbar vertebra.
It was thought at the time that the bullet must have gone through the abdomen, but there
were no prominent symptoms of shock or internal hæmorrhage. He wasi n
a p r e c a r i o u s
condition for some weeks. He is now nearly well.
Principal.
causes of
sickness.
N 1