Special observ-
ations.
Efforts to ex-
clude cholera
64
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Cholera among
emigrants.
Measures
adopted to
guard the
station.
Vaccination.
Sickness due
in a new
b heer.
Type of the
disease.
Hypodermic
use of quinine.
Description
of the bheer.
From the special report on the outbreak of cholera among the emigrants as seen at Goona,
which I had the honor to submit in December, it will be seen that 75 cases were treated with
a mortality of 60 per cent. This large mortality is to be attributed not only to the severity
of the type of the disease, but also to the reduced condition of the patients from extreme
poverty previous to attack, and the late stage in which treatment is generally commenced.
Measures were adopted to guard the station against contamination by
these emigrants. These have been fully detailed in the special report, and
apparently proved successful. They consisted mainly in diverting the stream of
travellers, protecting the city from suspicious visitors, and treating those actual-
-ly seized in special segregated places.
XIX. Vaccination.— None of the men have been vaccinated, as they are all protected by
previous vaccination, or by having already suffered from the disease. Many of the children
have been vaccinated.
XXI. Special observations.— The past year has been a more than ordinarily anxious
one. For a long time before its actual appearance, we had been anticipating an outbreak of
cholera among the wretched, impoverished emigrants, who were wandering about aimlessly
throughout these provinces; and when at last it did break out, the prevention of its access
i nt o our l i nes, as wel l as t he effort t o al l evi at e t he sufferi ngs of t he emi grant s t hemsel ves, ful l y
occupied all our attention. Most fortunately not a single sowar was attacked in the lines, as
I have already noted, but such a result was not obtained without a very constant supervision
over the means employed to cut off all communication between our lines and the native city
and emigrants. The difficulty of keeping up this strict quarantine, especially with reference
to the city, naturally increased the longer it was continued ; many devices latterly were resorted
to in order to obtain access to the city bazar, and in some cases no doubt successfully ;
but on the whole, as the result showed, our efforts were successful.
Owing to the miserable crop of grass on our own bheer this year (its supply usually amply
suffices for our wants), we were compelled to preserve the grass on another one about 18 to 20
miles to the north of the station. This spot proved to be a most unhealthy one for the men
who were sent out there on guard. With two exceptions they all contracted a severe form of
intermittent fever, characterised by high temperature, great gastric irritability, some congestion
of the liver, and a marked degree of jaundice. Had there not been a distinct apyrectic interval
daily (in the early morning), these cases would have been looked upon as severe cases of
remittent fever. They were very obstinate to treatment, and even when in time the fever
subsided, there was a marked tendency to its recurrence after a few days, usually in the
course of about a week, in spite of the continued use of quinine. Most of the eases were
treated at the commencement with full doses of sulphate of quinine by mouth : but as they
did not improve sufficiently rapidly in this way, the same drug was given hypodermically.
In most instances this proved more succesful. I may here note parenthetically that I have
administered this drug in this way to a large number of patients during the year—to
" in-patients " as well as to " out-patients, "—and in no single case did any severe local in-
flammatory symptoms supervene). Four of these patients were so debilitated from the con-
stant recurrence in its severest form of this fever, that I recommended them to be granted
sick leave, which was done. I myself visited this place some time later, but could not discover
any reason why it should have proved so unhealthy. The ground upon which they were
encamped was excellently drained, as there was a deep ravine (about 100 feet deep) with rocky
precipitous sides close at hand into which all the water of the surrounding country must have
percolated. A t the bottom of this ravine was a running stream of clear water. Had the men
used this water instead of that in a neighbouring stagnant nuddee, they possibly might not
have suffered; but with characteristic indifference, not wishing to take the additional trouble
involved in going down to the bottom of the ravine they all used the stagnant water. Their
camp, moreover, was on the edge of a rising portion of red laterite soil which bordered a
patch of black cotton soil under cultivation.
Location and
movements.
M e m b e r B h c c l C o r p s — B h e r m a r a .
I. Medical officer.—T h e
annual report is written by Surgeon W. A. Sim-
monds, who officiated in
medical charge throughout
the year.
II . Location and movements.—
H e a d - q u a r t e r s h a v e r e m a i n e d a t
Kherwara with an average
present strength of 356.75. The
Kotra detachment has remained
stationary throughout the year
with an average present strength
of 133.75. The Oodeypore escort
has averaged for the year a present
strength of 55.66. This escort
accompanied the Resident at the
Oodeypore Durbar to Delhi in
November 1876, returning 8th
February 1877. Portions of it
YEAR.
STATION.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH.
Admissions. Deaths.
D a i l y
sick.
1872
. Kherwara .
.
.
148.9
l.2
4.02
1873
.
Ditto
.
.
.
152.9
1.13
5.41
1874
Ditto
.
.
.
92.2
1.55
4.13
1875
Ditto
.
.
.
87.61
.99
2.25
1876
.
Ditto
.
.
.
146.13
.84
4.23
Average
.
125.35
1.14
4.00
1877
. Kherwara .
.
.
124.47
1.26
3.22