Sickness,
mortality and invaliding.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
Fevers.
Cinchona
febrifuge.
Dysentery.
Diarrhoea.
Dyspepsia.
Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics
Vaccination.
Location
and movements.
Ventilation.
Drainage.
Conservancy
Water.
Food.
Boots.
Duties.
H o s p i t a l .
18
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
XV. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regiment :—
Present
211.34
Absent
31.23
Total
242.57
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average number of si ck.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis-
sions.
Deaths.
Admis-
sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Dacca
1st Jan. 1877 31st Dec. 1877 211.34
319
5
12.20 150.94 2.36
5.77
Number of deaths in hospital, 5; out of hospital, 3; total 8; per cent. of total strength
3.29
,, invalided
3; ,, ,,
1.23
,, sent on sick leave 9; ,, ,,
3.71
,, of days spent in hospital, 4,234 ; per admission 13 . 27; per man of total strength
17.45
,, ,, on sick leave, 1,061; per man 117.88; ,, ,,
4.3
Total temporary loss of service per man of total strength
21.82
XVI. Principal causes of sickness.— The principal diseases causing admission into hospital
were fever, dysentery, diarrhoea and dyspepsia, which together accounted for 219 cases out of
a total of 319.
Fevers—viz., ague (a), ague (b), continued fever, and febricula—amounted to 108 cases, 94;
being ague (a), and 6 ague (b). One man died from ague (a), but the cases that came under
my treatment were of an ordinary character, and readily yielded to the usual remedies. Until
the supply of cinchona febrifuge was exhausted, all the cases were treated with it, and the
result of my experience of it is that it is just as effective as quinine, and I never administered
a larger dose than 10 grains.
Dysentery.—There were 67 admissions on account of this disease, and two deaths before I
took over charge. There were three or four severe cases under my care, but fortunately no man
died ; one man, however, was in a very serious state at the end of the year, and has since died.
Diarrhea was the cause of 23 admissions, the same number as the previous year ;
there was only one death, most of the cases being of a mild type, and not becoming chronic.
One case was sent on sick leave.
Dyspepsia.—There w e r e 2 1 c a s e s o f t h i s d i s e a s e , a l s o e x a c t l y t h e s a m e n u m b e r a s i n t h e
year before. I found this affection by far the most difficult to treat of all. Almost every remedy
to be thought of was tried, but without producing the relief that was hoped for. I think it
is almost entirely due to the water, which, as before stated, is very bad. Then again the men
suffering from it feel disinclined to take any exercise, and sit all day brooding over their mala-
- d i e s , u n t i l t h e y b e c o m e a l m o s t h y p o c h o n d r i a c a l .
The remaining 100 cases treated call for no special notice. Chronic bronchitis heads the
list, giving rise to eight admissions. There was one mild case of scurvy.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality.—There were five deaths in hospital during the year ;
one was from ague (a) two from dysentery, one from diarrhœa, and one from general debility.
XVIII. Epidemics.—There were none.
X I X . V a c c i n a t i o n . — T w e n t ymen were vaccinated before I joined the regiment, 14 success- -
fully and 6 unsuccessfully. There has been no small-pox .
11th Regimeut, madras natibe Intantrp-Dorunda.
Surgeon E. Levinge submits the annual report of this regiment.
II. Location and movements.— The regiment was in camp at Delhi on the 1st January
from Delhi it marched to Dorunda, arriving on the 24th March.
V
. Huts and barracks.—The lines are situated on ground sloping towards the east and
north. The huts are very bad ; several of them fell during the last rains, and they urgently
require repairing. The spaces or streets between the lines of huts are much too narrow. The
drains consist of shallow surface cuttings, which are not sufficient to carry off the surface water,
so that in the wet season the water lodges, and an accumulation of mud in each of the streets
is the consequence. The average number of people in each hut is about four.
Ventilation is deficient.
The drainage of the station generally is said to be good.
T h e g e n e r a l
c o n s e r v a n c y
o f t h e s t a t i o n i s c a r e f u l l y a t t e n d e d t o .
Water, obtained from well, is abundant and good; food supplies plentiful
and wholesome. The boots in use all said to be clumsy and ill-fitting, and cause
much blistering of the feet. Duties are light ; nights in bed S.
The hospital gives ample accommodation, and the men are well supplied
w i t h b e d d i n g .
Sickness,
mortality and
invaliding.
xv. Sickness, mortality and invaliding.— Strength of the regi ment -
Present
625.36
Absent
5 6 . 4 4
Total
681.80