Principal
causes of
mortality.
Epidemics.
Vaccination.
Special
observations.
Cinchona
febrifuge.
198
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
STATION.
PERIOD.
Strength.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF
Daily
average
number
of sick.
PER CENT. OF STRENGTH
PER ANNUM.
From
To
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Admis- sions. Deaths.
Daily
average
sick.
Head-quarters at Shillong and
Dibrugarh . . . 1st Jan. . 31st Dec. . 586 615
3 20.4 104.94 .51 3.48
Detachment at Jowai
. Ditto
. 26th Oct. .
54
29
1
.9 65.55 2.26 1.66
Ditto
Chargola . Ditto
. 2nd Nov. .
50
32 ...
1.3 76.34 . . . 2.6
Ditto
Alinagar . Ditto
. 2nd Nov. .
50
54 ...
3.9 109.38 . . . 7.8
Ditto
Shillong . 26th Oct. . 7th Dec.
227
39 ...
12.1 145.83 ... 5.33
Ditto
Sadiya
. 16th Nov. . 31st Dec.
207
32 ...
5. 0 122.65 ... 2.41
Ditto
Wookah . 9th Nov. . Ditto
58
4
. . .
.7 47.48 ... 1.2
Ditto
Golaghat . 28th Dec. . Ditto
102
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total
. . . ...
791.4 805
4 27.9 101.71 .5 3.52
Number of deaths in hospital, 4; out of hospital 4; total
invalided . . . . . . . .
8; per cent. of total strength .9
"
12; "
"
1.35
"
sent on sick leave . . . . . .
3; "
"
.34
"
of days spent in hospital, 10,186; per admission 12.65; per man of total strength
11.47
"
" on sick leave, 690; per man
230; "
"
.78
Total temporary loss of service per man total strength
12.25
Comparison
with previous
years.
Principal
causes of
sickness.
The health of the regiment in 1877 was better than in any year of which we have record.
This was due to the improved tone produced by a three-years' residence in the healthy climate of
Shillong. In the report for 1876, it was stated that the health of the regiment had undergone
a remarkable improvement. During the past year it improved still further, so that the death-
rate, which in former years never fell below 2 per cent., was only 0.9 in 1877. This reduction
was not due to increased invaliding or removal of weakly men. Only 12 men were invalided,
and 5 discharged on account of disease. As mentioned in last year's report, owing to the
difficult journey to their homes, few cases are likely to derive benefit from sick leave. It
was granted accordingly to only 3 men. The temporary loss of service per man, viz., 12
days, is small, and much below the average of former years.
XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —Ague and dysentery were the chief diseases, the one
accounting for 61, the other for 7 per cent. of the admissions. Rheumatic affections and
chest diseases are next in importance. There were 4 cases of hard chancre and 4 of secondary
syphilis; gonorrhœa caused 12 admissions, and ulcers, boils, and other small sores yielded many
cases. On the whole, the sickness for the year was very light, and contrasts most favorably
with former years.
XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —The deaths in hospital were,—ague 1 at Jowai ;
diarrhœa 1, dysentery 1, pneumonia 1, at head-quarters. The deaths out of hospital were
phthisis 1, dysentery 1, atheromatous disease of aorta 1 (this man died suddenly at head-
quarters), and chronic bronchitis 1 ; total 8.
XVIII. Epidemics. —No epidemics. Three cases of the mildest form of modified (abortive)
small-pox occurred in Shillong in April. Had the disease not been prevalent at the time
amongst the Khasias, one would have had some difficulty in diagnosing these cases. Eight men
(recruits) were vaccinated during the year; 4 were successful, 4 unsuccessful. On enlistment,
a note of the state of protection of recruits is made, and all doubtful cases are vaccinated at the
proper season ; all the old sepoys are protected.
Recommenda- tions.
XX. Recommendations. —The prohibition of the use of the water of a well in the lines in
Shillong, was recommended in April, pending analysis by the Chemical Examiner. Four cases of
diarrhœa and one of enteric fever occurred in that month, so it was thought that the well water
was at fault. The analytic report was on the whole favorable; so, as the men liked the
water, they were afterwards permitted to use it. Other verbal recommendations were made
from time to time, and were immediately attended to.
XXI. Special observations.— A number of cases of ague were treated with Tinct. Eucalypti
globuli in Shillong. They all did well under its use, recovering more slowly than when
treated with quinine. For severe cases, e. g., of remittent fever, I would not depend on it.
The cinchona febrifuge has been used almost entirely for treatment of ague in the latter
half of the year, and with most favorable results. For all ordinary cases I consider it, in
proportional doses, as efficacious as quinine.
Inspection.
Inspection. —The regiment was medically inspected by Deputy Surgeon-
General W. H. Adley on the 8th of January. He found the sanitary state of
the lines satisfactory. A crop of sugarcane had been grown on the trenched
latrine land, but there was some difficulty in disposing of it, owing to prejudice
arising from the method of its cultivation. The hospital was in excellent