69
DEESA.
The statistics of this station must be read with the caution that the
weakly men from corps stationed in it are sent up to Abu for the hot weather
and rains ; but making due allowance for this element of error, there can be no
doubt that Deesa is a healthier station for Europeans than Ahmedabad. The
following contrasted statement for the 10 years, 1870-79, is extracted from the
vital statistics of the European Army in India :-
Stations.
Average Strength.
ADMITTED INTO THE HOSPITAL PER 1,000 OP AVERAGE STRENGTH FOR PERIOD OF 10 YEARS, 1870-79.
Admission Rate from causes.
Daily Suck Rate per 1,000 of Strength.
Death-rate.
Cholera.
Enteric Fever.
Other Fevers.
Apoplexy.
Dysentery.
Diarrha.
Hepatitis.
Spleen Disease.
Respiratory Disease.
Phthisis Pulmonalis.
Vernereal Diseases.
Eye Diseases.
Deesa
7,065
0.7
3.0
506.0
8.9
18.8
39.6
43.8
5.5
70.1
10.6
157.3
33.5
1,329.7
50
17.56
Ahmedabad
2,735
7.3
5.1
914.8
12.8
16.5
107.5
29.6
4.0
55.9
6.6
163.1
26.3
2,044.6
58.9
28.88
The rarity of cholera and the smaller ratio of admissions from enteric fever
at Deesa are very noticeable, whilst fevers and diarrha are much below the
rates at Ahmedabad.
The fevers, too, are of a much less severe type, as the admission rate in the
two stations during the 10 years from intermittent and remittent fevers was as
follows :-
Stations.
ADMISSION RATS PER 1,000 OF STRENGTH.
Intermittent Fever.
Remittent Fever.
Deesa
433.0
75.0
Ahmedabad
507.1
407.7
It is right, however, to state that a small detachment at Baroda from 1870 to
1875 is included in the statistics for Ahmedabad. The mean diurnal range of
temperature at Deesa is high, being 22. It is as usual least during the monsoon
months.
The Infantry Barracks at Deesa are old and not up to the requirements of
the present day. The Artillery Barracks are situated too near the confines of
the cantonment, and a filthy village outside it is in much too close propinquity
to them, whilst the Sadar Bzr is also to windward of these barracks,
though at a considerable distance. The surface drainage in the Artillery Lines
is reported to be inadequate. It has lately been improved in the Infantry
Lines.
At Deesa there is the great advantage of a filtering medium of sand, before
the water level is reached, of about 40 or 50 feet in thickness.
There have however been some bad outbreaks of enteric fever at Deesa,
especially among the Artillery.
In 1877 there was one admission from enteric fever in the B/2, late B/4
R. A., but the man recovered, and there are no particulars on record about
this case.
B 357-18