2
Nccessaries of
life.
3. Necessaries of life.— In 1874 the rainfall was good, the crops above the
average, the food-supply abundant, and prices moderate; in 1875 the rainfall
was seriously deficient, the crops scanty, and the prices steadily rising; in the
year under review the ominous warnings of the preceding year culminated in a
famine of grain and of water, in the establishment of relief-camps and institution
of relief-works, and in widespread suffering and mortality from starvation and
pestilence.
Strength of
the Native
Army.
| Years. | Strength. | ||
| Present. | Absent. | Total. | |
| 1872 | 28,772 | 1,321 | 30,093 |
| 1873 | 28,162 | 1,493 | 29,665 |
| 1874 | 28,301 | 1,663 | 29,964 |
| 1875 | 27,791 | 2,465 | 30,256 |
| 1876 | 27,737 | 2,813 | 30,550 |
4. Strength of the Native Army. —Th table in the margin exhibits the strength
of the Native Army for the year under
review, as well as for the antecedent
four years. In 1876 the strength aggre-
gated 30,550, of which aggregate 27,737
were present for duty and 2,813 were
absent. The class of absentees includes
men on sick leave, on furlough, and on
detachment duty where there was no
medical officer. The proportion of
absentees was 9.27 per cent.; in 1872 it
was 4.39 per cent. and has been steadily rising since that year, probably in,
consequence of the greater facilities which now exist for sending men to their own
localities for change of air.
Distribution
of the force.
| Military Command. | Average Strength present. |
| Presidency Division | 2,824 |
| Northern. District | 2,627 |
| Southern do. | 3,257 |
| Malabar and Canara | 1,962 |
| Mysore | 3,206 |
| Ceded Districts | 1,537 |
| Hyderabad Subsidiary Force | 3,201 |
| Nagpore Force | 2,907 |
| British Burmah Division | 2,713 |
| Saugor Circle | 2,865 |
| Bengal | 638 |
| Total | 27,737 |
5. Distribution of the force. —The
distribution of the army is given in the
marginal table. The table requires no
comment beyond this, that 15,530 men
served in provinces beyond the Civil
Administration of the Government of
Madras.
Health of the
troops.
| Years. | Admitted. | Daily Sick. | Total Deaths. |
Invalided | |
| For Dis- charge. |
For Sick Leave. |
||||
| 1873 | 24,633 | 820 | 274 | 578 | 540 |
| 1874 | 22,981 | 867 | 297 | 885 | 636 |
| 1875 | 22,183 | 842 | 357 | 911 | 729 |
| Average | 23,265 | 843 | 309 | 791 | 635 |
| 1876 | 21,338 | 770 | 384 | 913 | 588 |
| Years. | Rate per Cent. of Strength to | ||||
| Admissions | Daily Sick. |
Total Deaths. |
Invalided for | ||
| Dis- charge. |
Sick Leave. |
||||
| 1873 | 87.46 | 2.91 | .92 | 1.94 | 1.82 |
| 1874 | 81.20 | 3.06 | .99 | 2.95 | 2.12 |
| 1875 | 79.82 | 3.02 | 1.17 | 3.01 | 2.40 |
| Average | 82.82 | 2.99 | 1.02 | 2.63 | 2.11 |
| 1876 | 76.92 | 2.77 | 1.38 | 3.29 | 2.11 |
6. Health of the troops. —Tables IV
and V embody the principal facts
touching the health state of the army
during the year under review. The
total number admitted was less than the
average aggregate of the antecedent
three years by 1,927; the aggregate of
daily sick was less than the corresponding
average aggregate by 73, but the casual-
ties were greater by 75. The mortality
figure has been gradually rising since
1872 inclusive, which fact, taken in
connection with the increase in the
invalided, seems to show that the inci-
dence of disease if becoming somewhat
more general, is at the same time
becoming more serious as regards
results.