76

MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.

Principal causes of
sickness.

        XVI. Principal causes of sickness. —The following is a list of the ten diseases which have
caused the largest number of admissions during the year, beginning with that from which there
have been most admissions: 1st, fevers (306); 2nd, dysentery (33); 3rd, blisters of feet (30);
4th, boil (27); 5th, itch (25); 6th, primary syphilis (24); 7th, ulcer (20); 8th, dyspepsia (14);
9th, diarrhœa (13); 10th, bronchitis chr. (10).

        The admissions for fevers during 1876 were more than double those of the year
preceding, and precisely twice as numerous as in the year 1874. This increase is not
the result solely of greater prevalence of these fevers, but partly, I think, to the abandonment
of the practice of keeping slight cases under observation, or allowing them to remain in
the lines and not bearing them on the hospital registers. The number of admissions for itch
is much higher than in the years 1873, 1874, and 1875. It is also noticeable, though it may be
a mere coincidence, that most of these cases occurred amongst recruits.

Mortality.

        XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —There were only three deaths in hospital during
the year, one from cholera, one from chronic rheumatism, and one from ague and diarrhœa.

Epidemics.

        XVIII. Epidemics. —There have been none.

Vaccination.

        XIX. Vaccination. —None. All the recruits I have examined have either had small-pox,
or been vaccinated in childhood.

Recommenda-
tions.

        XX. Recommendations made during the year.— A recommendation was made that it
should be impressed upon hospital havildars that it is a part of their duty to see that any man
in hospital for whom a special diet has been ordered shall restrict himself to that diet.
The deficient air-space in the huts, as detailed in paragraph V., still exists, but it is
intended shortly to add 25 feet to the length of each hut, and to introduce doors into both
side walls and into the gable ends. A requisition has been submitted to the Public Works
Department for one of the hospital wells to be made 'pucca' throughout. The cost of
paving the main drain in the line is under estimate.

         2nd Regiment (Queen's Omn) Bengal Eight Infantry—Fyzabad.

Medical
Officers.

        I. Medical Officers. —Surgeon A. Baird Seaman was in medical charge of
the regiment during the
year, and has compiled the
following report:—

Location and
movements.

        II. Location and movements.—
On the 1st of January 1876
the head-quarters and five com-
panies of the regiment marched
into Benares en route from Dina-
pore to their new station Fyzabad,
the remaining three companies
having proceeded there some weeks
before by rail. They were on
guard and other duties connected
with the visit of the Prince
of Wales to Benares for a week.
and on the 8th of January they continued the march to Fyzabad, arriving there on the
19th. No unusual sickness occurred, and the journey was accomplished without inconvenience
or difficulty. The entire regiment has been stationed at Fyzabad since the 19th January 1877,
and no detachment has been furnished.

Topography.

        III. Topography. —The topography of Fyzabad has been fully described in former
annual reports, more especially in that of Surgeon Richmond for the year 1868.

Meteorology.

        IV Meteorology. —The year was a trying one at Fyzabad. A very high temperature
prevailed from the beginning of May until the end of September, the mean heat
for those months varying only from 87 to 91 degrees; the lowest temperature recorded
in this period was 80 degrees. The mean temperature in June was 91, and in May,
July and August 88, and in September only one degree lower. The effect of this continuous
and prolonged heat on European constitutions was most marked, and an unusual amount of
lassitude and exhaustion was induced. The rains were also very unsatisfactory; a little more
than three inches of rain fell on the 18th, 20th and 22nd of June, after which no more rain
fell until the 23rd of July, and these weeks were exceptionally trying. The rainfall of July
was more meagre; it only rained on three days, and less than three inches of rain fell
altogether. In August it rained on three days and 4¼ inches fell; in September, 10 days, with
9 inches; in October, 5 days, with 5½ inches. The rains ceased entirely on October 15th, and
the total rainfall was only 26.30 inches,—an unusually small amount.

Lines.

        V. Lines. —Each company has four barracks; each barrack is divided into four com-
partments, in each of which sometimes four and sometimes five men live. Between the
lines of huts are rows of trees affording pleasant shade. The lines are always clean and
neat and well ordered; they are, on the whole, fairly satisfactory as regards the accommodation
they supply.