198

MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.

    The total number of admissions came to 706 against 628 of the previous year; the
increased admissions in 1876 having been principally due to the malarious fever, which caused
352 admissions in 1876 as compared with 273 cases in 1875. The admissions from pneumonia
were less than previous year; three having occurred in the year under report, and six in the
former year.

Principal
causes of
mortality.

    XVII. Principal causes of mortality. —Three men died at head-quarters, and none on
detachment duty, &c., or out of hospital. One death occurred from remittent fever, one from
pleurisy, and one from congestion of the spleen.

Epidemics.

    XVIII. Epidemics. —Several cases of cholera occurred in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, but
scarcely any occurred in the station and none in the 3rd Punjab Cavalry.

Vaccination.

    XIX. Vaccinaion. —Seventeen sowars were vaccinated during the year with perfectly
successful results in each case. Besides these men, several camp followers were also
successfully vaccinated.

Recommenda-
tions.

    XX. Recommendations. —On the march to Delhi and on arrival there, straw was placed
under the men's bedding in tents and in hospital on account of the damp and tendency to
malarious fever. For the same reason, both cloth coats and over-coats were brought into use
earlier than usual at the recommendation of the Medical Officers.

2nd Regiment Sikh Infantry—Dera Ismail Khan.

Medical
Officers.

    I. Medical Officers. —The following Officers have been in medical charge
during the year: Surgeon-
Major Cookson, from 1st
January to about the 1st
February; Surgeon J. Duke,
from 1st to 8th February;
Surgeon T. Robinson, M.B.,
from 8th February to 31st
December. No wing was
detached during the year.
The detachments detailed
in the following paragraph
were under the care of hos-
pital assistants. Surgeon T.
Robinson, M.B., has prepar-
ed the annual sanitary report.

Location and
movements.

    II. Location and movements. —The head-quarters were at Dera Ismail Khan from 1st
January to 14th March; on 15th March they moved into camp out towards the Zam outpost
for inspection by, and exercise under, the Brigadier General commanding the Punjab Frontier
Force. Returned to cantonments on the 28th March; continued there until 20th October, when
the regiment began its march to the Imperial Assemblage at Delhi, where it arrived on 16th
December and continued at Delhi until the close of the year. The following detachments
were sent out during the year, the time absent and the average number of men being given
for each:

    The detachments at Shekh Budin, besides having a hospital assistant, were under the care
of the civil medical officer annually appointed to that place.

Topography
and physical
geography.

    III. Topography and physical geography. —These have been fully described in former
reports. It may, however, be stated that the cantonment has been in great peril from the
encroachments of the Indus, but the efforts made to turn the course of the river have been
successful, and the main channel is now some four miles from the station.

Meteorology.

    IV. Meteorology and climate. —The only instrument for reference is a common thermometer.
The temperature both by day and by night was rather high from the middle of June to the
middle of August, but not oppressively so. It did not appear to exercise any injurious in-
fluence on the health of the men; in fact, the admissions to hospital and the duration of the
cases were less during that time than during an equal period at any other time of the year.

Lines &c.

    V. Lines, barracks or huts. The men are lodged in barracks: half a company in one
barrack, which is divided by a central longitudinal wall into two rooms. The number of men
constantly in each varies, many being always absent on furlough or outpost duty, so that there
is no probability of overcrowding at any time. They are fairly ventilated, and have been in
good order throughout the year. The lines are shaded by numerous well-grown trees.