20

SKETCH OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BOMBAY.

Caste.

      The admissions and deaths according to caste were as follows:—

Ages.

      From the following statement showing the number and average length of the service of
the native commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and pri-
vates, on 1st January 1872, it will be seen that there is a large propor-
tion of young sepoys in the regiment. The figures, however, are only approximate, as many of
the men enlisted about 1857, must have understated their ages:—

Health.

      As anticipated by the late Medical Superintendent, Deputy Inspector-General Turner, in
his Annual Report for 1871, the sickness during the past year con-
trasts very favourably with that of the preceding year, as shown in the
following statement, but the improvement is not due to the men being more acclimatized.
When the regiment arrived at Aden, the men were decidedly much below par, having been
employed on hard labour—building lines at Belgaum—and being in debt were unable to in-
crease their ordinary diet which, though sufficient for the performance of routine duty, was
quite inadequate for hard labour. Again, ague and dengue were epidemic during 1871; where-
as during the year under review, these diseases only existed to a slight extent, and debt and
hard work were almost unknown. Although the actual sickness is not excessive, still the
general health of natives of India gradually deteriorates during a residence at Aden.

Sickness.

      The very great decrease in the number of admissions and the comparatively high average
daily number of sick, show that in 1872 the diseases were more chronic
in nature. In the following statement, the admissions to hospital
during the past two years, are compared according to disease:—