Sketch of the medical history of the native army of Bombay, for the year 1875. : [The regiments are placed as they stood in the army list of the 1st July 1875].

  • Bombay (Presidency). Military Department.
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketch of the medical history of the native army of Bombay, for the year 1875. : [The regiments are placed as they stood in the army list of the 1st July 1875]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    up a total of this class of disease to 159 cases. Local diseases have rather exceeded the above ; of the nervous system there are 4 admissions, 2 for locomotor ataxy, 1 tetanus (idiopathic), and 1 neuralgia. Diseases of the eye furnish 12 cases of conjunctivitis, ear 3, absorbent system 1, respiratory system 29, digestive system 40, urinary organs 11, generative system 3, organs of locomotion 3, cellular tissue 12, and cutaneous system 46 ; total number of admis- sions of this class 164. General debility gives 5 admissions and injuries 43, viz., burns 2, contusions 24, sprain 9, wound (gun-shot) 1 (accidental and of no importance), fracture 1, wound (simple) 1, and blistered foot 5 ; total admissions, 48. , ... 10. Died from hepatitis 1, remittent fever 1, general Principal Causes of Mortality. , ... r n ... J & dropsy 1, pneumonia 1, and tetanus 1 ; total deaths, 5. 11.4 Hindus, or 0'9 to strength, died; and 1 Mussulman, Mortality according to Race. Qr <3.5 to strength. 12. The following table gives the number of admissions month by month during the year, as well as the rainfall, and it will be observed that gene- In uence o am a . rally the admissions during the rains are more frequent than at other periods of the year. Damp appears to be an active agent in predisposing to disease; but the exposure at night before the monsoon commences, which the men indulge in to escape the great heat of their huts and to court sleep, has a great deal to do with the increased sickness of the rainy months :— ■ Months. Admissions. Deaths. Rainfall. Fevers. Rheumatic Affections. Dysentery. Diarrhoea. Chest Affec- tions. Other Diseases. January 32 5 1 3 23 February 31 10 4 1 1 15 March ... 19 1 5 2 ... 1 11 April ... 43 ... 9 ... ... 3 3 28 May 26 1 6 3 2 1 1 13 June 34 2 22-24 18 1 2 1 2 10 July 39 13‘40 11 1 2 1 5 19 August 35 14-91 8 8 ... ... 3 16 September 35 ... 25-14 4 5 1 4 2 19 October 29 •30 4 4 1 5 15 November 28 1 8 2 18 December 20 5 2 1 12 Total ... 371 5 75-36 88 26 13 11 29 199 Average ... 31 ... ... ItV 0-9 ... Epidemic. 13. No epidemic disease in the regiment during the year. 14. 54 children were Vaccination. primarily vaccinated ; 52, or 96 3 per cent., were successful— 32 under one year and 22 above one year of age. 56 recruits re-vaccinated—20 successful, and 36 failed. General Health and Physique of the Men. Treatment of Disease when special. 15. The general health of the regiment has been good and, considering the class from which the regiment is mostly recruited, their physique is fair, 16. Subcutaneous injection of chloral hydrate was tried in two cases of cholera; both recovered, but the cases were not severe, and I am not inclined to attribute recovery to its use. 17. Nothing has occurred during the year calling for remarks out of the usual course, c, . , m ,. but I wish to notice the much-vexed question of invaliding. It is surprising to see how aged some men appear to be alter such a very short service as 15 years, when the men should not be, if not over age at enlist- ment, above 33 or 35 years of age. A Natiye surely should not break down at that period of