Reports bringing up the statistical history of the European Army in India and of the Native Army and jail population of Bengal to 1876 : and the cholera history of 1875 and 1876, in continuation of reports embracing the period from 1817 to 1872 / by J.L.Bryden.

James Bryden

Date:: 1878

Credit: Reports bringing up the statistical history of the European Army in India and of the Native Army and jail population of Bengal to 1876 : and the cholera history of 1875 and 1876, in continuation of reports embracing the period from 1817 to 1872 / by J.L.Bryden. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$Of tlie total of 2,793 deaths above represented, exactly 1,000 occurred in the first and Composition of 100 deaths at the second j^ears of Indian service ; and among men whose residence exceeded ten years, there were 409 deaths. It is interesting to compare the composition of the deaths of these two classes :— earliest and latest periods of Indian service, Above ten years. Composition of 100 Death of men in the first and second years in India, and of men residence exceeded ten years. 1st & 2nd years in India. Enteric fever Hepatitis . Heat Apoplexy Phthisis Dysentery . Other Fevers Heart disease Eespiratory diseases Suicide All other diseases xidiose 26-7 Heart disease . 17-6 12-3 Hepatitis .... . 15-7 12-2 Dysentery .... . 13-7 9-1 Apoplexy .... 9-5 8-5 Phthisis .... . 7-8 8-0 Respiratory diseases . 6-6 4-7 Suicide .... . 61 4-4 Fevers .... . 4-6 1-8 Enteric Fever •5 12-3 All other diseases . 17-9 100-0 100-0 Enteric fever heads the first column and takes the last place in the second; and the posi- tion is reversed in the case of heart disease, which caused 18 per cent, of the deaths of the old men. Forty-eight per cent, of the Invaliding from the Army of India occurs in men who have been under five years in India; and in the past six years. Invaliding in relation to length of the percentage has varied only between 46 and 51,—a very coSi'neT^'''^'''''^ *° '''^ ^'^ ^''^^ limited range. Of 14,177 men invalided from 1871 to * ■ 1876, 6,790 were of four years' Indian service or less; 24 per cent., or 3,403 out of the whole, had served from 5 to 7 years; and the remainder 3,984, or 28 per cent., were men who had passed more than seven years in the country. I have placed below the results for each year of the period 1871 to 1875 in the Three Pre- sidencies, to make the facts conspicuous ; for it is a matter of serious moment that so large a proportion of men break down in the first years of their residence, necessitating a large annual supply of recruits to fill the vacancies, and who, in turn, succumb to the same influences. Where the ratio of invaliding per cent, of the total in the early years is exorbitant—for example, in the Bombay Presidency in 1871 and 1872,—it is necessary to refer for the explanation to the previous column, Invalided per 1,000 of Strength,'' vv^hich shows that the excess was due not to the large number invalided, but to a large proportion of men of short service in India happening • in these years to be on the strength of the Army of Bombay. These are the general results for the Armies of the Three Presidencies : Invalided per cent, of the total invaliding at the different periods of Indian Service, 1871—75. Army of India. Army of Bengal. Army of Madras. Army of Bombay. 1 to 4 years . . 48-1 45-4 48-5 57-3 5 „ 7 „ . . 23-2 24-9 18-7 23-1 Above 7 „ . . 28-7 29-7 32-8 19-6 Total . 100-0 100-0 100-0 lOO-Q Of 5,724 soldiers who broke down in the five years 1871 to 1875 in the first four years of residence, 3,071 were men of one and two years' service, and 2,653 were invalided in the third and fourth years; 2,965 were young men of 25 and under, and 2,759 were over this age. The details on the results of the period, are given in this statement, in which the age and length of service of the men invalided is shown in combination. It shows that of all invalided in the first four years, 73 per cent, were under 30, and 84 per cent, below 35; of all invalided in the fifth, sixth or seventh years, 70 per cent, were under 35 ; and even of the oldest class, 41 per cent, did not exceed the age of 35, which, as we have seen, is the limit beyond which only 14 per cent, of the whole Army continues to serve in India. Invaliding of the Army of India 1871-75, in relation to Age and Length of Service in India shown in comhlnation. Ages of men invalided. Length of Indian service. Invalided per cent, of total. ,rs. 5 to 7 years. Above 7 years. 11-02) •15-) 84-26 37-41 \ 6974 10-91 \ 41-49 21-31) 30-43) 30-26 58-51 100-00 100-00 24 and under 25 to 29 . 30 „ 34 . 35 39 . 40 & upwards 1 to 4 years. 2,479 ],688 656 631 270 6 to 7 years. 305 1,036 590 591 247 Above 7 years. 1 to 4 yea Total . 5,724 Per cent, of total 48-06 —v~ 71-31 2,769 23-25 5 373 1,040 1,322-) 678/ 3,418 28-69 43-31 29-49 11-46. 15-74 100-00$