Sketch of the medical history of the native army of Bombay, for the year 1873. : Extracted from the annual returns, from the reports of regimental medical officers and from the inspection reports of deputy surgeons general. Compiled in the office of the surgeon general, Indian Medical Department, Bombay.

  • Bombay (Presidency). Military Department.
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketch of the medical history of the native army of Bombay, for the year 1873. : Extracted from the annual returns, from the reports of regimental medical officers and from the inspection reports of deputy surgeons general. Compiled in the office of the surgeon general, Indian Medical Department, Bombay. 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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    lias been a marked decrease^ tbe number of treated being only 35 in 1873, as compared to 75 in 1872; this is almost entirely due to tbe plenteousness of good water and cheapness of food. Syphilis shows some slight improvement, but still there are a large number of admis- sions from it; and though the primary disease is not so often seen, the after effects of it are very apparent in the large number of patients which constantly present themselves for treat- ment, either suffering from bubo or secondaries in some form or other. This is due to the reluctance the sepoys have for presenting themselves for treatment before an European officer while suffering from this complaint: neither threats nor kindness will prevail upon them to come for treatment till they have tried all manner of native reme- dies and found them all to fail. The consequence of this is, that the constitution is so tho- roughly impregnated with the sjqjhilitic virus that it is impossible to prevent secondary and tertiary symptoms intervening in their worst and most revolting forms. Thus Government are continually burdened with the pay of a lot of men who are utterly useless as soldiers, but whom it is quite impossible to get rid of in any way except by invalid- ing, in which case they, for the most part, either receive a pension or gratuity. There have been four deaths during the past year, a decrease of three on the number in 1872. Three of these were from chest complaints—Subedar Mahomed Khan from pneumonia. Color Havildar Balloo Lingday from bronchitis, Private Bhewa Rangday from pneumonia complicated with jaundice. All three of these were men of long service, and the last two weakly men who had been a long time in hospital from various causes during the last two or three years. The fourth case was a case of secondary syphilis, in which that, at all times fearful, disease showed itself in its most repulsive form. One Native officer and 8 rank and file have been sent on sick leave during the year, and nine men were invalided, all of them being entitled to pensions. 45 recruits were entertained, nearly all of whom are turning out healthy men, with the exception of one or two who have been suffering from primary syphilis since them admis- sion to the ranks. There has been no epidemic in any form whatever. Before concluding these remarks 1 wish to add somewhat on the effects of marching on sepoy and their causes. 1. What does a sepoy chiefly fall out for on a march ? 1st, shoe-bites ; 2nd, oppressions of the chest, and shortness of breath. To appreciate the causes of these, let me just shortly compare the ordinary dress of a Native with the clothes in which his body and limbs are imprisoned while on duty. With regard to the head-dress, while in undress a Native wears many yards of light cloth, bound round his head in a manner Avhich protects his temples and the back of the neck; on duty a small black forage cap, which may be covered with a small puggry, but which affords not the least protection to either temples or the nape of the neck. 2. The body of the Native when not in uniform is, if not unclothed altogether, clothed with the lightest covering, fitting quite loosely, and offering not the slightest impediment to respiration or movement of any of his limbs ; on duty a sepoy is buttoned up in a coat tightlv fitting round his body and neck, and with straps confining his chest and arms. 3. The Native shoe is as different from the ammunition boot ordered to be used by sepoys as it is possible to be, and one more unfitted than the latter for use by the Native soldier could not well have been invented. The leather is hard, and rubs the skin, no socks being worn to protect it, and comes up high above the ankle, preventing by the sharpness of the edge of the leather any free play of this joint. II.—What is the result of this method of trussing up our soldier ? Everybody who has any experience of Natives is perfectly aware of the long distances they can travel on foot, and the wonderful short space of time in which they will accomplish such distance. Every officer who has marched with a Native Infantry Regiment is also per- fectly aware of the way in which men fall out on only a moderately long march, being utterly unable to keep up with the column; either their feet being so galled that they are almost un- able to walk, or else suffering severely from shortness of breath and palpitation arising from their chests and throat being so confined by their clothes and accoutrements. 15 JIED