PART II,] Admission Rates for Abscess and Ulcer in Delhi and Mooltan. 403 



These periods are too short to allow of instituting comparisons on the differences 

 presented by them, but there are some curious differences exhibited by the European and 

 native troops in regard to some areas in both periods which are worthy of being noted. 

 In both periods Bengal furnishes a very low admission rate for natives, whilst in the case 

 of the Europeans it furnished the highest admission rate for the first period, and occupied 

 a middle position in the second one. Agra and Central India, on the other hand, occupies 

 a very different position in the scale for natives — for whom in both periods it appears a^ 

 the area giving highest admissions — from what it does in the case of the Europeans, with 

 whom it occupies a middle position for the first period, and the second exclusive of hill 

 stations in degree of exemption in the latter one. 



In comparing the admission rates of natives and Europeans, and observing the 

 general greater prevalence of such forms of disease as are included under the head of 

 abscess and ulcer among the latter, much influence may be, and often has been, ascribed 

 to the injurious effects of badly fitting boots of European pattern on the unprotected feet 

 of the natives as accounting for a great part of the prevalence of such disease among 

 them, and for its excessive prevalence in certain stations among them as compared with 

 the European troops. Badly fitting boots may, or rather must, form efficient exciting 

 causes for the local development of ulcers ; but the figures contained in these tables do 

 not warrant a belief in their being endowed with any more important influence on the 

 causation of the disease. The native troops in Bengal Proper wear boots as well as those 

 in other parts of the country, and yet the prevalence of abscess and ulcer throughout 

 a prolonged period remains consistently lower than that of the Europeans in these 

 localities. 



Before leaving the questions specially affecting the native troops, there are a few 

 points in connection with the Punjab Frontier which appear to call for notice. The 

 average admission rate for the regiments there for th'e ten years' period is very high, and, 

 unlike the rest of the areas, it shows a higher rate for the second five years than for the 

 first — in other words, it shows no evidence of any tendency to diminution in the pre- 

 valence of such forms of disease as the other areas do. This being the case, is there 

 anything to explain the matter ? Are the conditions of the area such that no improve- 

 ment is possible or to be looked for ? At the outset it must be allowed that the stations 

 on the frontier are generally very unhealthy, the troops almost invariably showing a very 

 high total admission rate. We have, however, already seen that prevalence of abscess 

 and ulcer cannot be regarded as the direct result of general unhealthiness of a station 

 or regiment, so that allowing it all due weight as indirectly influential, some more 

 special condition must yet be sought for. That the excessive prevalence is really not 

 inevitable appears probable from what we find to be the case in Mooltan, which ir. 

 locality and general conditions so closely resembles the Frontier stations in many 

 respects. 



The following table shows the admission rates from abscess and ulcer for European 

 and native troops in Delhi and Mooltan : 



