140 REPORT — 1861. 



While with the native troops the following is the result : — 



Percentage of admis- Percentage of deaths 

 ■ sions to strength. to admissions. 



„ ,. ri826tol838 41-30 1-32 



Bengalfrom-^jg^g^^jg.2 ^g.jg ^.g^ 



p , f 1803 to 1828 53-lS 1-80 



L.ombay „ | j §28 to 1853 46-55 MS 



,r , /1827tol835 21-27 1-46 



iuaarab „ |i842tol852 28-5 1-01 



The large amount of deaths among the native soldiers may be greatly 

 ascribed to tlie inadaptibility of our English pharmacopcEia. Since our con- 

 tact with the natives they are every year becoming more liable to all sorts 

 of diseases, but especially fevers and bovicl diseases. The high mortality 

 amongst the natives must, therefore, be greatly ascribed to our inability to 

 check disease in tiiem. The deaths to the number of admissions are even 

 greater amongst the natives tlian amongst Europeans. This, in itself, is a 

 pretty good evidence for the assertion that a healing art has yet to be dis- 

 covered for their constitutions. 



Then with dysentery and diarrhcea, the proportion of deaths of Euro- 

 peans to natives is in 



Bengal 11-67 of Europeans to I Native. 



Bombay 8-73 „ to 1 „ 



Madras 6*53 „ to 1 „ 



The contrast is sufficiently great with fevers and dysentery ; but it is still 

 more marked with hepatitis : — 



lu Bengal, 60 Europeans die of hepatitis to 1 Native. 

 Bombay, 44 „ „ 1 „ 



Madras, 30 „ „ 1 „ 



Even in those hot-beds of disease, the Indian jails, we find the inmates arc 

 far more free from hepatitis than our own troops in Bombaj' : the Europeans 

 are attacked thirteen times oftener than the natives; in Bengal, forty-three 

 times; and in Madras, our soldiers one hundred and seventy-eight times 

 oftener. 



Some writers have endeavoured to show that this disease is produced in 

 Europeans by intemperance. But Dr. INIorehead* says, " The evidence 

 that intemperance in drinking exerts a particular influence in the produc- 

 tion of hepatitis is by no means conclusive ;" and he also says, " The occur- 

 rence of hepatitis, on the other hand, in its severest form is not an unusual 

 event in persons of temperate habits, — a statement which practitioners in 

 India generally will, I am sure, amply confirm." 

 With CHOLERA, the ratio of mortality is in 



Bengal 6' Europeans to 1 Native. 



Bombay 2-6 „ 1 „ 



Madras 1*18 „ 1 „ 



There is also another fact which demands attention, viz. the increase of 

 mortality in cases attacked with this disease. Whatever may be the cause, 

 there seems to have been far higher mortality in Bengal since 1838, and in 

 Madras since 1842, than before those periods. Thus, the relative mortality to 

 the cases treated in Bengal lias risen in each period of five years, from 1818 

 to 1853, from 267], 31-17, 21-80, 26-91, 55-53, 45*22, and 41*92 per 

 cent; and in Bombay, during the same time, from 18-53, 22-71, 30-58, 



* Diseases of India. By Charles Morehead. 2nd edit. ISGl, p. 363. Longman and Co, 



