Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Eruptive Fevers were much more prevalent than during the two preceding years. The difference was exclusively in small-pox, which was epidemic among the civil population, and of which 20 cases and 2 deaths occurred among the troops. All the men had been previously vaccinated, and one of the two who died had likewise had small-pox. The deaths occurred in the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers.

Paroxysmal Fevers show a further decrease on the results of 1860, confirming thereby the belief that the high ratio in 1859 was exceptional.

Continued Fevers have been much less prevalent and fatal than on the average of the two preceding years, but the mortality has been thrice as high as in 1860. The admissions and deaths were distributed in the different corps as follows:

:

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

It will be seen from this Table that there has been a marked reduction of fever in all the corps except the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and 15th Regiment (in all of which it was previously low), and in the 1st Battalion 22nd Regiment. The latter was omitted from our comparison of the relative amount of fever in the different corps in 1860, because it had only arrived in the Island in the middle of the year. During 1861 it had a very high ratio of admissions by continued fevers, higher, indeed, than any of the corps in the previous year, though not so high as two of them in 1859. The surgeon of the Regiment attributes the prevalence of this disease to over-crowding of the barracks, defective ventilation, unsuitable clothing, extra fatigues, climate, and intemperance. It began to show itself in excess of the usual amount in June, attained its maximum in September, but did not fall to the average till

1860.

Died.

December. The Regiment during that period was quartered in the Floriana Malta. Barracks, in which the 2nd Battalion of the same corps had suffered considerably from fever in the preceding year, and the sanitary condition of which is stated by the Principal Medical Officer in his Report to be "very bad indeed, both as regards situation and ventilation." The 2nd Battalion 3rd Regiment occupied the Lower St. Elmo Barracks, in which fever was so prevalent and fatal in 1859, and had only 90 cases and no deaths; so that the improvements then effected would appear to have been productive of permanent benefit. To prevent the bad effects of over-crowding, however, four companies were sent from these Barracks to Pembroke Camp during the summer, a measure which doubtless contributed to this satisfactory result. The 23rd Regiment, which had the smallest amount of fever, was quartered in the Isola, San Francisco di Paolo, Polverista, and St. Elmo Gate Barracks. The ratio of mortality in the Royal Engineers appears very high, in consequence of the small number of men employed, among whom three deaths occurred.

Dysentery, Diarrhoea, and Cholera have prevailed only to one-third of the average amount, and the same remark applies to sorethroat (tonsillitis) and influenza. Ophthalmia has been much more prevalent than during the two preceding years. The excess has taken place in the 3rd, 15th, and 23rd Regiments, in which the admissions were 140, 239, and 137 respectively; while in the Rifle Brigade they amounted only to 8, and in the Royal Artillery to 14. Although the numbers in the 3rd Regiment are high, they show a great reduction upon the admissions in 1860, which were 216. The Surgeon of the Regiment attributes much of this improvement to the removal of four companies to Pembroke Camp in April, immediately after which there was a marked diminution in the number of cases. In the 15th Regiment there was a very great increase in the amount of ophthalmia, compared with 1860, when the numbers were 46. The Surgeon attributes its prevalence to the dark, damp, and illventilated state of some of the barrack-rooms at Fort Ricasoli, and to exposure to the sun's rays. In the 23rd Regiment the surgeon believes the exciting cause of the disease to have been "the quantity of fine dust that floated in the atmosphere in the neighbourhood of the barracks, and more particularly on the road to Polverista, where it lay in heaps on the ground, and on being disturbed by the wind or by the marching of the troops, clouds were raised so dense that it was almost impossible to see. This, no doubt, was the exciting cause, and when the disease once became established, there was everything to favour its continuance and propagation, the men having been crowded together in illventilated rooms, and with very imperfect means of ablution." On Surgeon Tydd's recommendation a water-cart was provided, and the roads in the vicinity of the barracks were watered, after which, he states, the disease began gradually, but steadily, to subside.

ENTHETIC DISEASES.-The reduction in the amount of venereal is very satisfactory, and is stated to have arisen from the greater strictness with which the police regulations have been carried into effect.

DIETIC DISEASES.-The ratio of admissions by this class of diseases is exactly the same as the average of the two preceding years, but, compared with 1860, there is a reduction to the extent of one-third in the amount of intemperance (ebriositas). The reduction has been chiefly in the Royal Artillery, and may probably be accounted for in the same manner as at Gibraltar-the arrival of a Brigade from England to replace one that had served for some years in the Command.

TUBERCULAR DISEASES have caused fewer admissions, but a higher ratio of deaths, than in the two preceding years. The mortality, however, has been only half that which occurred on the average of the ten years from 1837 to 1846 inclusive.

DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS, and DISEASES OF THE Digestive ORGANS, both show a considerable reduction in prevalence. In the former the difference has been chiefly in bronchitis, and in the latter in dyspepsia and jaundice. It is worthy of remark that to these diseases and to hepatic inflammation the excess of admissions by these two classes at Gibraltar was attributable. In Malta there was a slight increase in the cases of hepatic inflammation, but not to nearly the same extent as the decrease in those of jaundice.

DISEASES OF THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM.-In this class also there has been a great reduction, chiefly in the abscesses and ulcers.

Malta.

VIOLENT DEATHS.-Seven appear under this head: of these five were by accidents, one by suicide, and one shot by sentence of Court-Martial. Two of the accidental deaths were by drowning, two by fracture, and one by concussion of the brain. The suicide was that of a private of the 2nd Battalion 23rd Regiment, who shot himself through the chest with his rifle.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.-The admissions on this account were 15, being in the ratio of 2.4 per 1,000 of the strength, and a little below the average of the two preceding years.

ROYAL MALTA FENCIBLE ARTILLERY.

The average strength of this corps during the year was 605; the admissions into hospital were 506, and the deaths were 5 in, and 1 out of hospital. These numbers give the ratio of 836 admissions, and 9.92 deaths, per 1,000 of the strength.

The diseases by which the admissions and deaths were caused are detailed in Abstract No. IX. of Appendix. The following Table shows the influence of the different classes of diseases upon this Corps and Troops of the Line respectively :

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

This Table shows an increase, both in the sickness and mortality of the Malta. corps, compared with the average of the two preceding years, and a ratio of sickness higher than in the line Regiments serving in the same Command. The increase has been chiefly in rheumatism, venereal, and accidents, while there has been a decrease in diseases of the respiratory organs. Compared with Troops of the Line, the Malta Fencible Artillery enjoys an exemption from miasmatic diseases, and also, though to a much less extent than formerly, from venereal, while it has a much higher proportion of admissions by diseases of the respiratory, digestive, and integumentary systems. The cases of dyspepsia alone amounted to 83, or nearly one-sixth of the whole admissions.

III. IONIAN ISLANDS.

No change took place in 1861 in the corps composing the force serving in Ionian Islands. the Ionian Islands, except the relief of the detachment of the 6th Brigade, Royal Artillery, by the 3rd Brigade, and of the 9th Company, Royal Engineers, by the 30th Company. The average strength was 4,064, the admissions into hospital amounted to 3,548, the deaths in hospital to 41, and out of hospital to 4, and 1 invalid died at sea on his passage home, making a total of 46 deaths. The ratio of admissions, therefore, was 873, and of deaths 11:32 per 1,000 of mean strength, being higher than in the preceding year, but lower than in 1859, and considerably below the average of previous periods. The admissions and deaths were distributed as follows in the different corps :

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

This Table shows the sickness to have been greatest, but the mortality least, in the 2nd Battalion, 9th Regiment; while the ratio of deaths was highest in the 1st Battalion of the same corps, as it had also been in the preceding year.

The diseases by which the admissions into hospital and deaths were caused are detailed in Abstract No. IX. of Appendix, from which, and from previous Reports, the following Table has been compiled :

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

This Table shows an increase upon the average of the two preceding years both in admissions and deaths, and occurring almost exclusively in miasmatic diseases. There has been a reduction in the diseases of the integumentary system, and also, to a slight extent, in venereal, but the ratio of the latter is exactly the same as in 1860.

MIASMATIC DISEASES, on being subdivided into the usual groups, furnish the following results :

« PreviousContinue »