There has been an increase in miasmatic and enthetic diseases, and a decrease in those of the integumentary system.

MIASMATIC DISEASES, when subdivided, give the following results :

This Table shows no important difference from the previous results except in ophthalmia, which has given rise to a proportion of admissions

*The 59th Regiment in 1859 has been omitted in preparing this Table, for reasons which were fully detailed in the Report for that year

considerably above the average. This has been caused by its prevalence in Cape of Good the 2nd Battalion 10th Regiment, in which 229 cases occurred. The 85th Hope. Regiment, in which ophthalmia prevailed to a great extent in 1860, was comparatively free from it, the admissions having been little more than half the amount of the previous year. The Surgeon of the 10th Regiment states, that he has not been able to satisfy himself as to its causes. It appears to have prevailed without much variation in the different months till August, when it began to abate and reached its minimum in November.

DIETIC DISEASES have given rise to a much higher proportion of admissions than in 1860, and in the present return they have all been caused by intemperance (ebriositas).

ACCIDENTAL AND VIOLENT DEATHS have amounted to six, of which five were accidental by drowning and one suicidal by cutting his throat.

CORFORAL PUNISHMENT was inflicted in nineteen instances, being in the ratio of 4.1 per 1,000 of the strength and almost identical with the average of the two preceding years.

SECTION II.

On the Extent of Invaliding.

During the year there were 70 men sent home from the Cape recommended to be discharged as invalids, and 61 for change of climate, being in the annual ratio of 15-2 and 13.3 per 1,000 of the mean strength. The following Table shows the classes of diseases which occasioned their being sent home.

Diseases of the circulatory and nervous systems, rheumatism, and ophthalmia have been the chief causes of disability among the invalids. The first two of these classes are, it is to be feared, in a great measure the result of the intemperate habits of the men. Inspector-General Taylor, C.B., the principal medical officer, quotes the following extract from a report made in 1838 by the late Deputy Inspector-General Dr. Nicholson upon the prevalence of disease of the heart among the troops at the Cape:-"It would be difficult to account in any satisfactory manner why diseases of this nature should affect soldiers here more frequently than at other stations; their habits in all situations being so nearly alike, and in this climate there is nothing peculiar which can be supposed to favour their production. I believe that here and

As

Cape of Good elsewhere we must look on intemperance as among the chief causes of the disease Hope. under consideration, by keeping up an excitement of the circulation aggravated by high atmospheric temperature; long continued gastric derangement, induced by the same cause, acting remotely on the heart and ultimately terminating in organic lesion, may also be set down as a probable cause. rheumatic affections, too, are in this climate so very prevalent and marked by such peculiar severity, may it not be supposed, that many of the complaints of the heart have their origin in that disease by the translation of the morbid action."

There were 82 invalids from the Cape finally discharged the service at Chatham, being in the ratio of 17.8 per 1,000 of mean strength. This is slightly in excess of the average of previous periods, which was 15 per 1.000 in the twelve years from 1825 to 1836 inclusive. The disabilities, for which the invalids were discharged in 1861, were as follows:

This statement shows ocular and cardiac diseases to have been the cause of discharge of half of the invalids from the Cape. The number discharged for pulmonary disease was exactly the same as in 1860.

SECTION III.

Mean Daily Sick.

The average number constantly non-effective from sickness during the year was 205, or 44'58 per 1,000 of the strength. The following Table shows the average sick time to each soldier and the average duration of the cases of disease compared with the results of 1860.

There has been a slight reduction in all these particulars compared with the preceding year. On comparing the ratios with those for the troops serving in the United Kingdom, they will be found to be slightly under the Infantry and above the Cavalry.

SECTION IV.

On the Influence of Age on the Mortality.

In Abstract No. XXI. of Appendix will be found a statement of the numbers serving, and the deaths at each age in quinquennial periods of life. The following Table shows the ratio of mortality at each period compared with the results for the two preceding years.

The mortality does not show the same rapid advance with increasing years that has been observed in most of the other Military Commands, and which was found at the Cape in previous investigations. It would, however, be necessary to have more extensive data on this subject to justify our drawing any positive deductions. The high rate in 1861 at the age of 40 and upwards is simply a result of very limited numbers under observation.

VIII. ON THE HEALTH OF THE TROOPS SERVING IN THE
ISLAND OF MAURITIUS.

Cape of Good
Норе.

SECTION I.

Sickness and Mortality.

The average strength of the troops serving in the Mauritius throughout Mauritius. the year was 1,921; there were 1,168 admissions into hospital among them, and 23 deaths, of which 5 were out of hospital. No deaths occurred among the invalids. These numbers give the proportion of 608 admissions and 11.97 deaths per 1,000 of the strength, being little more than half the average of the two preceding years.

The admissions and deaths were distributed as follows in the different corps :

The other death was that of a serjeant on the General Staff.

The following Table shows the admissions into hospital and deaths by the principal classes of diseases. The details for 1861 will be found in Abstract No. XX. of Appendix,

This Table shows the reduction in the admissions to have taken place chiefly in the miasmatic and enthetic diseases, and in those of the respiratory and integumentary systems, and the reduction in mortality to have been in miasmatic diseases.

MIASMATIC DISEASES, when subdivided into groups, give the following results::

The decrease in the prevalence of these diseases has been most marked in the group consisting of dysentery, diarrhoea, and cholera, in continued fevers, and in paroxysmal fevers. The mortality by the first of these groups would also have been greatly reduced but for an outbreak of epidemic cholera in the month of December. In the beginning of December this disease appeared among the civil population of Grand River, a village two or three miles from Port Louis. On the 8th, a cholera hospital was opened there, and between

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