A manual of practical hygiene / by Edmund A. Parkes ; edited by F.S.B. Francois de Chaumont.

Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of practical hygiene / by Edmund A. Parkes ; edited by F.S.B. Francois de Chaumont. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    matism does not do well, nor, it is said, chronic dysentery ; but it would be very desirable to test this point, as well as that of the iniluence on phthisia carefully. The so-called hill diarrhoea of India prevailed in 1865, though before this it was unknown. Dysentery has sometimes prevailed, and is caused in some cases by bad water (Massy). The soil of Newera Ellia is chiefly decomposed gneiss; it is described by I)r Massy as being as hygroscopic as a sponge ; the contents of cesspools easily traverse it, and the removal of excreta demands great care. The neighbouring Horton Hills are said to be even better than NeweJ Ellia itself.° Probably in the whole of Hindustan, a better sanitary statioij does not exist. It is inferior, if it be inferior, only to the Neilgherries, and one or two of the best Himalayan stations. Sickness and Mortality * of Europeans per 1000 of Strength. Deaths. Admissions. Mean Daily Sick. Duration of Sickness. 1860-69 (10 years), . . 1869-74 (6 years), . . 2375 17-72 13-56 1424-9 1112-6 730-3 | 66-52 46-11 16-6 days 21-57 „ Influence of Age on Mortality. Under 20 Years. 20 and Under 25. 25 and Under 30. 30 and Under 35. 35 and Under 40. 40 and 1 Over. ] 1864-73, . . . 5-79 15-89 28-81 26-50 50-25 173-91 Among tne UiacK troops, now reuuueu. wj muhu ±w ^u^, m (1860-69) the admissions averaged 1011, and the deaths 15-17, per 1000 of strength. In 1870 the total mortality was 9-44 per 1000. The chief causes of admissions were paroxysmal fevers, and of deaths, cholera, dysentery, and paroxysmal fevers. Continued fever also figures among the returns, hut was less common in the later years. The average number constantly sicj was about 32, and the duration of the cases 10 or 11 days. In Ceylon, therefore, the black troops were healthier than the white, con- tasting in this remarkably with the West Indies. In conclusion, it may be said that much sanitary work still remains to be done in Ceylon before the state of the white troops can be considered saiaH factory. SECTION VIII. INDIA. About 60,000 Europeans are now (1877) quartered in India, and there J in addition a large native army. In this place the Europeans will be chiefly referred to, as it would require a large work to consider properly the lieaim of the native troops.f „o nnn .„„.;„« The 60,000 Europeans are thus distributed :-About 38,000 are serung in the Bengal Presidency, which includes Bengal proper, the Aorth-N en Provinces, the Punjab, and the Trans-Indus stations. About 11^ * In 1876 the death-rate was only 7-43. f , liatjvesof t The general principles of hygiene are of course to be applied m tbe case of the ati Hindustan, and so far there is nothing unusual In the chapter on *x vol M ^ns .and eluded the chief articles of diet; the .piestion of water and air « the same for all .g other hygienic rules of clothing or exercise can bo easily applied to them. Jint imar rf much influenced by their customs, which are in many races peculiar. lboraO 1.™ , treating such a subject would bo by a work on the hygiene of India generall}, mciuoinfe native array as a branch of the community.