The History of Java, v. 1-2

by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

General Abstract of the Monthly Return of Sick on the Island of Java and its Dependencies, from 1st November, 1813, to 30th October, 1814.

Months.	No. of Troops.		Remained on the 1st.	Admitted.	Discharged.	Dead.				Remaining last month.							To­tal		Proportion of Sick.	Proportion of Deaths to Cures.
	Eu­ro­pe­ans.	Na­tives.				Fe­ver.	Dys­en­ter­y.	Oth­er Dis­eases.	To­tal.	Fe­ver.	Flux.	Hep­a­ti­tis.	Rheu­ma­tism.	Syph­i­lis and Gon­or­rhe­a.	Ul­cers.	Oth­er Dis­eases.	Eu­ro­pe­ans.	Na­tives.
1813.
Nov.	2,262	5,196	938	997	981	5	19	6	30	176	216	10	61	101	195	144	289	635	1 to 8	1 to 32.70
Dec.	2,399	4,962	963	908	974	3	37	14	54	150	205	9	73	95	149	164	266	577	1 to 9.90	1 to 18
1814.
Jan.	2,089	5,536	955	852	895	1	24	11	36	144	196	11	79	99	170	177	232	644	1 to 8.70	1 to 24.86
Feb.	1,233	4,865	677	474	477	3	14	6	23	99	144	2	63	84	113	146	141	510	1 to 9.33	1 to 27.39
Mar.	2,154	5,845	744	733	834	6	19	6	31	146	152	1	69	183	102	116	124	575	1 to 11.52	1 to 26.911
Apr.	1,818	4,962	620	662	620	5	18	5	28	149	131	5	51	80	80	144	177	457	1 to 10.67	1 to 22.14
May	1,781	6,509	848	876	805	8	35	4	47	169	201	7	87	107	131	160	195	667	1 to 9.61	1 to 17.12
June	1,677	5,790	763	934	820	11	30	13	54	168	182	12	80	103	127	151	216	607	1 to 9	1 to 15.18
July	1,663	5,560	839	1,082	880	7	30	10	47	304	199	15	103	117	104	150	230	764	1 to 7.28	1 to 18.72
Aug.	1,569	5,735	947	945	772	21	17	4	42	440	189	11	89	117	111	121	263	815	1 to 6.77	1 to 18.38
Sept.	2,309	5,863	1,157	915	916	31	38	8	77	395	172	15	107	135	97	159	355	725	1 to 7.55	1 to 11.89
Oct.	2,306	5,562	1,079	876	1,018	9	24	12	45	241	176	9	106	122	91	142	278	609	1 to 8.87	1 to 22.62

Average of the Strength of Corps and Detachments.	Average of Sick.	Average of Cures.	Average of Deaths.	Average Proportion of Sick to Well.	Average Proportion of Deaths to Cures.
7,470	862	832	42	1 to 8.66	1 to 99.80

Deaths during the Year.	Fevers.	Flux.	Other Diseases.	To­tal.
514	110	305	99	514
Monthly Average	9⅙	255⁄12	8¼	4210⁄12

General Abstract of the Monthly Returns of Sick on the Island of Java and its Dependencies, from 1st November, 1814, to 31st December, 1815, inclusive.

Months.	No. of Troops.		Remained on the 1st.	Admitted.	Discharged.	Dead.				Remaining last month.							To­tal		Proportion of Sick.	Proportion of Deaths to Cures.
	Eu­ro­pe­ans.	Na­tives.				Fe­ver.	Dys­en­ter­y.	Oth­er Dis­eases.	To­tal.	Fe­ver.	Flux.	Hep­a­ti­tis.	Rheu­ma­tism.	Syph­i­lis and Gon­or­rhe­a.	Ul­cers.	Oth­er Dis­eases.	Eu­ro­pe­ans.	Na­tives.
N.B.​—The monthly returns from Maccassar for November and December, and of the 5th Volunteer Battalion Javan Corps, and of a Detachment of H.M. 78th for December, had not been received when this table was framed.
1814.
Nov.	2,272	6,283	906	820	784	11	21	7	39	211	154	5	104	132	112	185	229	674	1 to 9.47	1 to 20⅒
Dec.	2,325	6,268	890	797	815	13	22	11	46	211	132	10	84	123	116	150	229	597	1 to 104⁄10	1 to 17
1815.
Jan.	2,106	6,233	842	693	776	6	18	8	32	157	119	18	88	105	118	127	188	539	1 to 11.47	1 to 24¼
Feb.	2,211	5,962	714	601	601	6	7	4	17	141	106	8	102	87	117	124	195	502	1 to 11.72	1 to 35.35
Mar.	2,172	5,700	595	642	600	1	10	5	16	184	96	6	79	68	90	98	173	448	1 to 12.67	1 to 37½
Apr.	2,050	5,481	623	706	648	5	10	4	19	182	122	5	81	79	101	92	178	484	1 to 11.37	1 to 34⅒
May	2,082	5,983	658	723	677	4	6	4	14	158	122	8	77	109	111	108	220	470	1 to 11.68	1 to 48.35
June	2,002	5,862	691	682	663	4	12	5	21	204	107	5	81	110	95	103	200	495	1 to 11.31	1 to 31.57
July	1,442	5,227	609	540	551	4	6	3	13	177	109	4	64	72	83	76	149	436	1 to 114⁄10	1 to 42.38
Aug.	1,339	4,836	584	545	554	5	5	4	14	139	102	3	64	74	82	97	152	409	1 to 111⁄140	1 to 39.57
Sept.	1,324	4,595	497	444	467	2	1	5	8	101	91	4	49	60	73	88	123	343	1 to 127⁄10	1 to 58.37
Oct.	1,326	4,770	420	384	387	2	6	5	13	88	58	4	59	64	88	63	77	327	1 to 1511⁄30	1 to 29.76
Nov.	821	4,404	443	407	392	1	6	5	12	101	78	4	53	70	72	68	42	404	1 to 11½	1 to 32⅔
Dec.	772	3,170	344	388	343	2	5	3	10	83	79	4	36	48	59	70	61	318	1 to 10⅖	1 to 34⅓

Average of the Strength of Corps and Detachments.	Average of Sick.	Average of Cures.	Average of Deaths.	Average Proportion of Sick to Well.	Average Proportion of Deaths to Cures.
7,487	699	626	21	1 to 11.17	1 to 29.18

State of His Majesty's 1st Battalion 78th Regiment, shewing the Effective Strength and Number died (including those died of Wounds) killed in Action, &c. Half-yearly, from 16th February, 1797, five days after the Regiment's landing in India, to 25th December, 1815.
Serondole, 13th March, 1816.

Head Quarters of the Regiment and Dates.	Effective Strength on the under-mentioned Dates.			Casualties.		To­tal dead, killed, &c. &c.	PERIODS.
	Serjts.	Drs.	R & F.	Dead, including those that died of wounds, &c.	Killed in Action.
Fort William, 16 Feb. 1797[283]	53	25	1,146	​—	​—	115	16 Feb. 1797, to 24 Dec. 1797.
Berhampore, 25 June	52	22	1,085	25	​—
On the River, 25 Dec.	52	22	993	90	​—
Allahabad, 25 June, 1798	52	22	952	45	​—	79	25 Dec. 1797, to 24 Dec. 1798.
Camp Onoopsher, 25 Dec.	52	22	930	34	​—
Cawnpore, 25 June, 1792.	52	22	913	27	​—	58	25 Dec. 1798, to 24 Dec. 1799.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	52	22	888	31	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1800	52	22	869	19	​—	53	25 Dec. 1799, to 24 Dec. 1800.
Fort William, 25 Dec.	52	22	890	34	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1801	52	22	857	30	​—	45	25 Dec. 1800, to 24 Dec. 1801.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	52	22	897	15	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1802	52	22	884	12	​—	78	25 Dec. 1801, to 24 Dec. 1802.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	52	22	865	66	​—
Camp Rooey, 25 June, 1803	52	22	837	30	​—	166	25 Dec. 1802, to 24 Dec. 1803.
---- Cuttah, 25 Dec.	62	22	709	89	47
---- Chiohoora, 25 June, 1804	52	22	657	61	​—	145	25 Dec. 1803, to 24 Dec. 1804.
Old Women's Island, Bombay, 25 Dec.	53	22	683	84	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1805	54	22	636	50	​—	80	25 Dec. 1804, to 24 Dec. 1805.
Camp at Bombay, 25 Dec.	54	22	604	30	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1806	54	22	683	14	​—	38	25 Dec. 1805, to 24 Dec. 1806.
Butcher's Island, near Bombay, 25 Dec.	54	22	668	24	​—
Cabo Island of Goa, 25 June, 1807	54	22	686	17	​—	24	25 Dec. 1806, to 24 Dec. 1807.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	54	22	520	7	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1808	56	22	706	9	​—	34	25 Dec. 1807, to 24 Dec. 1808.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	57	22	809	25	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1809	57	22	772	22	​—	54	25 Dec. 1808, to 24 Dec. 1809.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	57	22	740	32	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1810	55	22	989	22	​—	43	25 Dec. 1809, to 24 Dec. 1810.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	54	22	991	21	​—
Lowjee Family Transport, 25 June, 1811	64	22	965	18	​—	212	25 Dec. 1810, to 24 Dec. 1811.
Surabaya, Java, 25 Dec.	62	22	770	166	28
Ditto, 25 June, 1812	59	22	674	101	​—	200	25 Dec. 1811, to 24 Dec. 1812.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	54	21	684	93	6
Ditto, 25 June, 1813	54	20	625	59	​—	81	25 Dec. 1812, to 24 Dec. 1813.
Ung'arang, 25 Dec.	53	21	625	22	​—
Weltevreeden, Java, 25 June, 1814	54	21	597	28	​—	80	25 Dec. 1813, to 24 Dec. 1814.
Ditto, 25 Dec.	52	20	623	52	​—
Ditto, 25 June, 1815	45	20	583	20	​—	33	25 Dec. 1814, to 24 Dec. 1815.
Serondol, 25 Dec.	45	21	568	13	​—
				1,537	81	1,618
Of Six Companies at Serondol, died from 25th December, 1815, to 13th March, 1816 1 Of One ditto Solo ditto 25th ditto 13th ditto 2 Of Three ditto Weltevreeden, ditto 25th ditto 13th ditto 6 Total 9 Of the above six died at Weltevreeden, one died in consequence of a fall.

Note by N. Currie, Esq. Surgeon of His Majesty's 78th Regiment, on the foregoing Table.

When the 78th regiment first arrived at Java, the men had been long confined on board ship, living on salt provisions, and were afterwards exposed, not only to the fatigues and privations incident to actual warfare, but also to the inclemency of the weather in a tropical climate. All these causes produced a tendency to disease, and when the regiment arrived at Surabáya the quarters were bad; and being in the middle of the town, free access could at all times be had to spirituous liquors. The number of diseases and of casualties was consequently great; but it diminished gradually, as the men were successively accommodated with good barracks at De Noyo. The whole were comfortably lodged in plastered barracks in March or April, 1813, and in May and the following month a very sensible reduction of deaths took place, as may be seen by the abstracts of those months. During the preceding months of January, February, March, and April, the deaths were numerous, but the greater proportion was among the men of a detachment of about two hundred men that joined in January, and continued to be very sickly during those four months. Almost all the men of this detachment had, when attacked, violent diseases.

A very remarkable instance of the bad effects of exposure to night air while asleep, occurred when part of the regiment was sent, in September, 1814, from Weltevreeden to Chemangis, where the barracks were built of wattled bamboos, and the men lying with their heads to the walls, received the current of air directly in their heads. Fifty were seized with a highly inflammatory fever in the course of three days. Delirium was always the first symptom in every case, and it was necessary to bleed several of them largely before they could be sent to the hospital. By referring to the returns it will be seen that almost every increase of sickness happened after a change of quarters, as in the detachment above-mentioned, and after the removal of the regiment from Surabáya to Ung'arang and Sirondol in October, 1813, after the expedition to Bali at Weltevreeden in June, 1814, and to Chemangis in September 1814. An increase of sickness always took place after the use of spirituous liquors on particular holidays, as Christmas, &c.; and on the contrary, the good effects of not exposing the men to morning dews or wet, and of regularity in diet, may be seen in the healthiness of the regiment after the men got settled in good barracks at Surabáya and Weltevreeden.

Java need no longer be held up as the grave of Europeans, for except in the immediate neighbourhood of salt marshes and forests, as in the city of Batavia, and two or three other places on the north coast, it may be safely affirmed that no tropical climate is superior to it in salubrity. By its insular situation, the temperature of the atmosphere is low and equable, and from its lofty mountains it possesses this great advantage, that in a few hours' travelling a climate of any degree of cold may be found.