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New Zealand Medical Services in Middle East and Italy

Health of the Troops

Health of the Troops

The sickness rate remained low for the four months to the end of March, the daily evacuations beyond the RAP averaging 1·3 per 1000, the highest figure being 1·5 in March. This compared with a rate of 3·08 in February for the New Zealand Corps as a whole.

The commonest illnesses were infective hepatitis, septic infection of small cuts, upper respiratory infections, tonsillitis, pneumonia (including atypical pneumonia), and exhaustion cases. Cases of sickness totalled 3261, whilst battle casualties totalled 2755 for the four months.

In the following three-month period from April to June the sickness rate in the Division increased and the evacuation beyond the RAPs was 1·8 per 100 per day. The commonest disease at that period was fever (NYD), similar in type to sandfly fever, acute in onset and settling down in three to four days. This was very prevalent, 520 cases being recorded. Diarrhoea in mild form accounted for 176 cases; hepatitis for only 109 cases. Other diseases noted were page 557 malaria, only ten cases, and typhoid, three cases of the latter being reported from 2 General Hospital. Accidental injuries were responsible for no fewer than 637 casualties and many deaths, whereas battle casualties totalled 502 and the cases of sickness 3206.