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THE HOME QUARTERS OF THE ARMY.

THE CAMP OF ALDERSHOT.

The regimental Sanitary Reports of the year under review, submitted by the medical officers of corps which, contemporaneously or in succession of the reliefs, were quartered in the camp, reiterate very much the account of the routine of ordinary duties and of the occasions of the greater operations of military instruction, in their bearing on the health of the men; they give the particulars of barrack and hospital accommodation in the permanent buildings and hut structures; they state the cooking means, the conveniences for personal cleanliness, the conservancy arrangements of latrines, urinals, &c., that were enlarged upon in the General Report of this Department for the preceding year, and they afford little novel or additional matter to specify on these points on the present occasion.

The salubrity of Aldershot as a position for troops continued without question, and the most ordinary averages as to sick in hospital prevailed generally throughout the seasons; whilst, in especial instances, one medical officer cites the fact of only 4 per cent. having been the mean ratio of total sick to well in his corps, and another, in tribute to the salutary influences which here combine to raise and maintain the health of the troops, reports the marked improvement in the general physical condition of his regiment after a change from a station of the Western District, Devonport, to the more invigorating atmosphere of Aldershot.

The Reports, in aggregate, tend to show that in the permanent barracks the troops enjoyed ample averages of 800 to 1,000 cubic feet per man, although in the huts more than three-fourths of the regulated measurement (the 400 cubic feet laid down by the Royal Sanitary Commission) was rarely afforded.

The duties at this camp, in their general influences, were in no wise detrimental to the health of the corps severally at any season of this year; although, in the training of the young soldiers, individual physical endurance may have on occasions been over-taxed, in having to keep position in the ranks throughout the longer and wider evolutions over country on the great field-days of instruction.

A range of five to seven and nine consecutive nights, per man, in bed to one on guard, as the reports show, may be assumed to have had an important bearing in contributing to favourable results in the year's statistics of health in the camp.

The working of the Commissariat agency for the rations supplied to the troops continued to form an express subject of a general satisfaction.

The hospital accommodation underwent no important change or any material extension from the conditions detailed in the Report of the previous year, and no prevalence of disease necessitated resort to overcrowding in the wards at any time.

Five hundred and 600 cubic feet per patient formed, variously, the available averages of space in the ordinary hospital huts; generally 700 and 800 were afforded in the "New" huts; and, in the permanent building, termed the "Union" Hospital, the averages varied in regard of regiments, some corps obtaining an average amount of 1,000 cublic feet a patient, others less than that by 200 and 300 cubic feet, thus according to the numbers of their respective sick lists.

The sanitary arrangements of the Camp were systematically carried out, and under vigilant supervision. The only evil relative hereto, which reached any considerable magnitude, was an offensive state of some of the drains, in the North Camp more particularly, in the autumn, so palpable at the time

of a prevalence of fever, and of diarrhoea, verging upon choleraic degree, that the medical officers pronounced the cause of these diseases to be in direct measure attributable to this evil in immediate existence. Upon official representation no delay took place in looking into the condition of the drains in question. They were found to be in an obstructed state, and the following stringent Division Order was issued:

"Assistant Adjutant-General's Office, Aldershot, September 3rd, 1861.

Complaints having been made of the bad smells arising from the drains in both Camps, and in the permanent barracks, and there being a consequent apprehension of disease, the Lieutenant-General Commanding calls upon officers commanding brigades, regiments, and corps, to lend him their best assistance in abating a nuisance which will infallibly be productive of serious results to the health of the troops, unless an immediate remedy be applied.

"The Commanding Royal Engineer reports that the principal cause of this evil is the improper use of the drains.

"The Lieutenant-General therefore directs that no solid matter whatever, such as tea-leaves, potato-parings, &c., is, on any account, to be thrown into any of the drains.

"The troops are to be careful to separate the solid from the liquid refuse; the solid is to be thrown into the ash-pits, and all the liquid whatever down the urinals or foul-water drains.

"In order that there may be no misapprehension as to which are foul drains, the traps have been, or will be, painted red, and the Commanding Royal Engineer will, upon the application of the commanding officer of any regiment, send competent persons to point out which are the foul drains, so that the troops can plead no excuse of ignorance.

The surface drains being intended to carry off the rain as it falls, nothing whatever, whether liquid or solid, is to be thrown upon or into them.

"The Lieutenant-General will visit any disregard of this Order, in the case of women, the wives of soldiers, by depriving them and their families of the indulgence of living in barracks, or, in the case of soldiers, by severe punishment; and, although reluctant to impose additional duties upon the troops, will be compelled further to place extra sentries to stop this practice, which is utterly inexcusable, as there is scarcely a hut or room not within fifty yards of a foul drain.

"The Lieutenant-General also cautions the troops against throwing the water on the parades and roads near the gratings, by which means the ground round them becomes saturated, offensive, and injurious to the health of the troops.

The Lieutenant-General also reminds the troops that they will be subjected to heavy damages for the cleansing of the drains and cesspits if, after this Order, they are found to have neglected it.

"This Order is to be read to the troops at the three first general parades after its receipt."

Water Supply.-In the autumn the purity of the water from the wells in the North and South Camps became a question, and as to possible contamination by percolation from adjacent latrines, &c., through the ready permeability of the soil.

Fourteen different samples, taken from the wells of both camps, were submitted to chemical analysis, with very generally favourable results--so much so, indeed, that from only one well, and this in the lines of the South Camp, was the water pronounced to be "not desirable" for drinking purposes.

With reference to the analysis of the samples of the water, the following memorandum was submitted by Mr. Abel, the chemist to the War Depart

ment :

"Fourteen different samples of water were received, taken from wells in the North and South Camps.

"The whole of the samples were of the same general character, and, from their composition, it appears that the supply of water to the different wells is mainly derived from the drainage of rain-water through the soil.

"All the waters are soft (containing only small portions of earthy salts);

some contain only small quantities of organic matter of vegetable origin, and no objectionable impurities whatever; some few others contain minute quantities of nitrates and higher proportions of organic matter, and nearly all were found to contain in suspension small quantities of oxide of iron, originally in solution in the water, and derived from the soil.

"The water of lowest quality in all respects is that from the well of Z lines, South camp, which contains very appreciable quantities of nitrates, and a large proportion of vegetable matter. This water, though suitable for general domestic purposes, is not a desirable water for drinking

*

"The waters from wells in G, S, and W lines, South Camp, also contain rather large proportions of organic matter, but the first and last named do not contain any nitrates, while that from S lines well contains only very small proportions. H lines well-water, South Camp, is very soft, contains no nitrates, and the smallest proportion of organic matter in the waters of the South Camp. "The waters of the North Camp are generally superior to those of the South Camp, not only as regards softness, but also with regard to the proportions of vegetable matter which they contain.

"Those from Nos. 1 and 2 wells in E lines, No. 2 pump in K or R lines, No. 2 pump in I lines, and No. 2 pump in Q lines, are remarkably pure. The waters from No. 1 pump in I lines, and No. 1 pump in R or K lines, contain the largest proportions of vegetable matter (being about equal to the well-water from H lines, South Camp, in this respect). The first-named water is free from nitrates, the second contains a small proportion. The water from the iron pump at Heath End is also a water of good quality. An imperial gallon of it contains only 10:50 grains of solid matter, of these 14 grains are organic (vegetable) matter, and only minute quantities of nitrates are present.

"The total proportions of solid matter, and the amounts of organic matter in the waters from the different wells and pumps in the North and South Camps are as follows:

Proportions, in grains, in one Imperial Gallon.

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At a time when the supply of water from the main Reservoir on the height of "Cæsar's Camp" was suspended during alteration and improvement of the works (filtering), much inconvenience is stated, in the report of one of the cavalry regi

* It was suggested, in consequence, that a notice should be affixed to the well in Z lines, that the water should only be used for cleansing purposes.

ments, to have been felt for months in the permanent barracks occupied by the corps. The exigency, however, is represented as having been met with a judiciousness of resource by the regimental Quartermaster, who collected from neighbouring springs, and, at a trifling expense, laid on a sufficient supply. With reference to this, the Surgeon of the 9th Lancers, Dr. Clifford, has remarked that the quality of this water was superior, that this branch supply might be collected at comparatively cheap rate, be raised by a force pump to a tank, and all inconvenience obviated for the future at this permanent barrack of the cavalry.

Very great inconvenience from want of a copious supply of water during the last, a dry summer, having been experienced, more particularly by the mounted troops, the necessity of constructing a new reservoir for the camp, by proposed means of military labour, was mooted by the authorities; and the arrangement suggested was that a corps of 300 or 400 should be encamped on the spot, Cæsar's Camp heights, where there was a favourable site. The men were to have been placed under double tents for the winter, and to have wooden floors supplied to them. A weather-tight kitchen round a Grant's field-cooking apparatus was proposed to be furnished for their use, and every care was to be considered and taken for securing the health of the troops to be thus employed on a novel experiment of military labour during a winter season. The design, however, of thus employing the troops was not eventually prosecuted, although on sanitary grounds no objection was taken to it.

The clothing of troops when undergoing a camp life is always more especially a subject of great attention by the medical officers, whose very concurrent opinion in favour of flannel under-clothing is well confirmed in the following general allusion to the subject in a report of a most experienced Inspecting-Medical Officer of the Camp, Mr. Stewart :

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I conceive the want of flannel under-clothing in infantry regiments to be a most serious defect, and one which, in my opinion, must tend greatly to the prevalence of chest complaints and consumption-the sources of so much inefficiency and final disability throughout the service. In India, flannel under-clothing is furnished to the soldier (cavalry and infantry) as a part of his kit, and as necessary to health. It can be no less so in the damp, variable climate of the United Kingdom; and, if necessary also to the health and comfort of those in private life, it can be no less requisite in the case of the soldier, Jiable, from the nature of his duties, to be exposed to every vicissitude of the weather."

THE CAMP OF SHORNCLIFFE.

The course and tenour of the sanitary economy at this camp were very even during the year, and the Principal Medical Officer, in the Annual Report, pronounces the hygienic arrangements in their general system to have been regularly carried out, and to so satisfactory an end that no disease was attributed to local causes at any period of the year. His report epitomizes, under the usual heads, to the following purport:

In the permanent barracks, a small range, the men, 112 in average number, had an accommodation in mean monthly rate of 440 cubic feet of breathing space each; and in the huts, occupied by a monthly average strength of 3,169, each soldier was afforded 380 cubic feet as to the infantry, and 418 in the squadron of cavalry, thus meeting in very close precision the standard of the new regulations on the occupation of the hut structures.

The additional experience of this year is adduced to prove that the general construction of the huts is conducive to the health of the troops, although a weather porch to the doors, under the circumstance of the high and on all sides exposed plateau of the camp, had been again suggested; a similar recommendation having been put forth several years ago, but which failed of desired result through financial considerations of the time as to so necessarily general and extensive a measure.

The bath and ablution accommodation was sufficient for each regiment, and

appeared to be freely made use of by the soldiers, who, at this station, moreover, enjoy the especial advantage and facility of sea-bathing, a boon availed of by numbers at their own discretion, irrespectively of the two regulated days a-week for general bathing parades.

The cooking for the troops continued to be effected by means of Grant's apparatus for each corps, and, as to facility and variety, came under satisfactory report; the diets were allowed to be prepared according to the varying wishes of the men.

The ration supplies throughout the year appear to have been of the average good product of the district; but the operations of the Commissariat Department, in the economy of general supply, had not yet been extended to thi camp.

No nuisances from latrines, urinals, ashpits, manure heaps, drains, or from want of surface-cleansing were allowed to become obnoxious, or to remain unrectified for any length of time.

The water supply from the Folkestone Reservior at no season failed of its stipulated quantity to the camp, or deteriorated in quality.

With an average of nine nights consecutively in bed to one on guard, taken into account with the salutary range of the general duties in field exercises, route marching, &c., circumstances throughout the year contributed at so salubrious a station to maintain a high standard of health and efficiency among the troops; and the ordinary instruction drills were conducted at such hours of the morning and afternoon, with reference to season and daily meal times, as were most conducive to the comfort and health of the men.

For each regimental range of huts a fives'-court has now been provided, and these courts, with cricket, football, &c., have proved good sanitary resources in the many leisure hours of the infantry corps.

Of the Garrison Hospital, after its many altered arrangements and improvements, detailed in the Report issued last year, all is commendatory of its condition and comfort since.

Of the average annual strength of troops at Shorncliffe-4434 rank and file-the mean number of sick in the hospital wards was 210, and, relatively, the average monthly appropriation of cubic space amounted to the comparatively high ratio of 1,000 feet to a patient.

The deaths occurring from diseases of the zymotic class, this year, collectively numbered five only, their instances being attributed to sporadic and accidental influences, and not to any defects connected with the sanitary arrangements of the camp or hospital.

WESTERN DISTRICT OF ENGLAND.

Devonport and Plymouth.-The Annual Report on these combined garrisons, by the Deputy-Inspector-General of Hospitals of the district, Dr. C. A. Gordon, C.B., has included information as to the more special sanitary works and improvements in course of the year under review.

During the period a good deal seems to have been effected in the way of improvement to the barracks, as well as to the buildings accessory to them.

In

Citadel of Plymouth.-Here the floors of the casemate barracks have been boarded, a measure adding much to comfort and freedom from damp. Ventilation has been improved by a silk flap ventilator placed in each chimney, and an inlet for air, covered with perforated zinc, arranged over each door. Additional light has been admitted by altering the windows. The fire places have been improved, and greater warmth is now maintained in these rooms. the large or ordinary barracks of the citadel, air shafts and inlets have been introduced for better ventilation of the rooms, the fire-grates having also been remodelled to combine in effecting that object. The soldiers' library, the schoolroom, and tailors' shop have had improved ventilation. Bath-rooms have been established, as also ovens for the men's use; and these were in further course of being provided. Latrines have been fitted with divisions

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