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United On comparing this with the corresponding Table in the Report for 1860, a Kingdom. considerable difference will be found in the relative amount of several of the causes of rejection. Thus, small or mal-formed chest, which has given rise to a much larger number than any other cause, stood then sixth in order as regards frequency; while diseases of the eyes and eyelids, which then stood second, have undergone a great reduction. On grouping the classes together we find that upwards of two-fifths of the rejections were for causes indicative of ill-health or feeble constitution, and one-fifth for defects which would have affected the power of marching of the men.

Some of the differences which were pointed out in last Report in the relative amount of particular causes of rejection in England, Scotland, and Ireland have disappeared in the present Return, but there is still a considerable excess in the amount of diseases of the eyes and eyelids in Ireland. It is, however, hardly safe to draw any deductions on these points until we have returns extending over a number of years.

The ages of the recruits enlisted in each division of the United Kingdom will be found in Abstract No. VI. of Appendix, from which the following Table has been prepared, showing the proportion at each age in every 10,000 examined:

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On comparing this with the results for 1860, it will be found that there has been an increase in the proportion enlisted under twenty, and a decrease in that of men above that age.

During the year several changes were made in the standard height at which recruits were allowed to be enlisted. Until the 7th of March the minimum height was 5 feet 4 inches; it was then raised to 5 feet 8 inches ; and on the 16th of April was reduced to 5 feet 6 inches, at which it remained till the end of the year. These restrictions during a portion of the year, render it impossible to make an accurate comparison with the results of 1860, of the proportion of men at different heights. Detailed information as to the number at each height will be found in Abstract No. VI. of Appendix, from which the following summary has been framed, showing the proportion at each height in 10,000 men :—

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The same objection applies to the information respecting the average weight of the recruits during the past year, as the necessary result of raising the standard height would be to decrease the proportion enlisted of the lighter weights. The following Table, compiled from Abstract No. VII. of Appendix, shows the proportion of men at the different weights enlisted during 1861 :

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The extent of education among the recruits is shown in the following Table condensed from Abstract No. VIII. of Appendix, in which the numbers are given for each of the recruiting districts :—

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These results correspond pretty nearly with those given in the Report for 1860. The chief difference is an increase in the number wholly uneducated in the English districts, and in the proportion able to write among the Irish recruits.

From a document prepared for the Statistical Congress by order of the Secretary of State for War, it appears that, on the 1st of January 1860, the state of education among the men serving in the Army was as follows:

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On comparing these with the results in the preceding Table, it will be observed that the proportion unable to read and write is considerably less in the ranks of the Army than among the recruits; but as it still amounts to one-fifth of the strength, and men able "to read only " constitute another fifth, there is evidently ample scope for the labours of the regimental schoolmaster. In the Recruiting Returns we have included under the head of "able to read and write" those stated to be of superior education, as it must be manifest that the medical officer in charge of a district has no means of ascertaining the extent of a recruit's acquirements in this respect during the short period necessarily allotted for the inspection.

The occupations of the recruits inspected, and the number rejected of each class, are shown in the following Table :

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lowest proportions were in Classes 3 and 5 respectively.

form a special class) among the shopmen and clerks. In 1861, the highest and manufacturing artisans, and the lowest (with the exception of the boys, who This shows the highest proportion of rejections to have been among the

Of every 1,000 recruits examined the proportion belonging to each group of United occupations was as follows:Kingdom.

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These differ but little from the results of 1860, except that the proportion of boys is doubled, the number being almost the same as in the preceding year, while that of the other classes has only amounted to one half. As the boys are mostly sons of soldiers, or enlisted from the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, and the Royal Hibernian School, Dublin, the numbers do not fluctuate as in the other classes of occupations.

It appears from the Return already referred to, that the previous occupations of the men serving in the Army on the 1st of January, 1860, were as follows:

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Gibraltar.

II. ON THE HEALTH OF THE TROOPS SERVING IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN.

year

Section I-Sickness and Mortality.

I.-GIBRALTAR.

The garrison consisted of the same troops as in 1860, except that early in the the 5th was replaced by the 1st Brigade Royal Artillery from England, and two companies of Royal Engineers were during the course of it also relieved from home.

The average strength of the garrison was 5,520 non-commissioned officers and men, among whom there were 5,119 admissions into hospital, 35 deaths in hospital, 8 out of hospital, and 7 among invalids after their return to England, making a total of 50 deaths. These numbers show the cases to have amounted to 927, and the deaths to 9:06, per 1,000 of the strength; the former being an increase of 98, and the latter a decrease of 2 per 1,000 on the results of the previous year.

The following summary shows the relative sickness and mortality in each

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Thus the highest ratio, both of sickness and mortality, has been in the Royal Engineers: with this exception, the 2nd Battalion 8th Regiment has had the largest proportion of admissions, and the 2nd Battalion 7th Regiment, of deaths. The mortality in the Royal Artillery has also been great, but two of the deaths were the result of accidents on duty.

The diseases by which the admissions into hospital and deaths were occasioned are stated in detail in Abstract No. IX. of Appendix. The following summary shows the influence of the principal classes of diseases in 1861, compared with the results of the two preceding years :

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