Observations on the means of preserving the health of troops, by selecting healthy localities for their cantonments / by Edward Balfour ; read by Joseph Hume ... before the Statistical Society of London, on the 19th of May 1845.

  • Balfour, Edward, 1813-1889.
Date:
[1845]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the means of preserving the health of troops, by selecting healthy localities for their cantonments / by Edward Balfour ; read by Joseph Hume ... before the Statistical Society of London, on the 19th of May 1845. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    tor more than a quarter of a century been employed only In distant expeditions against a foreign enemy, marching for months before they reached the scene of war. With such long marches before them, it must be of immaterial consequence from what position in a remote province the troops first break ground; a few miles to the right, or left, or rear, would not retard for a day their junction with the brigade with whicli they were destined to co-operate.* It is true that the chief authorities of the Government can alone possess that knowledge of the state of the people requisite to decide on the districts requiring the pre- sence of troops, and with them the distribution of an army must ultimately rest 5 but it must be at all times useful to know the localities where a force may be placed with the certainty of their suffering the least possible loss from sick- ness and death. This subject has often before been noticed; but from various causes, perhaps from the limited number of facts that could be brought to bear on it, it has not hitherto attracted the attention it deserves. The reports published on the health of troops in the British colonies, enable us, however, to give numerous instances of great differences in the degree of health enjoyed in stations only a few miles apart; and, considering its importance, whether as a means of reducing the heavy sick lists, of lessening the number who every year die, of effecting a great saving to Government, and placing in their hands a greater amount of disposable force, it may not be deemed needless to enter somewhat at length into the details of those colonies, where the difier- ences in the degree of health are most marked. The forces serving in the Windward and Leeward command, from 1817 to 1836, averaged 4,333 strong. During that period, 7,069 men died, and the average annual mortality was 85 per 1,000 of mean strength. But the fol- lowing table of the rates of mortality in the different islands will show that it is possible to distribute the troops in such a manner as to diminish this num- ber of deaths: Annual Ratio per 1,000 of mean Strength died. Average Strength- Antigua and Montserrat . 40-6 403 St. Vincent’s - ' - - - - 54-9 372 Barbadoes - . - - - 58-5 1,197 Grenada - - - - 61-8 313 St. Kitts, Nevis and Tortola - - 71- 290 British Guiana - - - - - 84- 884 Trinidad - - - - - 106*3 310 St. Lucia - - - - - 122*8 241 Dominica - - - - - 137*4 236 Tobago • *• • 4 132*8 170 The island of Dominica lies detached from the others, being more than 100 miles north of St. Lucia, and it might be imprudent to weaken the force • European troops could never be employed as the police of a district, tlie duties of which must be performed by the less expensive part of the Indian Army—the native soldiers. The latter, indeed, are, to a great extent, employed in duties which might be as well done by undiscipbned men; and though such employment tends greatly to injure discipline, it is, nevcitheless, almost indispensable, in order to diminish the heavy expense of so large an army.