Sanitary reform : a lecture delivered at the Institution Room, St. Ives, on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 1860 / by Lord Robert Montagu.

  • Montagu, Robert, 1825-1902.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sanitary reform : a lecture delivered at the Institution Room, St. Ives, on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 1860 / by Lord Robert Montagu. 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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    warming the room; bnt it was ventilated only through the wainscoat. The heated and impure air ascended, and couM not escape; and thus the room was (he said) an inverted receiver for bad air. The monkeys had flourished through many M'inters in England ; but as soon as they were put into this new room, they began rapidly to die of consumption. This was the result of a want of fresh air. They lived in a bad room with gpod air; but died of consumption in the best room, because it was not thoroughly ventilated. The Investigation into the Sanitary State of the Army has proved the same law. Remember that only the healthiest men are admitted into the army. Recruits are examined by a surgeon, and every one that is not strong is rejected. Of these, many, who show symptoms of incipient ill-health, are sent home as invalids. So that the subjects of the investi- gation were not only healthy men, but men with robust con- stitutions. Now the soldier leads an idle lounging life, he has no active employment; but suffers from ennui, and becomes listless and dissipated. He is moreover crowded in barracks where there is insuflicient ventilation. And accordingly we find that Fever and Pulmonary complaints are a soldier's worst enemies ; but more especially the latter. The foot suffer more than the horse soldiers; because the latter have to clean and exercise their horses in the open air. Horse-soldiers, more- over, have a larger barrack-robm. [See Note.] You must not suppose that the mortality among soldiers is caused by the severity of their duties: the duties of police- men and of sailors are far more severe; yet the death-rate is by far the greatest among soldiers, as you will see by the fol- lowing table, which is taken from the Report of the Sanitaiy Condition of the Army :— Deaths per 10,roo at soldiers' ages (40—60):— Agn'cnltural labourers (members of friendly societies 60 Civilians 63 Navy, home stations (N.B.—The navy are much exposed; and over-crowded at night 68 London Yive Brigade 70 N'ote.—From a return moved for in 1848 of the cubic space of air in barracks, we find that in Dover Castle there is a space of 147 cubic feet; while paupers in Scotlaud are allowed 480 cubic feet per man. Moreover, paupers never remain in the dormitories bj' day; while soldiers are in their barrack-rooms day and night. The new barracks are, however, much better in this respect But in p. xxxv. of the Keport of the Commission ou the Sanitary State of the Army in 1858, we find that in FEET. : FEET. London Hospitals, least space ...... 600 average .... 1434 County 600 ■, 1081. Military „ 400 , 032