I Hiring the latter part of our occupation, the arrangements with regard to latrines, shambles, the burying of I carcases, were unexceptionable, and every mea iken to abate their baneful influence. 'I he food provided for the army during the first winter and spring was defective both in quantity and quality. This arose partly from unavoidable circumstances, and partly from inexperience in the otlicers t whose on salt meat, in their state a poison." The roller served out raw and unbound, was all but useless, and the ration salt pork was not always of the Thr want of fuel, and the state of fati-ne in which the mm returned from duty, made them frequent ly eat their pork half. or toasted only before their io-cther with their ration of Till; ( WAR. spirit, or it might be their biscuits and rum alone, formed their frequent if not their only fare.
This circumstance, taken into consideration along with the prevalence of ulceration of the intestines which existed, assumes an additional interest when connected with a fact mentioned by Dr. Rollo, and quoted by Sir George Ballingall, that in the year 1789 the 45th regiment lost, within a short time, in Granada, and during a healthy season, a large number of men who were found to have ulcerated intestines, and, on inquiry, it was discovered that one chief cause of the mortality was, that the common breakfast consisted of a glass of raw spirits, with a small slice of boiled salt pork, the spirits being not unfrequently repeated during the day. May not a like fare have been the cause, to some extent, of a similar effect in the Crimea also?
I have little doubt, that if the precaution had been taken to supply the troops every morning with hot coffee, as they went on or returned from duty, which was a step strongly recommended as a prophylactic at Walcheren, much of our mortality might have been avoided. It can hardly be doubted that this could have been accomplished at the worst of times by a little management, as there are few things more portable or more easily prepared than coffee. The Turks place great reliance on this beverage as a preservative against dysenteiy, and the French preferred its use in their army to the tea which we employed. If we were ordered to prescribe a dietary the best adapted to give rise to gastric irritation and dyscrasial disease, could we suggest one more potent than salt pork, hard biscuit, and raw rum? <>D. severely worked, and constantly in a keen air. ivijuiiv to have their physical energies sustained by a liU'rul supply of such food as contains the largest amount <>1' nourishing and staple ingredients; but in place of that, the supply to our troops, besides being irregular in amount, was- insufficient for their support, and constituents which were most calculated to provide lor their nee< ore reduced at the very time when were most required.