CHAPTER II.

THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE SOLDIER IS

PLACED.

THESE Conditions are extremely various, as the soldier serves in so many stations, but the chief points common to all can be passed in review.

The water and air supplies have been already sufficiently noticed, and the conditions now to be noticed under which the soldier is placed are barracks, huts, tents, and encampments; the food, clothing, and work.

SECTION I.

BARRACKS.

Barracks have been in our army, and in many armies of Europe still are, a fertile source of illness and loss of service. At all times the greatest care is necessary to counteract the injurious effects of compressing a number of persons into a restricted space. In the case of soldiers, the compression has been extreme; but the counteracting care has been wanting. It is not more than sixty years since, in the West Indies, the men slept in hammocks touching each other, only 23 inches of lateral space being allowed for each man. At the same time, in England, the men slept in beds with two tiers, like the berths in a ship; and not unfrequently, each bed held four men. When it is added, that neither in the West Indies, nor in the home service, was such a thing as an opening for ventilation ever thought of, the state of the air can be imagined.

The means of removal of excreta were, even in our own days, of the rudest description, both at home and in many colonies; and from this cause alone there is no doubt that the great military nations have suffered a loss of men which, if expressed in money, would have been sufficient to rebuild and purify every barrack they possess.'

1 It is a most remarkable circumstance, that the two diseases which, in the French, Prussian, Hanoverian, and Belgian armies, and probably in the Austrian, and, till lately, in our own army, caused the largest share of mortality, were a destructive lung disease, termed phthisis in the returns, and typhoid fever.

The production of disorganizing lung disease (though occurring in several other ways is intimately connected with the constant breathing of an atmosphere vitiated by respiration; and typhoid fever is as closely related with bad drainage. Both diseases are therefore diseases of habitations, and show, in the case of the soldier (who is not subjected to other causes of phthisis, such as inaction, constrained position, and inhalation of dust, etc.), that the air of his dwelling is foul. In hot climates the same rule holds good. Is it not a remarkable fact, that in the West Indies, those islands of paradise, where no cold inclement wind ever vexes the tender lungs, there was, forty or fifty years ago, an extraordinary mortality from consumption, and from a continued fever, which in all probability was typhoid? Yet who can wonder, when we find, in the

SUB-SECTION I.-BARRACKS ON HOME SERVICE.1

2

The imperfection of the English barracks was owing to two causesfirst, a great disregard or ignorance of the laws of health; and, secondly, an indisposition on the part of Parliament to vote sums of money for a standing army. At the close of the last, and at the commencement of the present century, the Whig party especially opposed every grant which Mr. Pitt brought forward for this purpose. After the great war, the exhaustion of the nation prevented anything being done, and in spite of the representations of many military men, comparatively little change occurred till the Crimean war. In 1855, a committee,' of which Lord Monck was chairman, was appointed by the War Office to consider this subject, and presented a most excellent Report on Barracks, the suggestions of which have been since gradually carried out. Immediately after this, a Barrack Improvement Commission was organized, and in 1861 this Commission published a Blue Book, which not only contained plans and descriptions of the existing barracks and hospitals, but laid down rules for their construction, ventilation, and sewerage, for future guidance. It is difficult to speak too strongly of the excellence of this Report, and if its rules are attended to, there can be no doubt the British army will, as far as habitations are concerned, be lodged in healthier dwellings than almost any class of the community. Reference must be made to this report for a fuller account of the older barracks and hospitals than can be given here."

Windward and Leeward command, the very best barrack, in 1827, gave only this amount of accommodation: the men slept in hammocks touching each other; the average space allowed to each man measured only 23 inches in breadth; and the total cubic space per head, in this, the best barrack in a tropical climate, was only 250 cubic feet. The air was, of course, putrid in the highest degree.

So also in India, the best writer on the means of preserving the health of troops in India (Dr. Chevers) did not hesitate to assert that faulty barracks were, though not the only, yet a great cause of a mortality which, in a term of years, had been at least fourfold more than at home. Phthisis and typhoid fever hold a subordinate place (though it is not unlikely that their frequency was underrated); but other diseases appear, which are in part connected with faulty barrack arrangements, such as dysentery and

cholera.

In India, as in England, no expense has of late years been spared; but yet the fact remains, that the very habitations erected for their shelter and comfort proved in many cases to the soldiers a source of suffering and death.

1 Army medical officers are referred to an admirable paper by Surgeon-General Dr. Massy, C.B., on the Construction and Ventilation of Barracks and Hospitals (Army Med. Dep. Report, vol. vi., p. 229).

On looking through the Annual Register, it will be found that Fox, as well as his followers, spoke strongly against the grant of sums of money for improving barracks. Their motives were good, and their jealousy of a standing army justified by what had gone before, but the result has been most unfortunate for the soldier.

3 Report of the Official Committee on Barrack Accommodation for the Army, Blue Book, 1855.

Mr. Sydney Herbert, Drs. Sutherland and Burrell, and Captain Galton, were the first Barrack and Hospital Improvement Commissioners. Lord Herbert did not sign the first Report, as he became Minister of War. Dr. Burrell retired. The remaining Commissioners (Dr. Sutherland and Captain Galton) subsequently published the Report on the Mediterranean and other Barracks.

General Report of the Commission appointed for Improving the Sanitary Condition of Barracks and Hospitals, 1861.

For the duties of medical officers with respect to barracks, see Queen's Regulations, 1881, Section 15; and the Army Medical Regulations, 1878.

Infantry Barracks.

Block Plan.-Formerly a number of men, even a whole regiment, were aggregated in one large house, and this was often built in the form of a square (a plan originated by Vauban), the quarters for the officers forming one side, on account of the ease of surveillance. Many officers still prefer this form. But it is always objectionable to have an inclosed mass of air, and if it is adopted the angles should be left open, as recommended by Robert Jackson. The Barrack Improvement Commissioners have very justly recommended that there shall be division of the men among numerous detached buildings; and instead of the square, that the separate buildings shall be arranged in lines, each building being so placed as to impede as little as possible the movement of air on the other buildings, and the incidence of the sun's rays.

In arranging the lines, the axis of the buildings should be if possible north and south, so as to allow the sun's rays to fall on both sides. One building should in no case obstruct air and light from another, and each building must be at a sufficient distance from the adjoining house, and this distance should not be less than its own height, and if possible more.

4.

Parts of a Barrack.-1. The barrack room, with non-commissioned officers' rooms screened off. 2. Quarters of the married privates-seven to each company. (With the short service system this will probably be modified.) 3. Quarters of the staff-sergeants and sergeants' mess. Quarters of the officers. 5. Kitchens. 6. Ablution rooms. 7. Latrines and urinals. 8. Orderly-room; guard-room. 9. Cells. 10. Tailors' shop and armory; commissariat stores; canteen. 11. Reading-room (in many barracks); schools; magazine.

It is unnecessary to describe all these buildings.

The old barracks are of all conceivable forms and kinds of construction, for details of which see the Commissioners' Report.

When new barracks are built, the plans of the Commission will be followed.

(a) Barrack Rooms.-The size and shape of the barrack room will decide the kind of buildings. The Barrack Committee of 1855 recommended that each room should accommodate twelve men, or one squad, as this is most comfortable for the men; but small rooms of this size are more difficult to arrange, and it is now considered best to put twenty-four, or one section, in each room.

The Barrack Improvement Commissioners' recommendations may be condensed as follows:

The rooms are directed to be narrow, with only two rows of beds, and with opposite windows-one window to every two beds. As each man is allowed 600 cubic feet of space, and as it is strongly recommended that no room shall be lower than 12 feet, the size of a room for 24 men will belength 60 feet, breadth 20 feet, height 12 feet. This size of room will give 14,400 cubic feet, or (600 × 24) enough for 24 men; but as the men's bodies and furniture take up space, an additional 2 feet has been allowed to the length in some of the new barracks. Assuming the length to be 62 feet, the superficial area for each man will be nearly 52 feet, a little more than 5 feet in the length and 10 in the width of the room. At one end of the room is the door, and a room for the sergeant of the section, which is about 14 feet long, 10 wide, and 12 high. At the other end is a narrow passage leading to an ablution room, one basin being provided for 4 men, and a urinal.

Such is the present arrangement of a single barrack room, and it is difficult to conceive a better plan, unless it might be suggested that an

open veranda, never to be made into a corridor, should be placed on the south or west side. It would be a lounging-place for the men. So also a cleaning-room for arms and accoutrements would be a very useful addition.

The room thus formed may constitute a single hut, but if space is a consideration, two such rooms are directed to be placed in a line, the lavatories being at the free ends. A house of this kind will accommodate half a company. The several houses are separated by an interval of not less than 25 feet. For the sake of economy, however, the houses will in future be frequently made two-storied, so that one house will contain a company in four rooms, and ten will suffice for a regiment.

The three following plans of recently erected barracks show the arrangements which are adopted :

1st, When there is a single story, as at Colchester, and no staircase is required.

2d, When there are two stories, and a staircase must be introduced, as in the new cavalry barracks at York.

3d, When there are not only staircases, but the barracks must be extended in one long line, including many rooms, and when, therefore, the ablution rooms cannot be put at the ends of the rooms, but must be placed on the landings, as at Chelsea.

If ten houses are thus formed, and arranged so as to insure for each the greatest amount of light and air, the following area will be occupied by these houses alone. Each house (with walls) would measure about 140 feet long and 22 broad, and the space between the houses may be taken at 64 feet, or twice the height of the house. The external houses would, of course, have clear spaces on both sides like the others. The area of occupied and unoccupied space would be very nearly 12 square yards to a man.

But this amount of compression, which would be injurious in a large city, will do no harm in these well-planned and ventilated barracks.

1

(b) Day-rooms.-The soldier lives and sleeps in his barrack room; it has long been a desideratum to introduce day-rooms, but at present the expense is too heavy. Still it is very important that the men should take their meals elsewhere than in their barrack room, and in

1 See Report of Committee (1855), p. iv. The objections to day-rooms are-1st,

some barracks a room is provided close to the kitchen. The addition of a few verandas to the rooms would be less expensive; and if reading

WATORY

BARRACK-ROOM

OOC

LAVATORY:

FIG. 99.-New Cavalry Barracks at York.

FIG. 100.-New Chelsea Barracks.

More labor to keep clean; 2d, Chance of men being debarred from their barrack room during day; 3d, Chance of day-room being appropriated on emergencies. The Committee, therefore, recommend only dining-rooms for the men, to be arranged near the kitchen, if possible.

SERCLANT

BARRACK-ROOM