288 NEGLECT OF ORGANIC LAWS 



(eight years) in hospital, solely from inability to bear 

 tip under difficulties which scarcely affect those who 

 are a few years older. 



If such be the result during peace, I need hardly 

 say, that in time of war the practice of enlisting 

 Tery young men is not less fatal to the individual 

 than costly to the country. It appears, accordingly, 

 that in the army in Spain, sickness and inefficiency 

 prevailed almost in proportion to the youth and re- 

 cent arrival of the soldiers. Sir James Macgrigor 

 cites the 7th regiment as an illustration, and adds, 

 that between 9th August, 1811, and 20th May, 1812, it 

 lost 246 men, of whom 169 were recruits landed in 

 the preceding June ; while only 77 were old soldiers. 

 The original number of this detachment of recruits 

 was 353, so that more than one-half died within the 

 first eleven months. The total number of old soldiers, 

 on the other hand, was 1143, and of them only 77 

 perished in the same time ! So convinced, indeed, 

 is Sir James of growing " lads being unequal to the 

 harassing duties of the service," that in making cal- 

 culations for measures in the field, he thinks that 

 300 men who had served five years would be found 

 more effective than 1000 newly arrived, not simply 

 from their greater experience, but chiefly from the 

 additional stamina proceeding from maturity.* 



In a note subjoined to the preceding opinion of 

 Sir James Macgrigor, Mr. Marshall says, " numer- 

 ous examples might be quoted to show that young 

 lads are much less able to endure the fatigue of 

 marching than men a little more advanced in life. 

 During the winter of 1805, a French army, which 

 was stationed on the coast in the neighbourhood of 

 Boulogne, marched about 400 leagues to join the 

 grand arrny before the battle of Austerlitz, which it 

 effected without leaving almost any sick in the hospitals 

 on the route. The men of this army had served two 



* Marshall, lib. eft., p. h. 



