138 



REPORT — 1861. 



With ofBcers and the civil servants in Bengal, we also find that the mor- 

 tality greatly increases with length of residence, notwithstanding the great 

 advantage which they have of being able to return to their native country. 

 "Out of 1184< deaths among officers," says Sir Ranald Martin*, "the pro- 

 portion occurring annually in each rank, and at each age, has been as 

 follows : — 



" The mortality among the civil servants, for a period of forty-six years, 

 from 1790 to 183G, exhibits almost precisely the same results, viz. : — 



" Between ten and fifteen years' service is the period when leave of absence 

 is allowed to those who choose to return to Europe for three years, whicli 

 of course must have a material tendency in reducing the mortality of that 

 class." 



The high mortality of our own army at home may also be greatly ascribed 

 to the weakening influence of the climates of many of our foreign stations. 

 The annual mortality per thousand was — 



Age. Age. 



20—24'. 25—29. 

 Infantry. 

 From 1837 to 181^6 



In 1859 



Depot battalions, 



in 1857 

 England and Wales (^ g.^g 9-21 10-23 l]-63 13-55 



generally 



In the useful Army Statistical Report, from which these facts are taken, this 

 high mortality of the depot battalions is acknowledged to be " attributable 

 to the number of men serving in them whose constitutions have been im- 

 paired by foreign service, and many of whom have been sent home to the 

 depot labouring under chronic disease contracted abroad f." 



We can best estimate the deleterious influence of climate by comparing 

 the relative mortality of native and foreign troops. Everywhere we see the 

 same law. At Gibraltar, the deaths per thousand of the Malta Fencibles 



} 



} 



17-8 

 7-21 

 10-13 



8-42 



19-8 



7-80 

 12-39 



* Loc. cit. p. 96. 



t Statistical, Sanitary, and Medical Report for 1859, p. 28. 



