54 War Science. " v [January, 



referred to, the same being so adjusted that as soon as a 

 certain amount of candle has been consumed, say a hundred 

 grains or so, and the one scale has become lightened to this 

 extent, the heavier scale bears up the lighter one, and, at 

 the same time, a small gong proclaims the termination of 

 the experiment ; a stop clock records at once the exact 

 duration of the trial, and the twofold result — luminosity and 

 time of burning — thus obtained, goes far to establish the 

 actual value of the light examined. 



The above serves as a good illustration of the nature of 

 the investigations undertaken by the Chemical Department, 

 but the variety of its duties are, as may be supposed, very 

 great. Thus, all water supplies made to barracks and 

 hospitals are analysed periodically as to purity and fitness 

 for domestic purposes, and, in the same way, is a wholesome 

 supply of ration bread ensured to the troops, from con- 

 tractors at the different stations. All the soldier's requisites, 

 down even to the blacking for his boots and the brass paste 

 for his buttons, are tested, for the purpose of seeing whether 

 they fulfil to the utmost the purposes for which they are 

 required, and the welfare of the troops is in this way 

 narrowly watched wherever at all possible. We see, there- 

 fore, that the existence of a department of this nature is not 

 only of vital importance to the Government, in checking the 

 quality of the enormous supplies which are made from time 

 to time, but it also stands in the light of a true friend to the 

 soldier, who profits largely by its kindly offices. Indeed, 

 ever since the time the war chemists were first enabled to 

 exercise an efficient control, the complaints of commanding 

 officers, respecting bad stores and bad provisions, have 

 almost entirely ceased, and such questions as a loaf of bread 

 being adulterated with alum, or a ground-sheet being imper- 

 fectly waterproof, are, at the present day, quite unknown. 

 The influence of sound and genuine supplies on the health 

 of troops is, in truth, very great, for if we take, just by way 

 of example, the subject of ground-sheets, to which we have 

 just alluded — an article consisting simply of a stout sheet 

 waterproofed with india-rubber, for stretching upon the bare 

 ground to prevent the damp from penetrating the blankets 

 composing the soldier's bed when under canvas — the neces- 

 sity of ensuring a perfect and reliable protection is of the 

 greatest importance. Should the thin india-rubber coating be 

 composed of an inferior material, or should the same be but 

 imperfectly attached to the fabric, the ground-sheet would 

 obviously, soon be rendered useless, and the result would 

 certainly be an increase in rheumatism and sickness among 



