564 Remarks on the Abstract Tah'les, ^^c. [No. 36, 



23 years the average age of those discharged for crimes, there may, 

 probably, be a closer connection between mental and bodily sick- 

 ness than these 2 years of difference would evince. 



As the greater part of the crimes seem to have been committed by 

 younger soldiers, and their crimes being of a nature which the thought- 

 lessness and excitability of youth, and their weakness in resisting 

 temptation would lead them to commit, it might be a question, whe- 

 ther it would not be useful to keep the younger soldiers more con- 

 stantly employed and thereby exhaust that nervous energy, the su- 

 perabundance of which thrusts them into errors — to order, for in- 

 stance, all soldiers under 5 years' service, to more frequent exer- 

 cises than those above it. 



But as the whole of the 2,419 soldiers had been entertained 

 when only 18 years and 6 months old, and were discharged before 

 the age of 24, there need be no hesitation in asserting that the 

 greater number of them were enlisted and again discharged before 

 €ver they were physically fit for the fatigues of field service. 



Edwaed Balfouk, 

 Madeas, 1849. Assistant Surgeon. 



