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    "localId": "24325428",
    "label": "No. 28: Advice as to Camping by the British Government Sanitary Commission",
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    "title": "No. 28: Advice as to Camping by the British Government Sanitary Commission",
    "description": "This item is an essay that provides advice supplied by the British government's Sanitary Commission in regards to ensuring sanitary conditions in military encampments.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24325428",
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    "ocrText": "SANITARY COMMISSION.\nNo. 28.\nADVICE AS TO CAMPING,\nBY THE\nBRITISH GOVERNMENT SANITARY COMMISSION.\nNOTE.-\"In consequence of the frightful mortality by\ndisease, the British government sent out a Sanitary Com-\nmission to the Crimea. The soldiers had been dying like\nrotten sheep. Late in 1854 they died at the rate of 33\nper cent. a year. The rate afterwards increased SO fear-\nfully, and rose SO high, that if it had continued, and if re-\ncruits had not been continually poured in to fill the dead\nmen's places, the whole army would have perished in less\nthan a year.\n\"In consequence of active, wise, and resolute efforts the\nnumber of deaths immediately began to lessen, and con-\ntinued to lessen until, in the first quarter of 1856, the rate\nof mortality was as low as it is usually among men of the\narmy ages in the most healthy rural districts of England.\n\"Let us now look at the condition of the recruits in our\nencampments. They are said to be in good health. Of\ncourse they are, for they are fresh from their various whole.\nsome callings. As time is necessary to form an army, SO it\nis to breed an epidemic; and the processes for both are in\nactive operation.' a letter on sanitary condition of\nthe troops about Boston, by S. G. Howe, M. D.]\nThe practical conclusions derived from the investigations\nof the British Sanitary Commission were published in an\nofficial report, from which the following advice respecting\nthe location, arrangement, and police of camps is taken and\nrespectfully urged upon the attention of the surgeons and\nofficers of the army of the United States.\n2\n7\nand removed to a distance. None should ever be allowed\nPRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS RESPECTING CAMPS.\nto accumulate within, or in the immediate vicinity of a\nI.\ncamp.\nThat by far the greater part of the disease and mortality\nBones and refuse of food can be most easily disposed of\nexisting in the camp, when the Commission arrived in the\nby burial.\nCrimea, was due to zymotic maladies, such as cholera,\nStable litter and all inflammable refuse should be careful-\nfever, diarrhœa, and dysentery.\nly burned. The usual method of forming heaps of litter,\nThat besides the effects of topographical and climatic pe-\nand firing it, is imperfect. Before being fired, it should\nculiarities connected with the occupation, and making allow-\nalways be opened up, to admit the air to dry it, and to ex-\nance for the predisposing influence of other conditions, to\npedite the combustion. Manure heaps burn with difficulty\nwhich the troops had been exposed, the prevalence of zy-\nif left on the ground for any length of time before they are\nmotic maladies was obviously connected with local favoring\nfired.\ncauses essentially the same in kind as those observed in civil\nCarcasses of animals and offal should be buried to a suffi-\nlife, especially in rural districts, namely:\ncient depth below the surface. Three feet is enough under\nDamp.\nordinary circumstances. Refuse charcoal dust thrown over\nImpure air.\ntainted ground will assist in deodorizing it, or, if that be\n(Although in a minor degree) impure water.\nnot attainable, the burning of stable litter on the spot will\nfurnish sufficient charcoal for the purpose.\nII.\nLatrines should be made narrow and deep ; a quantity of\nAttacks of zymotic disease were observed to be connected\nearth should be thrown into them each day, until they are\nwith the three following sources of dampness:\nfilled within two feet of the surface, after which the latrine\nA wet subsoil; a retentive surface soil ; confined locality.\nshould be filled up, and another dug.\n1. Of these three conditions, a wet subsoil occasioned the\nWhen an army requires to occupy the same surface of\nlargest proportional amount of sickness.\nground for years, it would be unsafe to bury the refuse in\nThe experience of the 79th Regiment, and that of the\nthe ground, because eventually the soil would become satu-\n31st and Royal Artillery, who were successively camped on\nrated with organic matter, and dangerous to health.\nthe same ground, below Marine Heights, proves that one\nIn such a case, the construction of furnaces to consume\nof the worst sites for a camp is that in which a thin bed\nevery organic product of the camp is by far the best and\nof porous material rests upon an impervious bed beneath,\nsafest proceeding. Speedy collection, removal, and de-\nwhich retains the water, and keeps the subsoil charged\nstruction by fire of all such refuse matters, obviates any risk\nwith it, while the surface may afford little or no indication\nof danger from them.\nof the fact.\n8\n5\nV.\ndamp state of the air within huts and tents, and induced a\nAtmospheric impurities, arising from overcrowding and\ntendency to fevers.*\ndefective ventilation of tents and huts, were a frequent predis-\nDeep trenching round the tent site, as already mentioned,\nposing cause of zymotic disease.\nis the best remedy and in the case of huts, the site should\nWere it practicable in warfare to diminish materially the\nbe isolated from the surrounding ground, and the area to be\nnumber of men sleeping in tents, it would be advisable to do\noccupied by the hut drained by a trench dug round it at\nso. But considering the limited transport at the command of\nleast a foot below the level of the floor.\nan army in the field, the injurious consequences of over-\nIf it be not practicable to drain the subsoil, and if the\ncrowding may, to a considerable extent, be obviated by a\nposition must be held, adequate provision should be made,\nfree ventilation of huts, and by improving the construction\nwith any materials at hand, for raising the beds of the men\nof tents and marquees, by introducing effectual means of\nabove the ground.\nventilation round the top of the poles.\nHuts should never be banked up with earth against the\nIn the case of huts, ridge ventilation is the most efficient.\nwood. The experience in the Crimea has shown that it is\nLime-washing huts inside, especially hospital huts, puri-\na dangerous practice, for it used to be a common cause of\nfies the air; lime-washing of huts outside protects them, to\nfevers.t An interior lining, even of old newspaper, affords\na certain extent, from the intense sun's rays, and keep\na much better, and at the same time a perfectly safe pro-\nthem cooler within.\ntection from drafts.\nThe usual practice of striking tents and shifting ground\nThe flooring of huts should be occasionally raised, the\nis an excellent means of avoiding the effects of saturation of\nsurface of the ground below cleansed, and quick lime and\nthe earth by emanations proceeding from the breath and\ncharcoal strewed over it.\nbodies of the men.\nFor hospital huts, an interior lining of boards, or building\na rough rubble stone wall outside, as was done in many of\nc The advice given by the commissioners in regard to the site, constructio\nand ventilation of huts, cannot be too strongly insisted upon, as these struc-\nthe regimental hospitals, affords the requisite protection\ntures are more permanent and fixed quarters than tents. Thousands of our\nfrom weather and from sun heat.\nsoldiers will live in them during the coming winter. The desire to keep them-\nselves warm, and ignorance of the vital necessity of an abundance of pure air,\n0 Tents in the camps of our volunteers are at present (September, 1861,)\nwill make them unmindful of ventilation; and the sickness and mortality\nuniversally crowded too closely together. No tent should ever be placed\namong our troops, from fevers, pulmonary complaints, &c., will certainly be\nwithin two full paces of another. Camp streets should never be less than five\nfearful, if the lessons of the Crimean and other wars, in this respect, are not\npaces wide. (See U. S. Army Regulations, par. 506.) These being minimum\nheeded by our commanders. No hut-barracks cught to be constructed and\ndistances, should be largely increased wherever practicable.-I L. O.\nused as winter quarters, unless the site selected for them, their internal ar-\nt The practice adopted in some of our regiments of excavating the ground\nrangement, and especially the means proposed for their ventilation, have re-\nto be covered by the tents, in order to get warmer quarters at the beginning\nceived the approval of a Board of Advice, consisting of the best engineers and\nof the cold season, is equally injurious, and ought to be strictly prohibited. A\nmedical officers attached to the force.-G. A.\nsufficient supply of blankets for the night, and great camp-fires, which purify\nthe atmosphere, dry the ground, and warm the men, by day, keeping them at\nthe same time out of their crowded and ill-ventilated shelters, are, by far, better\nmeans for making them feel comfortable than sinking the tent floor.-G. A.\n6\n3\nIV.\nDangerous sites of this kind were often marked by a\nThe camp before Sebastopol was, generally, remarkably\ngreener or more vigorous vegetation than that of the sur-\nclean when first visited; but there were in certain situations\nrounding district, or by water-springs coming to the surface,\nsources of atmospheric impurity, from putrescent organic\nor by evening fogs settling over them sooner than over the\neffluvia, likely to influence injuriously the health of the\nadjacent country.\ntroops. The chief of these were\nBefore selecting positions for camps in unknown ground,\nPicketting-grounds, and manure heaps.\nit would be very advisable to dig trial holes a few feet deep,\nOne or two slaughtering-places, and latterly the large\nto ascertain what is the condition of the subsoil drainage,\ncattle depot and slaughtering-place at Kadikoi.\nand not to risk the health of the men in camping on ground\nThe graveyards and putrid marsh near Balaklava.\nin which these trial holes show the presence of water near\nLatrines kept too long open, and exposing too large a\nthe surface.\nsurface.\nShould it be necessary, for military reasons, to hold a po-\nWhen an army can shift its ground at will, danger to\nsition on a wet subsoil, the whole should, if practicable, be\nhealth from similar evils can always be avoided by doing so.\nthoroughly drained by deep trenches, and if there be a hill-\nWhen, on the other hand, an army is tied to its position\nside or water-shed above the ground, the surface water from\nfor a length of time, the camp becomes a town, and is sub-\nit should be turned aside from the site by deep, catch-water\nject to all the sanitary defects of towns, as these existed\ndrains, as was done with the camp of the Highland Division\nbefore the introduction of the first great step that was taken\nat Kamara.\nfor improving the public health, namely, the introduction\nIf the position be such that deep trenching and draining\nof paving.\ncannot be carried out, it is in the highest degree probable\nPicketting of horses saturates the ground they occupy\nthat if held for any length of time, it will be at a consider-\nwith organic matter. In like manner, accumulations of\nable sacrifice of force.\nmanure, if allowed to remain, saturate the ground they\n2. The retentive character of clay surface soils, and the dif-\ncover. Filth of any kind is washed into the ground by the\nficulty of draining such soils, render it advisable to avoid\nrains, or trodden into it by the steps of men and animals,\nthem as camping-grounds, when it is possible to do so.\nand must necessarily give off impure emanations under the\nWet clay soils keep the air near the ground damp and\njoint action of sun heat and moisture.\ncold, and they affect the atmosphere of tents and huts in a\nTo avoid the injurious consequences likely to arise from\nsimilar manner. There was sufficient proof of their inju-\nthese circumstances, it is indispensably necessary to observe\nrious effects on the health of troops in the Crimea.\nthe most scrupulous cleanliness over the whole surface and\nWhere such soils must be occupied, for military reasons,\nvicinity of a camp. All refuse should be at once swept up,\nthe defects in the natural drainage should be remedied, as\nfar as practicable, by trenching the ground, and by trench-\n9\n4\nVI.\ning the site of every hut and tent separately, connecting the\nhut and tent drains with the larger trenches. In this way,\nThe condition in which the water was drawn for use in\nnot only are the sites and the vicinity of the huts and tents\nthe camp, was likely, especially during the prevalence of\nkept comparatively dry, but the surface water is more\ncholera, to aggravate the severity of the disease, although\nreadily removed, the exhalations from the damp soil dimin-\nnot to a great degree.\nished, and the air purified. The experience of the army in\nIt is always desirable that water for drinking and cooking\nthe Crimea showed the very beneficial effects of this surface\npurposes should be, as nearly as possible, destitute of color,\ndrainage and trenching on the health of the troops.\ntaste, or smell. Anything that interferes with these three\n3. Dampness of the air, arising from the nature of the\nnatural tests is more or less injurious to health; but marsh\nlocality, proceeds from the topographical peculiarities of the\nwater, however apparently pure, is not wholesome.\nground preventing a free circulation of the air, and the at-\nAll engineering works for supplying camps with water\nmosphere becoming stagnant, and charged with moisture\nshould comprehend\nand emanations from the ground. The valley of Karani,\nThe selection of the purest obtainable source.\nabove Kadikoi, afforded an illustration of this, in certain\nThe delivering the water for use as pure as it is at its\nstates of the weather.\nsource.\nIt was observed in other parts of the seat of the war in\nIf it be necessary to pound the water, the tanks should\nthe East, that damp white mists, settling in valleys or hol-\nbe covered.\nlows occupied by troops, had been the precursors of epidemic\nWater should, if practicable at all, never be drawn by\ndiseases, especially of cholera. All valleys are at times ex-\ndipping, if it be rendered muddy in the act of being SO\nposed to similar occurrences, especially such as contain\ndrawn.\nstagnant lakes. An unhealthy and stagnant state of the air\nIf a source of water of sufficient purity be not obtainable,\nis sometimes increased by brushwood or trees.\nthe water should be filtered. A filter may be made with\nThere is often no escape from epidemic sickness occurring\nsorted gravel, clean sand, and charcoal.\namong troops from the occupation of such positions they\nEvery trough for supplying horses should have a separate\nshould, therefore, be avoided or abandoned.\ninlet and overflow.\nIII.\n2\nThe evils resulting from these local causes of dampness\nwere not unfrequently aggravated by the manner of pitch-\ning tents and erecting huts. Want of due preparation of the\nground, and defective drainage of the site, often led to a\n10\n11\nGENERAL CONCLUSIONS FROM THE WHOLE\nin future a practical development commensurate with its\nEXPERIENCE.\nimportance to the public service.\nWe have the honor to be, my Lord, your Lordship's\nI.\nhumble and obedient servants,\nThat as scurvy, and the forms of disease connected with\nJOHN SUTHERLAND.\nit, almost disappeared from the army under the influence of\nROBERT RAWLINSON.\nimproved diet, clothing, &c., so, in like manner, zymotic\nGAVIN MILROY.\ndiseases, the destructive effects of which mainly depend on\nThe Right Hon.\nbreathing a humid, tainted atmosphere, declined on the\nLORD PANMURE, G. C. B., &c.,\ncarrying out of suitable sanitary works and measures.\nMinister at War.\nII.\nDECEMBER 1, 1856.\nThat men just arrived in a new country are especially\nliable to suffer from prevailing zymotic maladies. That any\ngiven number of reinforcements will not compensate to the\nservice for the loss of the same number of the original force\nfrom these diseases, and hence the necessity for effective\nsanitary precautions is doubly imperative, whether as re-\ngards the abatement of local favoring conditions, or the\ndiscovery and immediate treatment of the premonitory\nstages.\nIII.\nAs the result of their whole experience, the Commission-\ners beg to express their opinion, that, inasmuch as the ne-\nglect of military hygiène, whether as regards the soldier\npersonally, or the sanitary condition of camps, barracks,\nand hospitals, has hitherto, in all countries, climates, and\nseasons, been the cause of the largest amount of loss in\narmies, the whole subject, closely connected as it is with\nthe physical efficiency of Her Majesty's forces, demands\nSANITARY COMMISSION.\nNo. 28.\n51\nodt 01\nTHOY heal of топод out over oW\ntysibada Date oldount\nKOOL\nMORKLIWAH тяняол\nтожим MIVAD\n8\n8881 .1"
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