The Express.
London, England, 1865-09-21 00:00:00

NAVAL. AND MILITARY.

A DMIMALTY, Sim 20. -..APPOINSIKENTII-- 00M-
mender W. A. eambiat, to the Formidable, for serdoe
h.
lats Beata
Lieutenants Y. WNeite, to the Greyhound ;W. B.
=the Helloes ; P. R. Loud, to be commander of
to
oak gunboat, eke Barkley, promoted.
Ambit Ant Permute'. C. W. Kiag, to the Narcissus.
Misters' Assistente F. Rowlett, to the lieli0011; R. F.
Yong; to the Terrible.
Acting Booted Bader A. 0. Deasy,auperonmerary, to
the Victory.
Chief Bogieest 0. F. Boothe, to the Ormhonod.
Ragtime's B. W. Topp, to the Greyhound ; W. Gilson,
to the Beedisk.
Assistant Engineer W. Brow., to the Basilisk.
Adios Assistant Engineer H. G. Johnston, to the Grey-
hound.
Firstolase Assistant Engineers J. Cooper, to the Princess
Soya ; J. leGarahan and W. B. Taylor, to the Basilisk.

CHATHAM, Sum 20.
This afternoon the finding and aentenoe
of the
diatrat emit martial, which recently assembled at this
pinion for the trial of Private John Coow, 77th regi-
ment, on a charge of threatening to shoot War-Sergeant
Wilma, of the same Corp, wee promulgated to the whole
tenced
of the troops. The amused was found guilty, ase
to TA days imprisonment.

WOOLWICH, Sm. 20.
In anoordance with the decision of the War
Department to adopt breech loading rifles generally in the
serrice, a series of competitive trias, which will be @maid
to by mayoral of the twat endoeet vat-makers in the
kingdom, will shortly take plum at the Royal Arsenal
=range, rider the direction of the Ordnance Select
elm*, with a view to the selootion of the meet efficient
weapon of the deecrlption embed.

HEALTH OP THE NAVY.

The statistical report of the health of the navy
for the year 1862 has been published. Dr. Mackay, the
oompiler of the report, institutes a comps/doe between the
death-rate is the navy aced among certain demise of lauds-
mai. In the 24th table of the supplement to the 25th an-
nual report of the Residual Gerard for England, the ratio
of mortality In different trades and occupations at certain
ages Is given ; and it will be observed that between the
ages of 15 and 45, which may be looked upon as the fair
boundaries of a 6611111•11.11 life, agricultural labourers,
shepherds, navvies, ha, those in feet who are principally
engaged in out-door vocations, constitute the most healthy
class, and that amongst them the ratio of modality 111 9'l
per MOO. Now if the 9* of ratio of mortality amongst
the admen is placed in juxtaposition with the Pt death-
rate of the very healthiest class of operatives io hagland,
the difference is certainly not great. Dr. Mackay. how-
ever, pond out that the Mini*, is able to redoes its death-
rate by dischargieg dimmed wee before the fatal event
but, on the other hand, he remarks upon the hardship
a seaman's life ; and the fact that the men in the navy often
remain in distlicte where the climate is most inimical to the
European constitution :—" But for the nociessing oars with
which every circumstance opposed to his health is watched
and as far as possible provided for. it Is impossible but that
great sickness and mortality should result from such services
as he is called upon to engage in in the various rivets oa the
coed of Africa, in the Mosambique Channel, and on the oast
of China ; and it era* speaks well for the service that la
the face of these prolific sources of didase and death, the
ratio of modality should only be fractionally greater than
amongst the healthiest class of operatives in England. For
it is especially to be remarked that in accepting 9'6 as the
death-rate per 1,000 of mean force, the only casualties that
have been deluded from the retard are won't& and in-
jades, and yellow fever and cholera ; had erotica been taken
of the other death', which are clearly due to the special
nature of the service upon which the men were employed.
it would be easy to show that the death rate is the said
faros was wider 7* per 1,000. On the Pacific, Ceps of Good
Hope, and Australian stations, by excluding deaths by vio-
lence alone, the ratio of mortality per 1,000 of mean force
was in the former only s'B, and on each of the two latter,
41." Dr. Mackay, in conclusion, remarks that "It is
painful to reflect that on the very threshold of his entry
into the envie'', and in the seaport awes of his owe coun-
try, the seaman should have hitherto been left exposed to
such a mad of festering disease as readers these tonalities
more distractive to heath this the meet pestilential rivers
of Africa ; partial marines have happily at length been de-
vised to mitigate this evil ; but it is to be hoped the day is
not far distant when effectual tape shall be taken to re-
move to the utmost this foul scandal from the patios."
The statistics those that is the home stations there has
been an Monad in the ratio of all oases of disease
of this description. "The ratio per 1,000 of mesa
face of owes of syphilis, in 1861, was 1001, which
was not only a great increase over the year that preceded
it, hut over any of the five preceding years. Is the present
year the ratio is 108*. The total number of oases under
treatmeat was 2,285, and the total number of days' sick-
ness in hospital and oa board ship shows that upwards of
212 men were daily Ineffective from this disease alone,
either in it. primary or more procenumed secondary forma.
When it is considered how many of the other &seance that
reader men inefficient were more or lees dependent upon
a sypkilitiq diet, some estimate may be formed of the less
Maned upon the public wades by this loathsome disease.
As heretofore, venereal dieted abounded most is Ports-
mouth and Plyzeou'h. It is, perhaps, no exaggeratios to
lay, that from these two centres alma more syphilitic
disease has bees mown broadcast over the globe than from
any other cities on the face of the earth."

---
DRITNICENNSMI ON BOARD BRlT.—Yesterday the
Local Marine Board at Liverpool suspended for six months
the certificate of James Smith, chief engineer of the screw
steamer Saladin, for drunkensees at Bap Janeiro, St.
Thomas. and New York.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENT/I.—Tail REMOVeL
OP WTOll•tTaghT.—An important local act of parliament
hes jest been printed, entitled "The St. Clement Danes
Improvement Act," under which some extensive alterations
will be made in the Strand, and • itemiser of houses is
Wyehatraet removed. It recites that portions ie the
Strand and Wyob. street are iseouvesimatly narrow, whereby
the traffic along those streets is 'rattly impeded, and it
would be to the public advantage that the seine should be
widened sad removed, tied that other improvements should
be carried out upon said in coons:ion with the property
lying bstween the streets ; and that to effect snob widemog
and improvemeete, the betties now standing on the north
side of the Strand ►nd the smith side of Wych-street should
be pulled down, so well as three in Bolywellotreet, and
other and more couveaient buildiege erected tberecto. The
act was therefore passed, end ••
company incorporated to
carry out the improvensesta, which are to be completed
within four years ; the compulsory purchase of property is
limited to two years. The plan. and sections of pro-
perty required have been deposited with the clerk of the
peace of Middle's& end there la a special stipul►tion that
the property and buildinp Worming t• the Strand Hotel
Company are not to be interfered with by the company. The
removal of Holywell-etreet, although may partially effected
by this act of ruffianism., will be • public beoefit, and
other improvements in the neighbourhood may be carried
out, which, with the contemplated removal of numerous
old house, is the locality for the new law courts, will add
to the metropolitan improvements by the Themes embank-
meat ore the other side of the Strand.