The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-10 00:00:00

Health of the Army at Home.

The annual reports—statistical, sanitary, and
medical—from the Army Medical Department
have bpon iftsnea in relation to
.tho soar
1852. The average strength of non-commis•
sioned officers and men in the army serving in the
United Kingdom was 78,173—and for every 1,000
of mean strength there were in the year 919 ad-
missions into hospital, 53.45 constantly sick, and
8.72 died. AU these numbers are lower than the
average of the two previous years. The reduction
in the mortality was chiefly in miasmatic and re-
spiratory diseases. Venereal diseases, though de-
cidedly less prevalent than in the two previous
years, continued to hold a very prominent place as
causes of inefficiency, the admissions into hospital
still reaching to a number about equal to a third of
the entire force. At Colchester the admissions were
as high as 464 per 1000 men of mean strength, at
Manchester 455, at Canterbury 441. The total in-
efficiency from the cause was equal to the loss of
every man in the home force for eight days, or the
constant loss of two regiments out of 78,000 men.
Intemperance also causes a considerable amount
of inefficiency ; in the cavalry depots the admis-
sions into hospital from intemperance and delirium
tremens reached 13.17 per 1,000 of mean strength.
Corporal punishment ranged between 6.4 per 1,000
in the Military Train, and 0.6 in the Foot Guards,
but in none of the arms except the Military Train
and depot battalions, did it amount to two in a
thousand of the force. The mortality of the cavalry,
artillery, Military Train and Infantry regiments
was below the civil population of healthy districts
in England at the ages, but the mortality is kept
under by the process of invaliding. The invaliding,
however, was much lees than in the previous year,
and amounted to only 41.27 per 1,000 or 3,226 in
all. The mortality in the fegiments on the average
of three years was lower than in civil life under 25
years of age, the same as in civil life between 25 and
30, but considerably higle2r at the more ad-
vanced ages. In the French army serving
in France in the same year, 1862, the num•
ber constantly noneffective from sickness
and the sick time to each soldier were almost
identical with those of the British army at home.
The deaths of non-commissioned officers and men
in the army serving in France amounted to 9.59
per 1,000, or 0.87 above that of England. It ap.
pears a legitimate inference from the French re-
turns that the cases of venereal diseasJ in the year
were at least as numerous, in proportion, as in the
British army.

THE NEW MARSHAL OF FRANCE.—Gen. Bqzaine, I
who has just been appointed to the dignity of a
marshal of France, comes from a military family, whose
fame he has done much to maintain. his early lessons in
the art of war were obtained in Africa, where he gained the
Cross of Honour on the field of battle. In 1837 he was de-
tached, and served with the foreign legion, but afterwards
returned to Africa, where he received the rank of captain,
and saw further service. In 1818 he was promoted to the
rank of lieutenant-colonel; in 1850 ho was placed at the
head of the foreign legion, and at the commencement of the
war in the Crimea, he was chosen to command the brigade
of infantry formed of this corps, During the siege of Sebas-
topol the bulletins of Generals Canrobert and Pellissier more
than once rendered testimony to his bravery and his skill
in organisatisn. After the retreat of the Ru-sians he was
appointed governor of the place, and in Sept., 18.55, was
promoted to be general of division. In Oct. following he
was placed at the head of the expeditionary corps destined
to act against Kinburn. 1,I;s services in the Crimea were,
of course, soon afterwards ended ; but on his return to
France, high commands were conferred on him, He is
commander of the Legion of Honour.
FALSE ALARM OF FIRE AT THE ADELPIII THEATRE.
—At half-past eight last evening, during the per-
formance of "The Woman cf Business," and while Mr
Phillips, Mr J. L. Toole, and Mr Stephenson were on the
stage, a sudden panic ran through the audience owing to
cries of " Fire!" from persons in the gallery, and the
audience suddenly rose with a view to rush out of the
house, although they were assured by Mr J. W. Anson
(the treasurer), the police on duty at the theatre, and Mr
Stephenson and Mr Phillips that there was no cause for
alarm, that no fire existed in any part of the theatre, and
that the smoke which had caused the alarm arose from a
wood fire in a chimney of an adjoining baker's, which had
penetrated through one of the open windows. Unfortu-
nately, the alarm spread outside that the theatre was en
fire, and engines from the Chandos and Farringdon stations
arrived, adding to the unnecessary consternation. By order
of Mr Anson the firemen were refused admission, it being
considered that their appearance would cause a se2ond
panic. The audience being at length satisfied resumed their
seats, and the performances were continued. One gentleman
had his shoulder dislocated,