The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-08 00:00:00

if, in these-days of-competition for a morsel of bread, be
be driven off the face of the earth down into its bowels,
the proverhial dangers of the mine are one-half less than
he would incur were he doing duty with the Guards,'
those splendid-looking fellows, whose bearing is so sol-
dierly, and whose physique is apparently so much supe-
rior to that of a slouching miner.
" How shall we account for such an excessive mor-
tality 'among 60,000 men, in time of profound peace, in
a country which is not only the healthiest, but which
possesses the greatest facility of communication, and the
greatest abundance of supply in Europe I' Such was the
problem which at first perplexed the Army Commis•
sioners, but whose solution has now, we think, been
found in the course of their thorough sifting of the
various matters submitted to their investigation.
"As might have been anticipated, there is consider-
able diversity among the witnesses examined as to the
causes of this enormous mortality; and we have sundry
amusing instances of extensive conclusions inferred from
slender or doubtful premises. Night duty does it all,'
some were much disposed to argue, till a reference to
the superior health of the night-police shut their mouths.
A better case was made out by others, who dwelt much
on want of exercise and suitable employment • and, odd
as it may seem, it is really a fact that the foot-soldier
suffers mortally from ennui ! The general impression
used to be, that men about Ltosva' and fine ladies'
were the sufferers par excellence from this enervating
soul-and-body killing malady. Well, so they are ; but,
saving their gentility, it is well that they should know
that this is a very vulgar affect,on, quite common in the
rank and file of her Majesty's Infantry. Infantry, ob-
serve you, courteous readers, for a man who has to take
care of an animal so noble as a cavalry charger, in caring
for its health, necessarily does a good deal for his own.
He feeds, grooms, and airs his four-footed friend, with
whom he has often a great deal of social intercourse, alike
beneficial to mind and body. But your infantry-man
has very often a distressing resemblance to a horse in a
mill. He goes through a routine of military duty, with
which he soon becomes so, familiar as to perform it
mechanically. For a certain number of hours a-day
his mental powers are stimulated to the same degree
of attention ;' the same bodily organs are day by
day called upon to perform movements precisely iden-
tical, and which, besides being irksome to a soldier
loaded with his accoutrements, are sometimes rendered
still lots attractive by extra drill being ordered as a
punishment for carelessness arising from tedium. Peda-
gogues fall into the same blunder when prescribing a
task' to a poor child whose nerves are worn out by
sitting for hours in school, and whose brain is therefor*
no longer able to meditate fixedly on alphabetic mys-
teries."

There is much good and practical sense in this
paper, on a subject which is just now before the
public, and which we tivat will not be allowed to
sink out of notice again till some vigorous improve-
ments are effected. There is a second paper on.
the Town Sewage Question, the Farmer's Note-
Book is continued, and the average prices and
tables of grain are given. In the second part, the
report of the transactions of the Highland and.
Agricultural Society of Scotland, there are some
valuable papers ; among others, one on River
Embankinent3will attract the reader at the present
time.