The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-31 00:00:00

CLOTHING OF THE ARMY AND THE

POLICE.

Dr. Borlace Childs, the surgeon to the City
Police Force, has just issued a report, ad-
dressed to the Police Committee, upon the subject
of the clothing of that body, which contains some
very interesting details. After some introductory
remarks, Dr. Childs says :
" Clothing suited to the necessities and duties of
any body of men expected to be efficient at all times,
by night and by day, is a matter of the highest im-
portance. The badly clothed are always miserable
and generally inefficient, as is well known to mili-
tarp men. If this be added to a defective commis-
sariat, the army or force becomes wholly useless,
and speedily breaks up. Viewing this matter
strictly with reference to the police force, it will, I
think, be conceded that the clothing should be such
as-Ist, To protect the men from injury and in-
clemency of the weather; 2d, To interfere as little
as possible with the men when called upon to act,
bearing in mind that these calls are not unfre-
quently sudden, unexpected, and more of the nature
of contingencies, demanding the utmost courage,
energy, and forbearance on the part of the men ;
and 3d, the dress generally should be of such tex-
ture, colour, and form, as to give to the men that
claim to respectability of appearance, to which they
are not well entitled by their conduct, but which
forms an essential element in the arrangements of
social civilised life. If I have not spoken of eco.
nomy, it is because whenever injudiciously at-
tempted to be carried out, it uniformly defeats its
own objects. Unsuitable clothing adds to the sick
list, maintains at a high rate the ratio of men in
hospital or on that list, deprives the force of their
services, thus throwing additional duties on the
healthy; and lays the foundatiou for an enlarge-
ment of the pension list—the dead weight of every
force. I feel confident that the members of this
committee will be disposed to agree with me in
these opinions, based as they are on much expe-
rience and long reflection.
" The daily walk of the policeman is about 16
miles; a few miles more is known to be above the
power of any man. In addition, his walk is tedious,
wearisome, and monotonous. He cannot well rest,
nor even vary his movements, and with his thoughts
unemployed he must ever be on the watch.

" In many respects the policeman is a soldier; his
enemy is the drunken, the debauched, the evil dis-
posed, the malicious, and those who, regarding him
as their worst enemy, delight in injuring him.
Against these—unhappily a numerous class—be
must be ever on the watch. Cowardly by their
nature and calling, they aim at his head. The im-
portance therefore of affording him every protection
for that vital part is apparent. Now the ancient
Greeks, to whom we owe the arts, sciences, and
civilisation of the present day, placed on the head of
a man exposed to danger a helmet, so exquisitely
formed, so adapted to the object in view, as to
leave nothing to be desired, and as was to be ex-
pected, so elegant in appearance that nothing has
ever been imagined since their era at all approach-
ing it. The hat now worn by the police force fulfils
no indication which the covering for the head of
men so exposed requires. It affords no protection in
a struggle, for it either immediately falls, or is
struck off, and the man becoming conscious that his
head is exposed to great danger, hesitates, and be-
gins to think only of self-defence. It is, moreover,
heavy, weighing 14 ounces even when dry, affords
no protection to the eyes, face, ears, or neck, causes
headaches, &c. ; not being arched, it does not suffi-
ciently
(even if kept on) protect the head from a
blow, no matter what may be its strength ; while as
to appearance, it presents the additional absurdity
of superadding a civilian's hat (the worst covering
for the head ever invented) to semi military dress.
The present police hat admits of no improvement.
"The coatee worn at present by the force is
the relic of a past age; it affords no protection
from wet or cold to the vital organs contained
within the cavities of the abdomen and pelvis,
nor does it afford covering or warmth to the
haunches and limbs. In its place ought to be sub-
stituted a tunic, full, handsome, and provided with
ventilation in the arm-pits , and sufficiently warm
to protect the wearer in our cold, damp, variable
climate.

"The modern trousers, when made of good mate-
rial, sufficiently elastic, has been proved the best ;
but the trousers as generally made do not give full
protection to the joints. Cold and damp aid in the
production of rheumatism and other diseases in
these parts, to remedy which it might be advisable
to strengthen the trousers on the inside over the
knee, in those especially who may be liable to rheu-
matism, and to afford the shins and ankles addi-
tional protection from wet by the use of waterproof
leggings worn over the trousers ; but whatever
plans may be adopted, care must be taken so as not
to interfere with the circulation in the superficial
veins of the limb." Dr. Childs then
proceeds to
make some remarks 1113011 the importance of men
employed as policemen or soldiers wearing flannel
underclothing, and also upon the necessity of having
boots better formed to the shape of the foot, and
says, in conclusion, "although much most, and
always should be, entrusted to the individual him-
self, with a view to his acquiring that self-confi-
dence so necessary in all who have active public
duties to perform, yet it must ever be useful, nay,
highly advantageous, to convince men united in a
corps that their wantsandcomfsoerrtvsaers. Such a
are neverne-
glected by those requiring their ic
view being acted on gives rise to
for promptness, act i
vi ty, energy on their part, and to respect
them-
selvcs and for the corps to which they belong,
which in the end never fails to react most benefi
cially on the safety, welfare, and finances of their
employers—the public.