The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-24 00:00:00

THE HETLTH OF THE NAVY.

The annual report of the sanitary condition of
the navy during the year 1665 is interesting in two
main particulars—the one in that it shows an im-
provement in regard to the amount of mortality
and invaliding amongst the crews of various ships in
commission during the year ; the other, that for
the first time a section is set apart for scientific
communications on naval medicine contributed by
medical officers stationed in different parts of the
world. For instance, in the appendix we have an
interesting account of the "physical geography,
meteorology, and medical topography of Somerset,
Cape York, North Australia," by Surgeon Haran,
who approves of the locality as a suitable harbour of
refuge. It is, says this gentleman, " within a short
distance of dangerous channels amongst reefs along
the north-east coast and in Torres Straits, which have
wrecked so many ships, and is on that account free
from the most serious evils, connected with the
other settlements at Melville Islands, Raffles Bay,
and Port Essington, founded along the north-west
coast at various periods since 1823, which were
situated some hundreds of miles from the scene of
three disasters, while its undoubted salubrity further
enhances its value, and its commanding position in
Torres Straits must, in the event of a general Euro-
pean war, lead to its unhesitating occupation as a
most important military post and naval station."
Assistant Surgeon Sutherland discusses in another
paper the peculiarities of Shanghae, and Dr. Mac-
' donald and Dr. Salmon relate certain experiences of
cases treated in the Haslar Hospital and the Marine
Infirmary at Woolwich. There is little doubt that
the medical officers throughout the service will be
encouraged by the chance of their observations ap-
pearing in print to work out various problems of
practical importance bearing upon the health of our
I sailors.

But turning to the statistical matter in the re-
port, we find that compared with the preceding
year, in 1865 there was a reduction in the rates of
morality to the extent of 2.7 per 1,000, and of in-
validing 2.5 per 1,000. The total force was 51,210 ;
the total sick cases, 69,315 ; or 1,368.1 per 1,000.
The number invalided was 1687, or 32.9 per 1,000.
The deaths numbered 580 ; of these 416 were from
disease, 161 wounds and injuries and drowning.
I'he total death-rate was 11.3 per 1,000 ; that from
disease alone 8.1 per 1,000. The relative amount
of sckuess and injury on the difLrent stations may
be represented as follows :—Hotne, per man, 1 ;
Mediterranean, 1.3 ; North America and West
Lidies, 1.6 ; S nth-East Coast of America, 1.6 ;
Pacific, 1.5 ; West Coast of Africa, 2.1 ; Cape,
1.6 ; China, 1.6 ; Australia, 1.4 ; Irregular farce,
1.6 ; or on an average, 1.3 per man of the total
force ; which •is an exactly similar proportion
to that of the preceding year. The ratio
per 1,000 of men sick daily was : —On the
Home station, 45.4 ; Mediterranean, 33.4 ; West
Coast of Africa, 73 2 ; China, 80.0 ; the average,

53.2 per 1,000 as against 51.0 in 1861. The sick-
rate was excessive, especially in China and the West
Coast of Africa, caused by small-pox in the farmer
and yellow fever in the latter case. The rate of
invaliding reduced itself on the Home, Mediter-
ranean, Cape, Pacific, and China stations. The
average was 32.9 per 1,000. That on the West
Coast of Africa was 82.9—an increase of 29.5 per
1,000 on the previous year. So, in regard to the
mortality the rate was 28.4 per 1,000 greater •n
the West Coast of Africa in 1865 than the pre-
ceding year. In regard to prevalent diseases, it
may be stated that in the twelvemonth the cases of
fever numbered 3,978, and of yellow fever 76. Of
" contagious diseases" (enthetie), 4,313 ; and of
these 130 wet e invalided. The daily loss to the ser-
vice by this cause of illness is equal to 468 men. In
the section of the report which specially refers to the
Mediterranean station a full account is given of the
origin of the cholera epidemic at Malta in 1865.
The surgeons all agree as to its importation from
Alexandria, and two or more of theta refer to the
peculiar situation of the quarantine establishment
at Malta, which is so placed that the spread of
cholera is almost a matter of certainty. Dr. Butler,
of the Hibernia, writes as follows :—" The latter
(the lazaretto) is situated almost in a central place,
having the populous towns of Valetta, Floriana, and
Pieta on ooe side, and Sliema on the other, with a
large barrack close by ; the distance between the
lazaretto and these places varying from a quarter
of a mile to a mile. In this place were crowded
all the people who came from Alexandria, until
the middle of June ; and it waul.l be strange,
indeed, if the disease, with its well-known infec-
tious
properties, thus introduced into the midst of
_a thickly-populated district, should not spread all
over the island. As a matter of course it did so,
and under the circumstances the details subse-
quently observed by the authorities in enforcing a
strict quarantine were ridiculous in the extreme, and
added to the absurdity of the whole system as re-
gards the Maltese lazaretto." The surgeon of the
Hibernia, Dr. Rickthorne, in his account of the epi-
demic, remarks, that supposing the existence of an
infected atmosphere in and about the lazaretto, the
light sea breeze would set it in motion, and carry it
to Valetta, Floriana, Pieta, and Misida. The posi-
tion of the lazaretto is thus emphatically condemned,
and Mr. Butler affirms that "it can hardly be looked
upon as a quarantine station at all, but rather as a
favourable place to collect persons from infected
quarters, for the purpose of spreading disease to the
rest of tile community. It should be placed at some
of the distant parts of the island, where there is good
anchorage, where a rigid system of quarantne might be
effectual, and where, at all events, the inhabitants
of the large towns would have the advantage of dis-
tance in resisting the invasion of a pestilence."
These facts commend themselves.

We have again to rotice that there is a deficiency
of medical officers in the service, and one of the re-
gretable consequences of this is shown iu the his •
tory of yellow fever on bo trd the Archer on the
West Coast of Africa. The surgeon falling ill of
fever, and there being no assistant surgeon on board
at the time, it was necessary to throw the work to
be done upon the shoulders of the medical officer of
another vessel, who indeed could ill be spared.
Surgeons are doing assistant-surgeons' duty, and
vice versa. Why is the service so unpopular ? At
all events, such an unhealthy station as the West
Coast of Africa should have its full complement of
medical officers.