Star.
London, England, 1809-04-05 00:00:00

OBSERVATIONS

ON THE BARRACKS OF THIS COUNTRY, IN RESPECT TO
111 h: COM OM OF THE ARMY ; WITH S MICR:RES ON
THE DUTIES, &C. OF THE OFFICERS EMPLOYED IN

THAT DEPA RTMEN T.--Coniinued from Saturday's STAR.
It is the opinion of medical men, that habitations,
to be healthy, must be not only well situated, in re-
spect to air and country, but that they must be also
warm and comfortable ; and that, however perfect
they may be in other respects, they must be consider-
ed as unwholesome, if destitute of warmth and com.
fort. It is, perhaps, solely owing to these causes
that the troops occupying the cold barracks in winter
are generally very unhealthy, and it admits of little
doubt that the same causes gave rise to the Unparal-
leled sickness and mortality which prevailed among the
troops occupying different barracks in England dur-
ing the spring of 1808, the recollection of which
shocks every heart tinctured with humanity.
- It may, therefore, fairly be presumed, that the pro-
jectors who directed the building of barracks, accor-
ding to the construction last mentioned, had been led
away with a very erroneous idea that soldiers' sleep-
ing rooms had been formerly too much confined, and
' unwholesome ; and that ventilation could not be car-
ried to too great an extent, in apartments occupied
i by such a large proportion of men as barracks usually
are. Free inlets were accordingly made for the air
into the rooms in all directions ; and the consequences,
instead of proving beneficial, have proved, we believe,
uniformly injurious to the health and comfort of the,
troops.
It is supposed by the Medical Gentlemen of the
army, that putrid diseases, or, at least, those Maladies
which are thought to arise from the effects of hot
and confined air in barracks, are become rare ; but
that, on the contrary, those of an opposite, or inflam-
matory tendency, being more immediately the conse-
quence of cold, and rapid vicissitudes of the weather,
have become proportionally more frequent, perhaps
more so lately, than was ever known at any former
period. It is difficult to determine which of the ex-
tremes is more pernicious, viz. the effects produced,
on the one hand, by air too much confined in close
apartments, or those arising, on the other hand, from
excessive ventilation ; but that the consequences at-
tending each, are manifestly injurious, In a high
degree, admits of no question.
Every soldier's apartment; whatever be its size,
should be furnished with a fire place, or stove, with a
sufficient quantity of fuel, especially in the winter— the
most beneficial effects are produced in the air of an
apartment by the operation of fire, and it is unaccoun-
table how Barrack projectors should have manifested
so much ignorance, or have been so ill-advised, as to
withhold the means of so much contributing to the
general health .of the troops, by omitting fire-places.
The heat of a fire dispels moisture in the air and apart-
ments, causes rarefaction, and a ready ventilation,
and renders the room otherwise warm and cemfor-
Itable. But fires are more particularly necessary in
large barrack-rooms, which, in proportion to their
size, are always, ceteris paribus, colder than small.
We have said that a palpable error existed in the
division of Barracks into sleeping-rooms of such a va-
riety of sizes ; and, we believe, experience has protTd
that this most egregious error lies on the side of
rooms which are very large. The ill consequences
affecting the troops in large rooms, appear • to have
resulted partly from the great and crowded propor-
tion of men allotted to each, and partly from the want
of fires and ovtr-ventilation.

The large number of men immured in a barrack-
room, would astonish those who are but little ac-
quainted with what human nature is able, on some
occasions, to support) without immediate bad effects;

iiid; if we reflect on the careless and'
positions of soldiers, it is surprising that, amidst smell
a multiplicity of causes of sickness as they are Con-
stantly exposed to; they are not often greater suf-
ferers than they generally are. How often in the
infantry Barracks do we see two tiers of soldiers'
double sleeping births in dote succession, where the.
men are nearly as contiguous as the li..in.nocks of
seamen or marines in a ship of war ; while in some
other Barracks of the service, as in those of the Ord-
nance, and in some of cavalry, we find the soldiers
arc comfortably lodged in smaller rooms, being al-
lowed a space more rational and consistent with the
demands of health, and in many of them each man
is allowed a bed to himself.

When we see our defenders disposed of in large
barrack-rooms (or, as they may be more properly
Called, large barns), in double births, along both sides
of the buildings, and piled, one over the other, not
very unlike the shelves in a bookseller's shop, we
cannot think that all has been done for the ccmfort
and health of the soldier, which justice and humanity
call for, with all the irrefragable proofs to the con-
trary brought before our eyes by every day's expe-
rience. Under the unfavourable circumstances above
pointed out, as existing in crowded barracks, is it to
be wondered that feiters, influenzas, measles, and
other infectious disorders, even the infectious ophthal-
mia of Egypt, who'e virulence is said to have been
increased by importation, when they gain adinission
to barracks, are so destructively prevalent; spread so
rapidly, and are so difficult to be eradicated ? While
thetrciopsoccupyingcomfor:able barracks, whoare pro-
vided wi'h fires, good bedding, and ample room, con-
tinue healthy ; or, if some contagious malady has
found its way into an apartment of a smaller and
more proper size, the sphere of its action is quickly
impeded by the lesser size of the room, while an op-
portunity is afforded of applying the antidote to the
dangerous poison.
To conclude this part of the subject, it appears
that the space allotted to soldiers, in most of the In-
:anti-sr Barracks, is generally less than half the space
which the purposes of health would require ; and
that it demonstratively bears that proportion to the
space granted to the soldiers occuping the regularly-
established barracks for the ordnance and cavalry in
this country, which last proportion seems justly to ac-
cord with the health and convenience of the men ;
hence, in a question of such moment, the comparison
of facts on both sides, leads to clear and obvious con-
viction, and as we trust it has been satisfactorily
proved that the troops occupying the Barn-Barracks,
under the circumstances above stated, have been more
unhealthy than men, at the same season of the year,
quartered in permanent and comfortable Barracks,
the inference is, that the former description are unfit
for the reception of troops.—
We have thus pointed out some of the defects and
errors which have obtained in the plan and execution
of Barracks, and also the very pernicious effects re-
sulting from over-crowding the soldiers in the Bar-
racks of this country, by contrasting the comparative
health of the troops quartered in large, cold, and over-
ventilated roorns, with that of soldiers living in smaller
rooms, provided with fires, and otherwise comfortable.
We shall, in a future Number, offer a few hints, with
the intention of opening the way to improvement on
such an important subject ; and happy shall we con-
sider ourselves if any remark, or opinion of ours, shall
in the least tend to meliorate the condition of a sol-
dier quartered in barracks, or direct the attention of
Government to a point so essential to every true Bri-
ton, as the alleviation of the calathities attendant on a
military life:—(To be continued.)

Monday the whale, which had been for so :nary
days exhibited as an object of public curiosity on tl:e
River near Blackfriars' Bridge, was sold by auction
at Lloyd's Coffee-house, for R 75.

ROYAL HUNT—Monday being Easter Monday, ac-
cording to annual custom, his MAJESTY'S stag hounds
hunted for. the amusement of the neighbouring No )i-
-lity and Gentry, and others, who have retired into
the country to enjoy the sports of the field, for few
days, at this season of the year. About ten o' lock,
the MarquisCOßNWALLts, the Master of his Majesty's
hounds, accompanied by a numerous assemblage,
arrived at Tower-hill, near Swinley, where there
were about two hundred sportsmen waiting to enjoy
the day's diversion. Soon after the arrival of the
Marquis, a very fine deer was turned out of the cart,
which immediately shewed great sport across the fo-
rest to the left of Bagshot, through Cobham, taking
to the left by Batley and St. Ann's-hill, where he
crossed the Thames, near Staines-bridge, towards
Shepperton. The sportsmen went along Staines-bridge,
and renewed the chace through the inclosures to Shep-
perton, and from thence to Sunbury, where the deer
was taken in a pond, after four hours hard running :
it is supposed he ran upwards of forty miles. Many
c f the horses were knocked up. The deer was bred
in Home Park : it was the second tithe of his being
hunted.

To-morrow morning the celebrated Hendon deer
will be turned out, on Stoke Common, for a day's
sport by his Majesty's hounds.

Receipt for driving away " the Blue Druils."—No
quackery !—Take of money quantum szefficit—Go to
any of the Lottery Offices ; either of which will give
you a very polite reception—buy a Ticket, or a Share
in proportion to the state of your purse : even a Six-
teenth, which costs but a trifle, may gain you on Wed.
nesday next, 000 other Sixteenths, which are capable
of producing, in solid cash, above 4000 times the
amount of the little stake you risk. Two sweet
ruddy cheeked Blue Coat Boys, at Cooper's Hall,
will draw out the receipt for driving away all the
blue devils" that can torment adversity.
CORN MARKET, MARK-LAKE, APRIL s.—There are
to-day middling supplies of Wheat, the sales are very
heavy, and scarcely fetch last prices—Rye is lower—
inferior Barley is in plenty, much cheaper, and al-
most without buyers—Malt dull sale—White Peas,
of the best quality, are rather dearer--Beans con.
tinue at little variation—there are large arrivals of
Oats from Lincolnshire, and second and ordinary
qualities cheaper—Flour at our last quotation.
GiNtRAL CUIRSNCT AS CADE& :
Wheat 635. 78'. 88s. beans (new) 545. 608.01.
Fine ditto, 90s. 945. Tick ditto (new) 44,. 50s. d.
Rye, 569. 625. - Oats, 281. 325. 86a.
Barley, 379. 475. Poland ditto, 3Rs. 409. Od.
Malt 705.775. Potatoe ditto to 429 091.
White Peas (boilers), 120 s 130 s Rape Seed, 601. to 641.
Grey ditto, 40. 549.
rifle Flour, 80e. 853.—Seconds, 755. 80e.
—mad

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

WHITEHALL. APRIL 4.

The Kixo has been pleased to constitute and ap-
point the Right Honourable FRANCIS Lord NAPIER
to be his Majesty's High Commissioner to the General
Asiembly of the Church of Scotland.