New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-22
HEALTH OF THE BRITISH ARMY.

from The Coyyespoad>nt of The Ioafos Ttaes
SCUTARI, Jan. 2j ls54.-When / arrived here,
early in November the maximum plumber Of deaths
scarcely exceeded 20 a day; now il Is nearly three
times as high At that time the proportion OF sick
and wcunced was about equal; now the former vastly
preponderates. Then We had only three ho-ptsls;
nov we have eight, talking Of ninth al smyrna,
are BUILDING increased accommodation Tor 1000
patients in the baTrack hospital and are drsughtog
off as fast can convalesce1ts to Malta, C)rf1
and home. At the period referred to wounds would
heal here for time past they have 10 most cases
refused to do 50, if a patient does show ten
dency to get we'll dysentery, fever, or consumption
s.izes him and makes him its prey. Men no longer
come Gown newly attacked and presenting symptoms
favorable for q cure; toey arrive exhausted with
chronic disease firmly rooted in their broken con-
stitutions and almost beyond the chances of sue
cessful treatment. This is one Of the darkest
features in the sanitary condition and prospects OF the
amy for il leads 10 ancipats what the prob sble
fate will be- during the next two months not only Of
the 3. 900 sick crowded in the camp hospitals,
but of those still doing duty who unfit for work.
Dr. hall includes in this last class half the entire
srmy the strength Of which ons nov hears varou-y
estimated at from 600 70 IA 900 men. i hope the
proportion may not be even greater for have heard
medical officers bigh in the service make statements
which led 10 the inference that this was favorable
view of the facts. Whatever be the actual state of
health in the army il is quite certsin tina, IN the hos
p.als here, the number Of cheerful, hopeful faces
among the patients dminishes, and the daily tour OF
wards ana corridors 0iscloses steady increase of
IN their bedclothes more, aud the newspaper and
amusing book have los; much Of their former atrac-
tiyeness No reaoipg aloud nov; and as the new
arrivals tell Of the hGdships they have gone
through, il is Lot unusual thing for them,
syerc, me by the recol ecton, 10 burst iuto tears
ScUrARI Fob. !, 1855.
The accounts which received here ~ TO tho
health of the army become more dismal day after
ca, AID they only too dreary confirmed BY the
rate at which the arrivals OF sick take place AM by
the condition Of The when admitted into hospital.
Only two days ago met an officer holding a high
position in the service, who had just returned from
the Crimea He spoke without the slightest reserve
Of the state of matters there-sad that as an org n-
lied efficient force the army longer existed, thst
all discipline ana order had disappeared that the mss
had ceased TO salute their officers they passed and
it was quite common to them ielliug iuds esaJle
articles Of clothing, in order to buy rum. II would
take he said, many months to bring back to proper
state of efficiency those who were ST tt for duty so
thoroughly demorali,ed had they become. As for the
sick lot only the regimenai hospitals but the tents
were full Of them, aud many of those who still stuck
TO work were quite unfit Tor it. 1t was impossible, he
said to believe the state Of the army as to disease
unless one went up and examined into 1t closely Tor