Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-01-30

Tee Sanitary Commission ha, just issued
valuable document, in the '' Preliminary Re
port on the Mortality ami sickness Of the
Volunteer Forces Of the United States Gov
ernmeni. during the Present War, by +. Il.
Elliot" lis Actuarr We give summary.
Ii appears from the returns, thst whilc the
death-rstc from wounds in action Is greater
with officers than priyatee-h,iu. respective
u II - rnI - per l,nea-thc death
rate Of uliicI- from dis,zi~e and accident i
much -maler than that Of pri'it,i--.222, for
the ierucr - 45 tor the latter.
Thc mortality Cor liability To death.) Of
ofTicers from wounde received in action, Is
nbout one-third greater than that OF the men;
their mortality from disea>e and accident is
but ouc-hslf that of the men; and that their
liability u death. from al causes, (hoth dis
csse and vi1lence,) ], nearly two
tiirJs o. ..f i5e mon.
O1r las-os t.v disease have l,,n lss- iu pro
portion t'.sn raa-e Of the Briti-h troops IN
tbt Cri-acs. ami thi-, though the dreadful
oamrai-u d. a., -vamTs Of inc taI-kahom-
inr aud jams river Is reek1ned in. I've
thirds Of e.. iaai IF the officers. and FIVE
sixths Of t.-5s1 oi tho men in the army, rc-
suited from disease and accileht-the re-
naming onc-third and one-siXth. respective
". being caused hv wounds received IN hat
tie In lie Crimean war seveu-eighths ot the
mortality oi the British troops during the
entire campaign WIS due to disease.
It appears that the general mortality Of
the army has been gradually increased since
the commencement Of the war. The fall
rates are nearly double those Of the summer.
and the winter rates double those Of the au-
tumn months.
The annual leath-rato of the trooT> re-
cruitcd in the New England States was thir-
tv-eix per 900 strength-of which thirty
one was from disease and accident ,snd from
wounds in oction.
For the middle SJato group the annual
death-rate Wa thirty per ,00O strength
which twcntv-scycn was from disease, &c,
and thre,. from wounds in action.
The rate for tic western group tinciudins
with the we=ten States proper, the States of
the southwest) Has ninety-hye per 900 PER
annum-of which ,eventy-seyen was from
disesse and accident, and eighteen from
wounds in action.
The average strength of the regiments,
according TO the entire returns, i SG2, Of
which there are constantly ~ sick and 81
effective.
From the facts presented, it appears that
the average mortality Of our soldiers during
the present war il much les. than that gen
eraliv ofother armies in G6fire ssrr'oc: aud
nearly the same as the average rate OF the
entire British army in the time Of war (l193
-lsI5). an army composed both Of troops
in active service ''sbroad," and Of mon in
active at home.
1t is beyond doubt that the favorable con-
trast between the sanitary affairs Of our ar
mics and those of other countries l. largely
owing to the benevolent aud energetic opera
tions of the Sanitary Commission Consid-
crins the immense number Of persons who
without campaign experience are brought
together in our armies, the wonder is that
the mortality has been kept within 50
moderate bounds Without the labor and eX-
peudi,ure of the Sanitary commission it
must have leeu far greater.