ADDRESS FOR A REPORT ON SANITARY STATE. (Hansard, 12 July 1869)

§ LORD KINNAIRD

, rising to call attention to an outbreak of fever in this establishment, said, he did not deny the importance of schools of musketry, for in view of the astonishing improvements which had been made in small arms, it was necessary that officers and soldiers should be taught to handle them. Having been informed last spring that a serious outbreak of fever had occurred, and believing that such epidemics could generally be accounted for by remediable causes, he paid a visit to Hythe and inspected the drainage of the barracks. He found a large shingly beach between the barracks and the sea, which effectually intercepted the sea breezes, and he observed that all the drainage of the town flowed into a canal belonging to the Government, and ori- 1594 ginally constructed for strategic purposes. This canal, which was covered with vegetable matter, ran at the foot of the barracks. The drains from the barracks, which were taken under the residences of the various officers, went into a ditch, from the open part of which refuse eighteen inches in depth had been taken out, so that the condition of that part which was covered might be imagined, and in hot weather with a south wind the stench was very unpleasant. The ditch, moreover, was dry for weeks at a time. The lecture room was a garret seated so as to hold 150 men, and being constantly filled with classes its ventilation was very objectionable. It was but fair to say that the medical officer attributed the outbreak, not to the bad drainage, but to the hot weather and to the officers having consequently thrown off their winter clothing; but it was singular, to say the least, that thirty or forty should have been affected by an attack which very much resembled the jungle fever of India. The officer admitted that the place was, to a certain extent unhealthy, and remarked that officers coming from abroad, and men of weak constitutions, could not stand the two months' drill, which was extremely hard work, being such as would properly require three months. A second school of musketry, situated at Fleetwood, and possessing excellent accommodation, had been abandoned on economical grounds, but it might be doubted whether the cost of conveying regiments from all parts of the three kingdoms to Hythe was less than the expense of a second establishment; and he felt sure that, when the health of the troops was at stake, measures would be taken by the Secretary of State for War and the noble Lord who represented the Department in this House (Lord Northbrook) to guard against another outbreak.