The British soldier in India / by Fred. J. Mouat.

  • Frederic J. Mouat
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The British soldier in India / by Fred. J. Mouat. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    16/96 page 8
    I make no apology for extracting all that is said on the subject of clothing in the report referred to, as it is brief and much to the purpose, although it does not, in my belief, meet all the requirements of the soldier serving in a tropical climate :— Clothing.—We examined, not only medical but general and other officers, as well as non-commissioned officers, with respect to the articles of clotiiing now issued to the men. Of late years great improvement has been made in the cloth- ing of the troops. The form of the tunic now adopted affords protection to the hips and belly of the wearer, which the coatee did not. The material is stated to be better than that formerly in use, and the fashion of tight clothing is, for the present at least, discarded. Too much importance cannot be attached to an easy adjustment of the clothing, so as to leave to the respiratory and other organs of the body, as well as to its muscular development, the utmost freedom. Great bene- fit is stated to have resulted from the use of the canvas frock at the Cape and in the Crimea, in lieu of the cloth tunic. As regards under-clothing, the balance of evidence, both of commanding and medical officers, is in favor of the flannel shirt. But the opinion of the non-commissioned officers exa- mined was decidedly unfavorable to it, principally on the ground of the increased cost of the article, which is one of the necessaries kept up at the expense of the soldier. The quality of the boots is complained of, and it has been suggested that a boot should be adopted, capable of being laced over the trowsers, as the French gaiter is buttoned on the march, so as to prevent the accumulation of wet and mud on the loose trowsers round the ankle. The stiff stock is condemned by almost every one who has given his opinion on it. The men indeed consider that it looks smart, and some of them wish to keep it, on the under- standing, however, that it may be always taken off when
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