Military hygiene : a manual of sanitation for soldiers / by R.H. Firth.

  • Firth, R. H. (Robert Hammill), Sir, 1858-1931.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Military hygiene : a manual of sanitation for soldiers / by R.H. Firth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    is not materially affected by foreign service as a whole, the death-rate is distinctly enhanced thereby. As re- gards constant inefficiency, the effect of foreign service is to raise the numbers constantly sick from 25 to 43 per 1000. In other words, every man at home is in- efficient by sickness for 9 days in the year, and every man abroad for 10 days. The balance in excess, or 7 days, represents the loss to the State due to foreign service. Death-rates.—In a previous section the actual death-rates of troops in our army serving in various geographical areas have been given ; the following table may be of interest as showing the mortality from parti- cular diseases or groups of diseases among soldiers serving in various places as compared with the civil population at home of the soldier’s age. From these figures it is apparent that the health of the Army at home is superior to that of the civil male ])opulation of similar ages; but, as has been pointed out already, the influence of invaliding in the service invalidates any general conclusion that could be drawn from a con- sideration of death-rates alone. It is noticeable that both the enteric fever and tuberculosis death-rates in the Army at home are distinctly lower than the corre- sponding rates for civilian males.* Comparative Value of Military Medical Statistics.—Of all the ratios which are given in military medical statistics, the more important which * The reader must bear in mind that military medical statistics like those of civil life, vary from year to year ; therefore the student should consult the annual report of the Director-General of the Army Medical Service on the health of the Army. This book is officially published early in each year.