The military shoe : First prize in the official military competition in 1874 / by S.A. Salquin ; assisted in the technical part by the brothers Giacomo and Stefano Tirone, of Turin ; wth a preface by Division Colonel Lecomte ; tr. by H.L.B., under direction of the quartermastergeneral, U.S.A.

  • Salquin, S. A.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The military shoe : First prize in the official military competition in 1874 / by S.A. Salquin ; assisted in the technical part by the brothers Giacomo and Stefano Tirone, of Turin ; wth a preface by Division Colonel Lecomte ; tr. by H.L.B., under direction of the quartermastergeneral, U.S.A. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    symmetrical scabs, wliich were nothing less than the effects of cold and the continnal pressure exercised by the shoe upon this part of the foot. It has been stated, besides, that the soldier has no greater enemy than cold; for when he is not in motion, let him allow himself to be overcome by fatigue or sleep, let him combat them by imbibing brandy, and let him fall asleep in the open air, and he is absolutely lost. Consequently during great cold the sentinels and outposts ought to make it a duty to be constantly in motion, however freezing the wind may be, in order to avoid freezing the lower extremities, and the neces- sity of sulJ'ering amputation of the leg; cases of which Dr. Doyon saw during the campaign of 1870-71. To protect the troops as much as possible from the cold to which they are exposed during winter, it would be well to give each corps a certain number of greatcoats or cloaks, well furred and provided with hoods, so that during great cold the men could have them constantly at their disposal. It might be necessary to issue to them a few pairs of boots of the following description, which would render them unquestionable service: During his expedition to the north pole to discover the northeast passage. Professor Nordenskjold was obliged to pass the winter in the Bay of Kolutschwinsk, from the 27th of September, 1879, until the 1st of April, 1880. iTow, during these six months none of the men had fro- zen feet, although the temperature sometimes descended to 46° below zero. The foot-gear worn by these men, consisted of a pair of boots made of very strong canvas and furnished with a leather sole upon the inside; this sole was covered with a layer of reeds {Carex Visiearia); the feet were first encased in woolen stockings, and afterwards wrapped in a piece of woitok, a kind of fleecy stuff. All who wore this foot-gear as- sert that there is nothing better in every respect. In prolonged marches over a country covered with damp snow, these boots were found to be much preferable to leather ones. The latter absorb dampness, become very heavy, and cannot be completely dried during the night. The canvas boots, and the layer of reeds inside them, on the other hand, dry very rapidly. They have another advantage, that when they are wet they are not as heavy as leather ones. These boots are, besides, very hygienic ] for the air circulates easily through them, thanks to the vegetable lining with which they are furnished. We will only remark that the layer of reeds to which the escort of Professor Nordenskjold had recourse, could advantageously be replaced by a layer of very even and well-dried straw, for straw has all the necessary qualities ; not only does it prevent dampness from penetrat- ing, but being a had conductor of heclt, it absolutely shuts up every pas- sage for evaporation from the warmth of the feet. It is well understood, besides, that the boots of which we speak ought to be large enough to be worn over the ordinary shoe of the soldier.
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