Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organization of military hospitals, and the treatment of the sick and wounded ; with evidence and appendix. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Sanitary Condition of the Army.
- Date:
- 1858
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organization of military hospitals, and the treatment of the sick and wounded ; with evidence and appendix. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
702/978 page 576
![New sys- tem. one hiilf the quantity of the liquid contained in the washing tub. When the recipient is full it is replaced by an empty one, and the solution thus percolated is placed on tliG lire till it has attained a slight degree of heat, Avhen it is poured again over the ashes, then the second quantity of lye is placed in its turn on the fire till it attains some higher degree of warmth, and so on repeatedly till it reaches the boiling point. Then it is covered with thick wrappers to preserve the heat as long as possible. For the new or steam system it is necessary to have a washing tub and a steam tub. In the washing tub the cloths are steeped into the lye at the strength of two degrees, sufficient to soak them throughout, putting the finest at the bottom; those of a middling quality steeped in lye one degree stronger above the first, and the coarsest on the top, steeped in lye of four degrees of strength. They are then pressed and left so for twenty-four hours, after which they are placed into the steam tub in an inverted order, viz., the coarsest at the bottom and the finest at the top. The steam tub is fluted in its internal circumference, and has a double bottom, viz., one fixed as usual, and one moveable called the disk, resting a little higher than the other. This disk is perforated with several round holes, into which some conical i^egs are intro- duced, that are drawn out after the cloths are laid spread, leaving thus several interstices for the circula- tion of the steam. A pipe introduced between the bottom and the disk conveys from the boiler into the steam tub the steam that circulates through the linen passing by tlie flutings, the spaces left between the clothes by the pegs that were removed, and the pores of tissues. War depart- ment to pay expenses tor all military lodfiinus, bar- racks, &c'. sc. for the land forces. Billeting troops in de- fect of bar- racks, and re- lative pay- ment. Buildings for bar- rack and other mili- tary ser- vice. The tub is then covered hermetically that the steam may not escape from the top. This is done either by laying weights on the lid or by stays fixed against the ceiling. The fire is then lit under the boiler and kept up till tiie cloths are steamed up to 80 degrees of the Centigrade. The temperature is ascertained either by the introduction of a thermometer into the tub, or better by feeling with the hand the hoops round the tub, which indicate the required degree of heat when they are so hot that the hand cannot bear the contact of them. The fire is then put out and the whole left to cool for the washing. This steam system, though requiring an apparatus a little more complicated than the other, offers great many advantages, particularly in point of economy of time and money. After the linen has been pre- pared with the lye in either of these manners, as soon as it is cold each piece is washed in pure water sepa- rately, wrung and spread to dry on ropes, stays, or grass, taking care that these are very clean. Woollen cloths are washed with only soap and water, leaving them to steep in it for 24 hours, and then cl rubbing them well and washing them in pure water. They are afterwards wrung and put to dry. A light lye at three degrees might also be used, provided there are not coloured facings or metallic buttons, which ought then to be removed. Blankets are washed with solution of clay ; they are afterwards washed in pure, and if possible, run- ning Avater, then wrung and dried, and then beaten to drive out the earthy particles, if any are left in. If they are to be put into store they are first fumigated with sulphur in a close room, to preserve them from the moths. APPENDIX LXXVIII Abstract of Regulatioxs for the Bakuack Service in the French Army. The War Department must provide for the ex- penditure of military lodgings and barracks. The lodgings of all the land forces (the police excepted) are among the attributions of the War Depart- ment. Troops on their passage through a place where no barrack accommodation exists, can be billeted on the inhabitants, and the War Department shall pay for them the indemnities as per relative regulations. Buildings comprised in the Barrack Service. The buildings comprised under the barrack service are- The infantry and cavalry barracks, including schools and depots, ofiicers' quarters, guard-rooms (corps de garde), hospitals, stores for provisions, forage, and military effects, prisons, and places where the military courts sit, with their offices. The commandants of the place are charged with the military police of the buildings occupied by the troops. , Engineer Officers. The engineer ofllicers, jointly with the intcndance- wilitaire, are charged with the administrative police of the military buildings, with the duty of proposing and directing the execution of all the Avorks of construction, reparation, and preservation of the military buildings, of verifying (when called for) the ])lans and works that the administration causes directly to be executed — with the exclusive pro- tection and surveillance of the unoccupied mili- tary buildings, or having no special destination —with the supply and preservation of the furni- ture of the buildings serving for the lodgment of the troops—with giving their opinion on and contributing to the digest of the reports on all that regards the military buildings—with the signature of the agree- ments for barrack hiring, in accord with the soiis- inte7idants niilitaires. Inspection of bar- racks. Engineers, Arfillery, and Se/iools, Special A dm inisfration. Arsenals, armouries, powder magazines, engineers and artillery quarters, and all the buildings exclusively occupied for the serv ice of those two arms, as well as military special schools, are under their own special administrations. Inspection of Barracks. The buildings comprised in the barrack service are placed under tlie inspection of the engineer officers, the commandant of the place, the intendants, and soas-intendants militaires, the guards of the engi- neers, and the barrack-keepers. Intendance 3Iilitaire. The department of the intendance militaire is Inttf cluirged with the administrative police of all the ^'f military buildings conjointly with the engineer i ■ officers—Avith the distribution to the corps of the different qiuirters assigned to them, in conformity with the plan of the distribution of quarters of the different corps to be lodged—Avith all that concerns the pass- ing and the execution of the leases for the hiring of buildings, in default of military buildings,—with the assistance of the engineer ofiicers to establish the suitable conditions for the passing of the leases— Avitli the storing and the preservation of the barrack effects, Avhich are specially placed under their charge liy the present regulations and by other administrative arrangements. I](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21365210_0702.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
