ENLISTMENT.
26th March 1858.
Sin—In your able paper on "The Soldier's Occujiation " in your num- ber of the 20th instant, you quote Colonel Jebb's sensible remark, that "by improving the soldier's condition a better class of men might be in- duced to enlist." Truly, this would be a most desirable result. There is no doubt that, at present, the infantry is recruited almost entirely from the very lowest dregs of the population ; in short, with few exceptions, no man enlists who is fit for anything else. Within the last seven months I have seen very nearly a thousand recruits for different regiments in India ; and it is most painful to see the stunted unhealthy look of almost all of them. It is true all these men are medically inspected before enlistment; but is it not quite possible that the seeds of deadly disease may exist in many of them, undetected by the eye of the surgeon at his short examination of them ? nay, is it not almost certain that the squalid miserable life led by them, and their fathers and mothers before them, must have its effect upon their constitutions ? I am of opinion that this is one of the main causes of the high rate of mortality in the army. Depend upon it, our army will never be what it ought to be until we succeed in prevailing on a better class to enlist ; and this can only be done by greatly improving the soldier's con- dition in every way. But to do this would cost, I fear, more money than John Bull is likely to spend upon his army, except by fits and starts. I could say much more on this subject, but being unwilling to trespass on your valuable space,
I enclose my card, and subscribe myself yours faithfully, Scorns.
[For Booxs and FINE ARTS see the accompanying Monthly Supplement.]
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