HEALTH OF THE ARMY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3019, 16 October 1908, Page 3

HEALTH OF THE ARMY.

INTERESTING STATISTICS IN THE OFFICIAL KEfORT. The recruits of the British Army last year were quite up to the standard of preceding years, according t'o the report of the Army Medical Department. The majority were growng lads and 95 per cent., were out of work at the time of enlistment. In the majority of cases, however, they would not be fit for x the work or a mature soldier for two years. Owing to alterations in the standards, the diminution in the ratio of the men rejected on inspection is very marked. From 1897 to 1906 the average ratio per 1,000 was 321.12; in 1907 it was ony 284.65. There has also been a diminution in tne number of those discharged as unfit after election, and this is due to a wiser system of physical training, which excludes the more injurious exercises of the old system. The most frequent causes of rejection in 1907 were:— Per 1,000 Inspected. Under chest measurement 49.72 Loss and decay of many teeth 48.17 Diseases of heart 29.25 ( Defective vision 24.06; Defects of lower extremities j from fracture, contrac- j tion, luxation, etc. 17.04 , Varicocele 11.42 Under height 10.49 The all-round improvement in the general state of the health of the troop 3isin no small measure attributable to the increased attention devoted to sanitation, and to the better appreciation by all ranks of the dangers to health incurred by the neglect of sanitary procedure. Tables of figures comparing the general state of the health of the British Army with foreign armies show that in respect to all diseases the army of the United States of America heads the list with an admission ratio of 1179.33 per thousand, followed by the Austro-Hun-garian, French, German, and Russian armies in the order named, our own army occuping the lowest place but one, being only 438 per 1,000. South Africa again leads the way as the healthiest of "all the foreign stations, and in regard to the ratio j of admissions precedes even the j United Kingdom.