DIERS on SERVICE.
AND Conducting MILITARY HOSPITALS.

OF THE Means of Preserving the Health of Soldiers on Service.

The Life of _British_ Soldiers on Service, in Time of War, is so very
different from what they lead in Time of Peace, as to subject them to
many Inconveniences and Diseases.

In Time of Peace, Soldiers are quartered either in Towns or Garrisons,
where they are under the Eye of their Officers, who take Care that
they keep themselves clean, and provided with Necessaries; they lie
either in private Houses or in Barracks, where they have a good Bed,
regular Meals of wholesome Provisions, and enjoy most of the other
Necessaries of Life in common with the lower Class of People, their
Duty is easy, they mount Guard but seldom, and in other Nights enjoy
an undisturbed Rest.

Whereas, during the Time of an active Campaign, they are seldom in
Houses; they lie in Tents upon the Ground, which is often bare, and at
best covered only with Straw and a Blanket; and sometimes they are
obliged, after fatiguing Marches in wet Weather, to lie on the bare
Ground, without even a Tent to cover them; they must stand Centinel,
and be upon Pikets and other Out-Posts in the Night, during all Kinds
of Weather; besides performing long fatiguing Marches, and other
military Duties; and when near an Enemy, they are perhaps on Duty
every second or third Night, besides working Parties, and other Duties
of Fatigue; and what Rest they have is interrupted by frequent Alarms.
They have often but little Time or Convenience to make themselves
clean. Provisions are sometimes scarce, and frequently on long Marches
they have no Opportunity of dressing what they can get: Water is
sometimes difficult to be come at, and what is to be got, is bad. And
it frequently happens, that neither Beer, Wine, nor Spirits, can be
purchased for Money. In fixed Camps, they are often exposed to the
putrid Effluvia of dead Bodies, of dead Horses, and other Animals, and
of the Privies and Dung of the Horses[116]; and, in some Encampments,
likewise to the unwholesome Vapours of marshy Ground, and of corrupt
stagnating Water: All which, joined to the other Hardships and
Inconveniences unavoidably attending a military Life in Time of
Service, often give Rise to numerous Diseases, which weaken an Army in
a most surprising Manner; and therefore Commanders ought to use every
Means in their Power, consistent with the necessary military
Operations, to preserve th