Page:How People May Live and not Die in India.pdf/10

 The time has not yet arrived for the pressure of the death-rate it discloses to be fully experienced, because the present large army is comparatively new to the country. But, unless active measures are taken by the India Government and by the military authorities to give effect to the recommendations of the Commission, it is unhappily certain that the mortality will increase with the length of service. And then will be felt the difficulty stated by Sir Alexander Tulloch, viz., of filling up the ranks of those, prematurely slain by preventible disease, from the recruiting depôts at home. Few men have had so much experience in this department of the Service. And he tells us that he very much doubts whether an army of seventy thousand men can be kept up in India, with the present death-rate.

In former times, when the company's troops bore but a small proportion to the resources (in men) of this country, the death-rate was not so much felt. The small army was swept away; and its place supplied, as often as necessary, from the recruiting offices at home. But, now that a large proportion of the whole British army is stationed in India, the question whether we shall hold or lose India will depend very much on the steps taken to protect it from disease.

The statement that the average death-rate of troops, serving in India, was no less than 69 per 1,000 per annum, took the country by surprise.