vessel, with woollen cloth kept plentifully wetted and exposed.

"31. While on a march, lie down the moment you halt for a rest. Every minute spent in that position refreshes more than five minutes standing or loitering about.

"32. A daily evacuation of the bowels is indispensable to bodily health, vigor, and endurance: this is promoted, in many cases, by stirring a tablespoonful of corn (Indian) meal in a glass of water, and drinking it on rising in the morning.

"33. Inattention to nature's calls is a frequent source of disease. The strictest discipline in the performance of these duties is absolutely essential to health, as well as to decency. Men should never be allowed to void their excrement elsewhere than in the regular-established sinks. In well-regulated camps the sinks are visited daily by a police party, a layer of earth thrown in, and lime and other disinfecting agents employed to prevent them from becoming offensive and unhealthy. It is the duty of the surgeon to call the attention of the commanding officer to any neglect of this important item of camp police, to see that the shambles, where the cattle are slaughtered, are not allowed to become offensive, and that all offal is promptly buried at a sufficient distance from camp, and covered by at least four feet of earth.

"34. The site of a camp should be selected for the dryness of its soil, its proximity to fresh water of good quality, and shelter from high winds. It should be on a slight declivity, in order to facilitate drainage, and not in the vicinity of swamps or stagnant water. A trench at least eight inches deep should be dug around each tent, to secure dryness, and these should lead into other and deeper main drains or gutters, by which the water will be conducted away from the tents.

"35. The tents for the men should be placed as far from each other as the 'Regulations' and the dimensions of the camp permit (never less than two paces). Crowding is always injurious to health. No refuse, slops, or excrement should be allowed to be deposited in the trenches for drainage around the tents. Each tent should be thoroughly swept out daily, and the materials used for bedding aired and sunned, if possible. The canvas should be raised freely at its base, and it should be kept open as much as possible during the daytime, in dry weather, in order to secure ventilation; for tents are liable to become very unhealthy if not constantly and thoroughly aired. Free ventilation of tents should be secured at night, by opening and raising the base of the tent to as great an extent as the weather will permit.

"36. The crowding of men in tents for sleeping is highly injurious to health, and will always be prevented by a commanding officer who is anxious for the welfare of his men. Experience has proved that sleeping beneath simple sheds of canvas, or even in the open air, is less dangerous to health than overcrowding in tents.

"37. The men should sleep in their shirts and drawers, removing the shoes, stockings, and outer clothing, except when absolutely impracticable. Sleeping in the clothes is never so refreshing, and is absolutely unhealthy.

"38. Loose bowels, namely, acting more than once a day, with a feeling of debility afterwards, is the first step towards cholera. The best remedy is instant and perfect quietude of body, eating nothing but boiled rice, with or without boiled milk. In more decided cases, a woollen flannel, with two thicknesses in front, should be bound tightly around the abdomen, especially if marching is a necessity.

"To have been to the wars' is a life-long honor, increasing with advancing years; while to have died in defence of your country will be the boast and glory of your children's children."

COOKING.

671. THE ration allowed the soldier is large enough, and its component parts are sufficiently variable, to admit of a great variety of very palatable dishes; and it is only necessary to refer to some of the numerous cook-books to be had, to make them, where the situation of the troops is such that they can avail themselves of the requisite cooking-utensils.

very

672. The cooking-utensils issued to troops are, however, so limited, that little variety is practicable. The mess-pans and camp-kettles are all that are furnished the soldier. Of these, the mess-pan is not available for cooking, and is only useful to serve up the food after being cooked. Frying-pans, tin cups, plates, knives and forks, &c., are sometimes issued to volunteers by State authorities on entering service, but are not subsequently furnished, and, when worn out or lost, must be replaced by means of the company fund.

673. Hence, instructions for cooking in the field must be adapted to the means within the soldier's reach, and such makeshifts as experience has sug

gested. At permanent camps and garrisons, the cooking can be carried to the perfection of that of a hotel, by a judicious management of the company savings, or contributions from other sources. No care is so well rewarded as that which is devoted to making the most of the ration and presenting to the men the best possible diet that can be made of it.

674. BREAD is issued to the soldier either as baker's bread, hard bread, flour, or corn meal. The first two require no further preparation; the last two must be prepared.

675. Bread, such as is usually made by bakers, can be had only when the troops are stationary, unless there is a baker in the command and the men have experience in making ovens. If kept more than two or three days, it becomes dry and unpalatable. It is too bulky for the march.

676. Hard bread, although not so bulky as soft bread, is still inconvenient when required to be transported in quantity. Three days' rations fill a soldier's haversack. When old, it is unpalatable, and sometimes indigestible. It can be made more agreeable to the taste by toasting, either in a dry condition, or soaked in water for a few moments. Crumbs of hard bread may be made very palatable by soaking them in water, and then frying them in a pan with a little pork fat. Hard bread soon spoils when it gets wet, and must be used immediately, or it will be worthless.

677. Flour is more portable than bread; but without experience in cooking, with the limited means at their disposal, soldiers are liable to make a very indigestible bread from it. Where troops halt for a few days, it is economical to build small ovens of clay, which may be made with great facility after a little experience. A ferment is always necessary to make light palatable bread of flour. A stock of ferment may be kept constantly on hand by retaining a piece of dough from one baking to another; and it is best transported by packing it in the flour. 678. The simplest and best method is to make self-rising flour, by incorporating with the flour, in a dry state, bicarbonate of soda and acid phosphate of lime. These articles must be finely pulverized and minutely incorporated with the flour. A comparatively small quantity is required. A dollar's worth is sufficient for a barrel of flour. The selfrising flour, so well known and highly prized in the mining-districts of California, is made in this way. It requires only the addition of salt and sufficient water to make a dough, and can be baked in the ashes between the halves of an old canteen, or even rolled up in wet paper or covered with leaves. It is equally good for pancakes or fritters. These last may be made much more digestible by the addition of boiled rice.

679. Corn meal is much more available for troops in the field, where it can be obtained fresh, as it requires no ferment, and requires no cooking-uten