Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/167

STATE BEFORE THE HURRICANE. 123 but meanwhile, the biscuit supplied for the use chap. VI of our troops proved always to he of excellent ' quality. To many of those who are conversant with the feeding of armies, it may seem that the provision thus made for the sustenance of our troops was good and almost complete ; but an article still remains to be noticed, which was one of great moment to health. From the time when our army was perceived to be in danger of having to winter on the Chersonese, it became possible to foresee that the supply of fresh meat and vegetables would fall off, and that the soldier living mainly thenceforth upon biscuit and salt meat would be needing, as much as do sailors, some antidote to the inroads of scurvy. In the autumn, accordingly, Dr Andrew Smith — always early in his provident counsels — recommended that large quantities of lime-juice should be sent out, and, a portion of this supply, 20,000 pounds in weight, reached Balaclava on the 19th of December ; {^^) but the medical authorities in the Crimea did not know, it would seem, that they had this resource close at hand, or else did not at first see its value ; for until Lord Eaglan happily interposed — and by that time the scurvy "(though not at first perfectly recognised) had already proved baneful to health and life — no steps were taken for issuing the juice to our soldiery as part of their daily rations. (^^)