374 Towards a Modern Army, 1825-1874
authorities reporting 'unfavourable hygienic conditions' in the west and
'miasmatic swamp vapours' in the Caucasus.^123 In the latter year a cholera
epidemic claimed the lives of 5,388 men, about one-third of those wbo caught
the disease.^124 In general epidemics accounted for 70 per cent of cases hospital-
ized and for 57 per cent of all military deaths.^125 Strikingly, in Turkcs~ the
chance of dying in 1868-70 was 2.7 per cent, not much greater than in,St.
Petersburg (2.5 per cent) or Moscow (2.0 per cent).^126 The excess in Central
Asia was attributable not just to the war against the khanates but to mis-
management of the traditional kind. 'Men became excessively fatigued by
[having to] march long distances in the summer heat, from 10 a.m. until even-
ing, without the necessary rest stops, so that when pitching camp for the night
they often refused to eat supper. >12^7
The statisticians also collected data on morbidity, but their figures need
adjustment to take account of men discharged for incapacity or chronic sick-
ness.128 Another problem is that more soldiers were now treated for minor
ailments and so found their way into the records. Thus not too much signific-
'ance should be read into the fact that the proportion of officers and men
reporting sick rose from 69 per cent in 1862-4 to 100 per cent in 1868-70.^129
The important point is that they were more likely than before to receive some
kind of beneficial medical care-even though army doctors were still looked
down upon by their fellow officers, since Pirogov's recommendations for an
improvement in their status were not acted on.
Outside the medical field the authorities manifested 'their newly discovered
concern in a host of other ways, ranging from an improved supply of footwear
to the introduction of canteen facilities, which cannot be considered here.
Figures for 1866 show that, of a total military budget of 116.6 m. roubles,
71.5 m. were spent on pay and allowances, clothing, food, and medical ser-
vices; by twentieth-century standards equipment and munitions cost surpris-
ingly little, whereas administration accounted for a sizeable 13.4 m. roubles.^130
These data do not reveal how equitably this expenditure was broken down
.--between officers and men, but both groups benefited from the more relaxed
and humane atmosphere. Last but not least, soldiers knew that the impending
move to conscription would mean that their service terms would be shortened
and equalized with those of their superiors.
In one of several favours granted to mark his coronation Alexander II promised
that, barring unforeseen emergencies, no recruit levy would be raised for three
121 VO VM 1864, app. vii, pp. 9, 11.
12• VOVM 1867, app. v, p. 14.
121 Bogdanovich, Isl. ocherk, iv. 437, app. 73.
126 Ibid., iv. app. 72; his interpretation of these data (p. 442) is questionable.
127 VOVM 1870, app. vi, p. 40. 11H Ibid., p. 67.
129 Calculated from Bogdanovich, Isl. ocherk, iii. app. 38; iv. app. 71.
130 Calculated from Maksheyev, Voyenno-s101. obozreniye, p. 210; for a long-term view of the
latter question, see W. Pintner, 'The Burden of Defense in Imperial Russia' (fonhcoming in RR).