Drunkenness was such a problem that pay was doled out daily to prevent the binges that occurred when men were paid monthly. Alcohol was issued as a daily ration because it was considered an absolute necessity, due to its nutritional value and its importance among the men. Officers, being by definition gentlemen, were allowed to keep alcohol in their private quarters.
Common soldiers would have been punished for keeping alcohol in their quarters. Initially the "grog" issue was rum or another strong spirit. Originally troops in North America received spruce beer (boiled spruce, molasses and yeast) which was tremendously effective in reducing scurvy. This was replaced by "NECK OIL" or more commonly "THE PURGE." Today we refer to it plainly as beer. It was the most common reason for soldiers' crimes, because alcoholism was so rampant.
Soldiers formed "boozing schools" where small groups of men clubbed together for the sole purpose of heavy drinking. These men pooled their pay to embark on the type of binges that the army hoped to avoid by implementing its daily pay policy. In essence, drink was the only escape for men whose life was devoid of variety or comfort. The harsh North American climate and isolation of the garrisons compounded the problem. Of those court-martialled between 1838 and 1840, 33% were found guilty of being drunk on duty.
From time to time individuals would try to do something about drunkenness. Temperance clubs, such as "Havelock’s Saints" or the Soldiers’ Total Abstinence Association, were formed in response to the "boozing schools." Members who managed to stay sober for six months wore a badge, similar to a regimental badge, which bore the motto: "Watch and be sober." Some members of "boozing schools" wore this badge proudly once they had earned it, as it was generally regarded as proof of near superhuman resolution and endurance.
On the whole, however, the army continued to issue its troops with alcohol and the temperance associations failed to create an army of teetotallers.
At Fort Henry there was little else for a soldier to do in the evening, other than head into Kingston and drink. This drinking and poor diet made them more susceptible to disease.
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