As a rule barracks were poorly lit, heated and ventilated. Fuel for the barrack stove was in limited supply. In an effort to keep heat in and cold out, ventilation drafts were blocked, affecting, in turn, the health of the men. The urine tub added to the foul atmosphere.
These conditions resulted in tuberculosis, respiratory ailments, fevers and other diseases which hospitalized 37% of the ranks in 1860. Yet conditions were better in Canada than overseas: there were 50% fewer died in Canada than in Britain. The state of health in Canadian regiments was described as "uncommonly good."
When soldiers became ill, they could be sent to the hospital under the supervision of the fort’s medical officer. The average time in hospital for a sick soldier was 17 days.
