RATION, in the army and navy, is the allowance of provisions granted to each officer, nou-commissioned officer, soldier, or sailor. The army ration at home is / lb. of meat, and 1 lb. of bread (" best seconds") if in barracks, or /lb. of meat with 1+ lbs. of bread if in camp. If a grocery ration is also issued, lid. for each such ration is deducted from the pay of the recipient. When men are not supplied with rations, an allowance of 6d. per diem is granted. Abroad, the ration is 1 lb. of bread, or Ilb. of biscuit, and 11b. of fresh or salt meat, except at certain stations, where, for climatic reasons, a different ration is s:iceially provided. The bread ration may be increased during operations in the field, though not above 14 lbs. of bread or 1 lb. of biscuit. During active operations, the officer may direct the issue, in addition to the above, of wine, spirits, or any other article of subsistence equivalent thereto. The stoppage for this foreign ration is ld. The families of soldiers accompanying them abroad are allowed the following rations: the (married under regulation), half a ration; each legitimate child under 7, a quarter ration; from 7 to 14, a third part of a ration. When officers receive a colonial allowance
in lieu of rations in kind, each is subjected to a daily stoppage of 20. A ration of forage at home consists of 10 lbs. of oats. 12 lbs. of hay, and 8 lbs. of straw for each hors,e. Cavalry soldiers receive this without stoppage; but their officers suffer a deduction of 31(1 per ration, Staff officers and mounted officers of infantry provide their own forage, and are granted a pecuniary allowance of is. 10d. per day to enable them to do so.
The full navy ration consists of the following articles: Daily-11 lbs. of ship-biscuit, or 1 lb. of soft bread, pint of spirit, 2 oz. sugar, 1 oz. chocolate, oz. tea; 1 lb. fresh meat, and 3 IF: fresh vegetables, when these are procurable; otherwise 1 lb. salt pork, with pint split peas, or 1 lb. of salt beef, with 9 oz. flour, / oz. suet, and 1i oz. of currants or raisins. On alternate salt-beef days-2 oz. preserved potatoes. Weekly—; pint oatmeal, oz..mustard, I oz. pepper, pint vinegar.
The sailor's ration is issued free of any stoppage.