▁conditions ▁for ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁ty ph oid ▁fe ver . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁British ▁reached ▁Blo em f onte in , ▁an ▁ep ide mic ▁had ▁broken ▁out ▁amongst ▁the ▁troops , ▁with ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 – 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁taken ▁ill , ▁and ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁death s ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁disease ▁ultimately ▁took ▁more ▁British ▁lives ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁than ▁were ▁lost ▁through ▁enemy ▁action . ▁ ▁The ▁anim os ity ▁that ▁the ▁troops ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁felt ▁towards ▁their ▁leadership ▁is ▁captured ▁in ▁this ▁contemporary ▁poem ▁by ▁a ▁soldier ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁Watch : ▁ ▁Bo er ▁losses ▁are ▁disput ed . ▁ ▁The ▁official ▁British ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁records ▁ 8 7 ▁killed ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 ▁wounded , ▁while ▁later ▁accounts ▁record ▁a ▁total ▁loss ▁of ▁ 2 3 6 ▁men . ▁As ▁with ▁the ▁Bo ers , ▁several ▁different ▁figures ▁regarding ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁Sc and in av ian ▁out post ▁exist . ▁British ▁sources ▁quote ▁ 8 0 ▁men ▁and ▁Sc and in av ian ▁sources ▁between ▁ 4 9 ▁and ▁ 5 2 ▁men . ▁U dd gren ▁records ▁ 5 2 ▁men ▁based ▁on ▁identified ▁names , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁Sw edes , ▁ 1 1 ▁Dan es , ▁ 7 ▁Fin ns , ▁ 4 ▁Norweg ians , ▁and ▁ 4 ▁of ▁unknown ▁national ity , ▁of ▁whom ▁all ▁but ▁five ▁were ▁either