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of which can do, and when called upon always havedone, their duty 2 Why does he not go to the root of theevil? ? Or is he ignorant of it ? ? Is he not aware of the factthat the Medical Department of the Navy is governed by theexecutive class, and that, instead of the Medical Director-General having a seat on the Board, he is sent for by theirlordships, waits in the reception-room till called in, andthen most likely told what he is to do and whom to nominatefor certain billets-vide the appointment to Haslar a weekor two ago of a deputy-inspector-general instead of an

inspector-general ? Then, again, afloat, who selects the placeand makes the general arrangements for the wounded incase of action-I mean in arrangements at the generalquarters on every Friday ? ? Why, of course, the captain ; orif, as sometimes happens-it has on more than one occasionin my own experience-he deputes his executive officer, mostlikely a young lieutenant, years junior to the medical officer.This, surely, is not the proper state of affairs. The medicalofficer is most probably snubbed if he ventures to differ in

opinion from the youth. I could add many other truthfulfacts to the above. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,August 7th, 1899. THIRTY YEARS’ SERVICE.

** Our correspondent probably overstates his case whenhe says that the Director-General has to wait in the recep-tion room till called in and is then instructed by the Lordsof the Admiralty "whom to nominate for certain billets" "

although, we think, there can be no doubt that in the caseof the recent appointment to Haslar Hospital the recommen-dation of the Director-General was not adopted by the FirstLord. We are certainly of opinion that the Director-Generalought to have much more direct control over his department ,,than he at present possesses.-ED. L.

PLAGUE IN HONG-KONG.(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

PLAGUE is decreasing in Hong-Kong. There have been 72cases and 75 deaths in the preceding seven days. Fewer caseshave been found alive in this than in former epidemics prob-ably because there has been this year less searching fromhouse to house Volunteer searchers have been lately askedfor without much response on the part of the community. Astained glass window has been put up in the cathedral bythe community of Hong-Kong in memory of Miss Higgin andMiss Ireland, nursing sisters in the Government Civil

Hospital, who died last year from plague contracted in theexecution of their duties. Plague is reported as beingextremely bad in Pakhoi this year. Pakhoi is the seaport ofthe district (in the provinces of Kwang Si and Yunnan)where plague is endemic. Plague is said to be decreasing inFormosa, but there have been some 2500 cases of which about75 per cent. only died. The Japanese are rarely attacked.There is fear that time-expired soldiers from Formosa may carry it into Japan.July 15th.

NOTES FROM INDIA.(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Renewed Development of the Plague Epidemic.-The Dangerto Europe.-Fungus Culture against Locutsts.

SINCE writing last week the plague has developed inPoona to a frightful extent, and the mortality during thepast week has been in proportion to the populationtwice as high as ever occurred in Bombay. The peopleare leaving by thousands. In Bombay city the plaguestill lingers and 62 deaths occurred last week. At Belgaumalso there has been an outburst, and 447 deaths werereported. Further increases are also reported from Nasik,Satara, and Kolapur. In other parts of India the plagueseems for the present to be subdued. The Madras Presidencyonly returns eight deaths, the Mysore State 19 deaths, andthe Bengal Presidency only three deaths.Plague has apparently obtained a firm grip in Mauritius

and has infected the neighbouring island of Reunion. It iscurious how little importance has been attached to the out-break at Bushire when it is borne in mind that plague in

times past has always entered Europe by way of the Caspianand the Black Sea. It is reported that the type of cases atBushire is mild, but there are no signs of the disappearanceof the disease. As in India, there is an attempt to concealthe truth concerning the cases by the native population. Itis stated that if the Persian Government enforces strict

repressive measures at Bushire there will be troublewith the populace, and the Persian Government appearsnot to have the strength to support its own mandates.As far as can be ascertained Bushire was infected by apilgrim ship from Jeddah and not from India.

Cases of jigger seem to arrive at Bombay by almost everyship from Zanzibar, but the crews are very carefully inspectedand the patients are immediately drafted off to the hospital.The Imperial Bacteriologist in India reports that he has

recently obtained from South Africa a culture of the funguswhich is said to have been found very efficacious in destroy-ing the swarms of locusts in that country and he hasrequested that district and other officers may be apprisedof the fact that cultures with instructions as to their usewill be supplied on application.July 26th.

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BIRMINGHAM.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Imaportant Insurance Case.AT the recent Birmingham Assizes an action involving

details of considerable importance was tried before Mr.Justice Channell. Some insurance companies sought to setaside the policies effected to the extent of £15,000 uponthe life of a gentleman, a coal-merchant, upon the ground offraudulent misrepresentation and non-declaration of facts.In the evidence the depositions of a witness were read to theeffect that the deceased boasted that he had been examinedby a new medical man who had found nothing wrong withhim and that he—the deceased-was not going to tell themedical man anything. Expert evidence was also given as tothe symptoms of angina pectoris, from which the deceaseddied, and also as to his state of health for 50 years past.On the death it was stated that the family objected to a post-mortem examination being made and the coroner did not seesufficient reason to hold an inquest. Sir Edward Clarkeengaged in an active cross-examination on behalf of the

companies concerned and elicited important facts as tothe occurrence of previous fainting fits and attacks of

giddiness on the part of the insured as well as cir.cumstances of financial position. In the end the jury heldthat the defendant had no insurable interest in hisfather, and in consequence of this and certain errors andomissions in the original declaration the policy was renderedinvalid. On the question of law it is, I believe, under-stood that it is not legal for a person not having an

. "insurable interest" to insure another’s life. It was not,

actually stated that the son did insure his father’s life, but, only that he became responsible for the premiums. Certain

it is, however, that had the nature of the illnesses from whichthe deceased suffered at times been accurately known it wouldhave had a strong determining influence upon the insurancecompanies. It is this which points to the necessity ofextreme care in the medical examination of proposers for lifeinsurance and the value of precise investigation.

The Proposed Consultative Inst’itution.Matters with regard to the arrangements proposed for the

purpose of carrying out this scheme do not appear to moverapidly or to get much more forward. Alderman Cook, thechairman of the Hospital Saturday movement, suggestedthat a list should be prepared of consultants who are willing

e to see patients for half a guinea. Dr. Saundby, on behalfe of the profession, replies that nothing of the sort was

B promised and that practically there are consultants who are1 willing to do so. It seems that philanthropy and business

do not mix very well together in the details. Objection is’ made to any system of examination as to fitness of theapplicants from social position ; the working-man prefers to

be independent and with his half-guinea to elect to whom heshould go without inquiry. A little more discussion and

recrimination will be likely to see the scheme at a standstill.s Death under- Chloroforvi.. A child, 15 weeks old, a patient at the Children’s Hospital,n was the subject of a, coroner’s inquest on August 3rd. The