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In 1877 we were granted another much needed servant, a Steward and Storekeeper, but this appointment was never efficiently held until the appointment of Mr. ROGERS in 1883. Much to the regret of all the staff he was compelled to retire on pension in 1892. On his retirement in the same year Mr. CHAPMAN was appointed and has proved a most efficient successor to Mr. ROGERS in this very arduous post.

In 1887 the Superintendent, Dr. WHARRY, retired on pension and our present Superintendent, Dr. ATKINSON, was appointed. He joined at a moment of very serious trouble among the Hospital staff, the Senior Wardmaster, formerly a non-Commissioned Officer in the Army, and the Junior Wardmaster, formerly a Policeman, were both under arrest, the former for embezzling the property of a deceased patient in the Hospital, the latter for aiding and abetting him. The Senior Wardmaster was sent- enced to five years' imprisonment, the latter was discharged and left the Colony. These were the last of the untrained Wardmasters. Their successors were appointed, trained men from the Army Medical Staff Corps, but still there has been trouble. Some have been dismissed, some have been dissatisfied and resigned, until at present only one remains, other arrangements having been made to supply the place of the other two.

In 1889 strong representations being made of the necessity of improvement in the nursing staff of the Hospital, consisting up to the present of Chinese coolies, and the increasing needs of the Hospital in this respect, six French Sisters of Mercy accustomed to Hospital work were appointed, one as Matron and the rest as Nurses. Though a very great improvement in many respects, it was found that they did not meet our requirements, and, in 1890, English Nurses, educated in the London Hospitals, were procured, and our present Matron, Miss EASTMOND, with five nursing Sisters, was appointed in 1892. The Matron of the European Lunatic Asylum having resigned on pension, an additional nursing Sister was sent out and that appointment merged in the nursing staff of the Hospital. Two more nursing Sisters have lately come out to join the nursing staff in the place of the two Wardmasters whose appointments were abolished. Of the efficient and untiring work of the Matron, Miss EASTMOND, and her staff of nursing Sisters it is impossible to speak too highly.

In 1889 also the necessity of an Assistant Superintendent to the Hospital was recognized by Government. Dr. TooGOOD, M.D., of London, was appointed and came out, but declined to take up the appointment on the ground that it had been misrepresented to him by the Home Office and returned by the next mail. It was then offered to Dr. Lowson who happened to be on the spot and who accepted it.

This completes the staff as it is at present, and, with few exceptions, Dr. ATKINSON, the Superin tendent, by whose assistance much of the work has been done, has reason to be proud of the establish- ment and the staff of subordinates under him all of whom are now provided with comfortable and airy quarters, instead of the miserable state of things described as existing in 1873.

This, though a long description, gives but a faint idea of the difficulties that had to be surmounted, the discomfort that had to be endured both by patients and attendants before the present so far satis- factory stage was arrived at. Though not by any means perfect, there are prospects of this Hospital becoming as nearly so as possible in the future.

VICTORIA GAOL.

In taking over medical charge of this Establishment the first thing to be noticed was the num- ber of dyspeptic cases amongst the European and Chinese prisoners that daily reported themselves and, on inspection of the diet list, this was not to be wondered at as day after day, with the smallest possible variation, the same diet was presented to them resulting in a great waste of food they were unable to eat, and what they did eat they were unable to digest. In the case of the Chinese prisoners six to eight baskets representing the same number of piculs of cooked rice were rejected at each meal. This was taken over by the Compradore at small cost and on which he made a large profit as he contracted to supply coolie gangs and got the rice cooked for him for nothing besides having purchased it at much below cost price. This state of things being reported, a Commission was appointed and a scale of diet much reduced in quantity but greatly improved in quality, varying from day to day during the week both in cooking and variety of food and costing much less, which the Colonial Surgeon drew up was recommended by them and adopted. Even this reduction was found too much, and, on the Colonial Surgeon's report, another Commission, a few years later still, further reduced the scale, but adhered to the variety in food and cooking before recommended. This reduced the sick list very considerably.'

An accidental inspection at a very early hour in the morning revealed the horrible stench in the corridors caused by the bucket system, each cell being provided with a bucket in which during the night from five to seven prisoners deposited their stools and urine. This, on the Colonial Surgeon's representation, was very greatly mitigated by the introduction of the dry earth system. The buckets being divided so that the urine was deposited separate from the stool and a pan of dry earth provided to throw over the latter as soon as deposited. Unfortunately alluvial soil is not obtainable and so the suppression of the offensive smell is not so complete as in Indian prisons.