for life had been substituted, or was in progress of substitution; and very lengthened imprisonments were discouraged. Criminal jurisdiction in minor cases appears to be exercised by the superior native judges under all the governments. The proportional sentences of death in India contrast very favourably with similar sentences in England and Wales, in the corresponding years. Wales in the year 1841...... Prisoners In England and which gives a per-centage of 0.258, or one sentence of death to every 388 prisoners; the proportion in Bengal being one in 2878. The committals to the population in England and Wales, in 1841, were one to 619 souls; and in Bengal, in the same year, one to 620 souls. Statistics of the Government Charitable Dispensaries of India. By Lieut.-Colonel SYKES, F.R.S. The chief object of the author was to show the practical good resulting from the education afforded in medicine and surgery to young natives of India, principally in the Medical College of Calcutta. Young natives, having passed certain prescribed examinations, were appointed to the charge of government charitable dispensaries benevolently established by the government of India in Bengal and the north-west provinces. The dispensaries, seventeen in number, were respectively in charge of the native sub-assistant surgeons; but under the control of the civil surgeon of the station, or that of the superintending surgeon of the district. Both the superintendant and the native sub-assistant surgeons were directed to report half-yearly, for the information of government, to the medical board at Calcutta. These reports were made in English, and several of the reports of the natives were not distinguishable from those of the highly-educated European surgeons, whether in grammatical construction, technical phraseology, perspicuity in expression, or rational observation. Some of the reports embraced the writer's views upon the drainage and sanatory condition of towns; the influence of intramural or proximate burial-grounds (Mahomedan) upon public health; the meteorology of the seasons, as influencing disease; the superstitions and prejudices of caste in the people, as debarring the people from deriving the full benefit of the dispensaries; upon the use of the dispensaries as schools of instruction;—these, and many other topics, are ably noticed in several of the reports. All the sub-assistant surgeons use the knife with dexterity and success, amputating limbs, cutting for the stone, couching for cataract, &c.; and some of them send drawings of the stones they extract; others report upon the introduction and use of new medicines (unknown to English pharmacy); and one of them (Ram Narraen Dofs, of Cawnpoor) gives a botanical description, and sends a drawing of a plant (a Convolvulus) producing a new medicine, a substitute for rhubarb; others give a chemical analysis of the new medicines they introduce, and sometimes re-analyse medicines with metallic bases used by the hakeems or physicians of the country. In all, 232 new medicines are brought to notice. The reports are accompanied by tabulated returns of the diseases treated, arranged under fifty-eight heads, with a column of 'alii morbi,' which, in spite of the fifty-eight diseases enumerated, is very comprehensive in its character. The returns from the majority of the dispensaries are for six half-years, and these Colonel Sykes has arranged, added up, and analysed. The results showed that the "House List" and the "Out Patient" practice embraced 267,456 cases, of which 168,871 were cured, 2417 died, and 96,768 ceased to attend, and the results were not known. Colonel Sykes treats in detail of local peculiarities in the development of diseases. He concludes his paper with the following observations:-" In conclusion, it has been contemptuously said, and is still said, that in case the Company's government in India were swept away, not a monument of its existence would remain to attest its former state and power. No doubt the governments that have preceded the British in India left sufficient proofs of their existence. The early Buddhist and Hindoo authorities have indeed left prodigious monuments of their wealth, of their power, of their perseverance, and of their religious enthusiasm, in their mighty cave-temples, and vast religious edifices. The Mahomedans, too, have studded the lands with their magnificent mausolea, testifying rather to their pride than their piety. And what have the British done? I say that we have raised greater and more lasting monuments than all these. One small extract from a report of a native sub-assistant surgeon shall justify my assertion. Chimman Loll, of Delhi, says— ́1st August 1841.-One boy, about twelve years of age, who had been blind from cataract in both eyes from the age of two years, was operated on by couching, and restored to sight.' "The faculty given to a single native to perform the godlike office of restoring the blind of his countrymen to sight, is a more glorious monument than all the works of art that human pride or human ambition have ever burthened the earth with; but when we find scores of such individuals endued with such a faculty, and thousands, nay tens of thousands possibly, the recipients of the blessing they can confer; when we find the medical board of the Bengal government reporting to government on the 22d August 1843, 'We have every reason to believe that the benevolent intentions of government in founding these institutions (the dispensaries) have been fully realized; and we feel confident that future annual results will add to the intrinsic value of the dispensaries, which are so well adapted, by their internal œconomy, to obtain the confidence of the native inhabitants. Many have had their sight restored, others have been cured of hydrocele, and relieved when in the last stage of dropsy. Several also have derived effectual relief from the successful operations for stone in the bladder; a few have been saved from a miserable death by the amputation of diseased members; and large tumours have been removed. Such operations could not have been achieved by native practitioners without producing an impression on the minds of the most apathetic natives; and they must tend to spread far and wide the value of the government dispensaries.' Then, I say, and with a thorough conviction of the truth of my assertions, in case the seeds of knowledge we have thus sown fructify to a general and luxuriant harvest, that we shall have left a monument, compared with which those of Ashoca, Chandra Gupta and Shah Jehan, or of any other Indian potentate, will sink into insignificance, and their names shall fall on men's ears unheeded; while those of Lord Auckland, as projector, and of Goodeve and Mouatt and others as zealous promoters of scientific native medical education, shall remain embalmed in the memory of a grateful Indian posterity." Colonel Sykes only cursorily noticed the charitable dispensaries under the Madras and Bombay governments, in consequence of the absence of detailed reports. On the Medical Relief to the Parochial Poor of Scotland under the It was stated that as the objections made by Dr. Chalmers and others to establishing a legal and adequate provision for the poor in Scotland did not apply to medical relief, the efficiency of that relief, under the old Scottish law, would be a fair test of the efficacy of the voluntary system of charity. An association of medical practitioners was formed at Edinburgh, in November 1845, to collect information on this subject. It appeared that in Edinburgh there was no provision for medical relief from the poor-funds, except for the indoor paupers in the charity workhouse. Previous to 1815 no assistance was given by any institution to the sick poor at home; and though since that period the duty had been gratuitously undertaken by the officers of several dispensaries, it had not been effectually or regularly performed. In the Canongate, the dispensary aid to the poor came to a sudden close in the midst of the late epidemic fever, in consequence of the death of one of the medical officers who had acted as treasurer. By the recent Act ten duly qualified and paid officers have been appointed to take charge of the sick paupers in the different districts; but Dr. Alison lamented that the provision had been abandoned which compelled the parishes to combine in giving relief, as in Edinburgh the rich congregate at one extremity of the city and the poor at the other. In Glasgow relief has been given by paid medical attendants for some years. Returns were obtained from forty towns, exclusive of Edinburgh and Glasgow ;-from which it appeared that in sixteen of these towns there was 1846. H absolutely no requited medical relief, either from the public authorities or from voluntary subscriptions. In four, an occasional payment, never exceeding a few shillings, had been made on special occasions. In Campbeltown 10%. was allowed to the professional men during the epidemic fever. In Kirkintilloch a similar sum was given, but by a private individual. In Dundee during the same fever 51. each was allowed to six dispensary surgeons. In some other places 21. was given to a surgeon; and in others a small allowance was made for drugs. In anticipation of the new Poor Law, 107. has been allowed annually for medical relief in Alloa. In Dunbar 61. 6s., but this includes the supply of drugs. In Dunfermline 201. a year, not including drugs. In Greenock 251. per annum has been paid to each of three district surgeons. In Kilmarnock 101. each to three surgeons. In Wick 157. is divided between two surgeons. In Dumfries 10l. to one surgeon. The unrequited medical labour is stated by twenty-five gentlemen, and ranges from 51. to 2201 annually in value, giving an average of 401. per annum. But this is not the only tax levied on the charitable feelings of medical men ;-in ninety per cent. of the cases they had to furnish wine, food, &c. out of their own substance; and in thirty-three of the forty towns brought under review, no change has been made in this system. Passing over the returns of infirmaries and dispensaries supported by voluntary contributions as rather imperfect, we come to the medical relief in the rural districts. The number of returns made amounts to 325. Out of these, ninetyfour have received some remuneration, but only thirty-nine annually. Of these thirty-nine, only thirteen have received sums above 5l.; twenty-six above 17. and less than 5l.; and nine 17. or under. Ten are paid by the bounty of private individuals; and of these one is paid 607. by a nobleman, and another 401. by a landed proprietor; both, however, have the charge of extensive districts, and as there is no fund on which they can draw for drugs or necessaries, there are large drawbacks to be made from the remuneration. Twenty-three have received gratuities for their services, chiefly during the prevalence of epidemics. In one case this gratuity amounted to 201., and in fourteen it was under 51.; in two cases it was only three shillings. In one of these cases this three shillings was the only remuneration for twelve years' attendance on paupers averaging seventy constant and thirteen occasional patients: in the other, the three shillings was a remuneration for passing paupers of other parishes, and nothing was allowed for twenty-one years of attendance on resident paupers, averaging forty-four constant on the district roll. 211, or above sixty per cent., have never received any remuneration of any kind for their professional attendance on the parochial poor, or for the drugs which they have deemed it necessary to supply to them; and 208 add that they have had occasion to give wine, food, &c. from their own limited funds, and that they had occasion to defray all travelling expenses when they made distant visits. 136 have estimated the money value of the unrequited labour which they have bestowed on the parochial poor :-it amounts to 34,447/ annually, or an average of 2531. each. The complaints of inattention to sick paupers by the parochial authorities are very general; and when applications were made for the repayment of different outlays, they were almost invariably refused. It was stated that since the abstract presented to the British Association had been compiled, several additional returns had been obtained; but they in no degree tend to weaken the general impression likely to be produced by the preceding statement, and it was therefore deemed unnecessary to tabulate them. Criminal and Miscellaneous Statistical Returns of the Manchester Police for the year 1845. By WM. NEILD. Oxford University Statistics. By JAMES HEYWOOD, F.R.S. A remarkable proof of the interest felt by eminent statesmen in the ancient universities has been recently afforded in the preparation of a memorial to the Vice-Chancellor and heads of houses at Oxford, for university extension. The memorialists were Oxonians, and several of them had previously obtained the highest academical honours of a double first class; but they had observed with regret the continuance of a system of large expenditure among the junior members of the university, and they were on that account desirous that the educational advantages of Oxford should be rendered more accessible to the sons of parents with limited incomes. Their memorial in favour of the extension of the universities was signed by many eminent persons. "Our university," observed these memorialists, "take up education where our schools leave it, yet no one can say that they have been strengthened or extended whether for clergy or laity, in proportion to the growing population of the country, its increasing empire, or deepening responsibilities." The author gave the following table of the Oxford degree examination during the last six years, and commented on the general results: : On the Duration of Life in the Members of the several Professions, founded on the Obituary Lists of the Annual Register. By Dr. GUY. The following table exhibits the average of such as had attained or outlived the specified ages: 26 & upwards 65-27 67-63 68-81 66 20 65.36 67-70 64-42 66.49 62.78 68.11 31 41 51 71.58 72-6274:04 | 72-78 | 72:95 73-62 71-15 72:10 71:44 72.32 75-64 74.00 68.21 If we confine our attention to the last line of the table, we shall see that the duration of life among the higher classes is shorter than that of the mass of the people of England, and of the provident members of the labouring class. In every age the navy possesses a very slight advantage over the army. The longevity of the clergy is superior to that of any of the other learned professions. The less favourable duration of medical life, in the tables published by Professor Casper of Berlin, is to be attributed to his having included a lower grade of the professions than those whose deaths are recorded in the Annual Register, probably such a class as the general body of medical practitioners in England. Both, however, show that medical men encounter the most danger at the early part of their professional career, and this is more apparent when the column of medical life is compared with that of law life. From his own and other tables, Dr. Guy constructed the following summary of deaths at 51 and On the Mortality of Children. By Mr. WIGGLesworth. It appeared that returns had been collected from 1987 families, in which the number of children was 10,076, giving an average of more than five in a family. The number of males was 5091, and of females 4985, which gives a proportion of 51 to 50. From these he constructed a table, showing the number out of which one child would die in one year, according to the experience of families. Taking the case of males and females conjointly, it will be seen that there is a gradual decrease from the 1st to the 8th year, and that there is an increase over the previous year in the 9th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 20th, and 21st years. In males these fluctuations take place in the 7th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st years. In females there is a general decrease to the 8th year, and an increase in the 9th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 17th, and 21st years.-A table of diseases was then exhibited, from which it appeared that more males than females died of nervous diseases and from external causes; but that more females than males die of epidemic disease, and diseases of the respiratory organs. These tables, from family returns, were then compared with similar tables constructed from the statistics of the Foundling Hospital, and were found to agree very closely in their results. A Review of the Mines and Mining Industry of Belgium. By R. VALPY. It was stated that, as a coal-producing country, Belgium ranked the second in Europe. The ratio of the coal district to the total area is |