THE CHITRAL EXPEDITION.

1127 cannot be done to make life less unendurable for those who work with their heads and are compelled to live in great cities. We believe we are correct in saying that in no foreign town and in few other British towns is such licence given to "Ne quid nimis." anyone to earn a living by annoying his fellow creatures. as in London. From an early hour in the morning: THE CHITRAL EXPEDITION. the air is thick with the raucous yells of men and boys. THE Government of. India is certainly to be congratulated selling race-cards and halfpenny news-sheets. Later in on its military servants and on the quality of the services the day the torment is aggravated by piano organs, they have rendered, as well as upon the successful issue of so-called bands and street singers, while at a late hour an expedition which has been followed from start to finish of the night it is quite common to be disturbed by And hordes of ruffians with voices like with keen interest in this country and India. foghorns roaring out it was only natural that this should be so, for the imaginary and highly spiced details of a murder which has, incidents have succeeded one another with dramatic force never happened or some even more unsavoury subject. and were well calculated to rouse our admiration and The police, it appears, are powerless. News-vendors cannot enthusiasm. The little band starting from Gilgit on the be interfered with if they move on, and they do move on-in a first note of danger to the relief of Chitral, under the circle. Organs, we fancy, can only be moved from in front leadership of Kelly and Borrodaile, made such a brilliant of the complainant’s door, and as a piano organ is perfectly display of pluck and endurance that it riveted attention and audible 200 yards away this remedy is useless. There tended for the time to dwarf the importance of the achieve- is only one remedy, and that is to compel anyone who. ments that were elsewhere being accomplished. Turn which wishes to make a noise in the street for the purpose of way we may, there have been exhibitions of intrepidity and getting money to pay a heavy licence for the privilege of fortitude in connexion with this expedition of which the so doing. No one would object to the sale of papers if’ nation may well feel proud. Battye, in command of his it were not accompanied by howls worthy of an eighteenth regiment of Guides, was, when he met his death, conducting century madhouse. Rates and taxes rise with the utmost. their retreat before overwhelming numbers with a skill regularity every year, and it is not too much to ask that. and coolness that excited the interest and admiration of something should be done to obviate a nuisance which gets all. As regards the beleaguered garrison of Chitral, yearly worse and worse. The ringing of church bells, which, so long cut off from all communication with the outer except those of St. Paul’s, are always out of tune, should on, world, their situation was desperate and their defence no account be allowed in London except for five minutes or heroic. The siege lasted forty-five days, the besieged lost so before service. Everyone who goes to church knows more than a third of their strength in killed and wounded, and perfectly well at what time to go, and those who do not go. were subjected to repeated and energetic attacks from the probably do not want to know. In the ages of faith theenemy, besides undergoing the hardships incidental to such a ringing of bells drove away devils, but the latter-day fiend position from insufficient and bad food and failure of supplies. who yells "Paiper " and grinds organs is proof against their Surgeon-Major Robertson, who was the Political Agent and power, and to ring bells is but to add one more unnecessary Governor of Chitral at the time, reported that "the discipline, noise to the large number of necessary ones which already devotion, and fortitude displayed under circumstances exist. We have pointed out on several occasions that there which required all those qualities are beyond all praise." is no legal right to ring or toll a bell except before morningWhere all behaved so well it is extremely gratifying and evening prayer or on the occasion of a funeral, and that to be able to give a very prominent place to the the ringing of a bell previously to the celebration of the Holy gallantry and devotion of members of the medical service. Communion, which often now occurs in the early hours of Surgeon-Major Robertson, who was himself badly wounded the morning, is wholly illegal and unwarrantable. It is a during the siege, showed throughout it that he was worthy great torture to many sick and weakly people. of the occasion by his sustained courage, ability, coolness, and jadgment ; and with regard to another medical officer, THE WORK OF THE KENSINGTON FEMALE Surgeon-Captain Whitchurch, the special correspondent of SANITARY INSPECTORS. the Times, telegraphing from the camp, Dir, says that in THE services of the female sanitary inspector are not,. the reconnaissance from Chitral Fort on March 3rd, when up to the present time, so frequently requisitioned by Captain Baird was mortally wounded, Surgeon - Captain sanitary authorities that any apology is needed for briefly Whitchurch showed conspicuous gallantry in carrying drawing attention to the work done by the inspectorsCaptain Baird in on his back. Captain Baird (says the corre- belonging to the parish of Kensington, more especially spondent) was severely wounded, and was momentarily lost as Dr. Dudfield’s last monthly report contains an excelsight of, but Surgeon-Captain Whitchurch appeared carrying lent joint account, by Miss R. Squire and Miss A. Duncan, him. He was not, however, able to do this without interrupof the work done by them during the year ending tion, but had to leave him every few minutes to go off and March 30th, 1895. The inspectors report that the registered rush a wall at the point of the bayonet so as to make the way in the parish of Kensington amount now tohome. In this manner Captain Baird was conveyed to the fort, workshops as against 448 last year, and all these numerous where he expired next morning, after strongly urging Surgeon- 567, establishments have, they tell us, been systematically Major Robertson to bring Surgeon-Captain Whitchurch’, visited. In regard to the warming of the workshops, the bravery to the notice of the authorities. It is a matter oJ report that during the late prolonged frost, when pride and satisfaction to us as medical journalists to have s( inspectors the mean temperature of the air was for some weeks about often to record the gallantry and devotion of members of thl 28° F., many of the workshops were found to be without medical services, and we have no doubt that on this memor. It appears that efforts were made able occasion such conspicuously brave and devoted servicei proper means of warming. in many instances to obtain a comfortable degree of warmth will receive the recognition they indubitably merit. by lighting the gas-burners at an early hour in the morning and allowing them to burn until work ceased at night. It is STREET NOISES. pointed out that this improper use of the lighting provision THE essence of good government has been defined as was accompanied by a closing of all means of ventilation, "the greatest happiness for the greatest number," and it isi and that thus "the products of respiration added to those of surely time to reiterate the question whether something, combustion mingled in the stagnant air for a considerable

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