Board and Superintending Surgeon grades, are no longer counted upon as possible or desirable contingencies-but are rather turned away from in despair, as Himalaya hills of difficulty utterly unattainable; or attainable only in old age with all its drawbacks. It is high time that something were done for the service, since there is now, we hear, a sense of painful difference in regard to its claims to honor or even rank, as compared with military officers. On every occasion of military and medical officers being convened upon any enquiry together, the position of the medical man is made unnecessarily and invidiously inferior and humiliating. This is done on the extraordinary plea, that medical men cannot take military command. To Το this it may be replied that they do not seek any thing so absurd, but they do claim that the station of becoming place in a room, or at the consulting table, should at any rate be awarded to themand that the oldest medical seniors should not be considered as in real rank inferior even to subalterns, for it amounts to that. The duty of examining a raw assistant surgeon in his colloquial knowledge of Urdu-is surely not a purely military duty, nor an occasion to thrust down a senior medical officer under twenty years his junior, on the plea that he cannot take military command! In regard to the slowness of medical promotion in Bengal, it is most disheartening, as may be easily understood when the Direc tories of the three presidencies are referred to; by which it will be seen that the members of the Medical Board at Bombay, are the juniors by some years of some of our elder Bengal Surgeons who have no chance of being Superintending Surgeons even for some years yet! Medical officers with armies are effectually cut off from honours or distinctions of any kind. Is this just or wise? Surely there are feelings of the heart that are dormant to mere pecuniary reward-and which its mercenary excitements never reach! one The impression made upon us by Part I, of Dr. Edlin's "Register," is most favourable, and we augur auspiciously for the continued prosperity of the work. The contents are of average interest and merit, and the Editorial part gives promise of sedulous attention, and extensive observation; while a tone of modesty characterises the whole, that in this age of pretence and charlatanism, is as refreshing as it is rare. In every respect, it is a very presentable and workinan-like production; and we heartily wish it every success. Why will Dr. Edlin use the word Part instead of Number, on the cover of his periodical ? Part I would seem to indicate, that every Number will appear in two or three parts! Then why is there no date upon the cover, or the first page of the work? At the bottom of the cover we find the year indeed, and the Editorial article at page 74 bears the date of the 3d January 1848. In a word there ought to be a date on the cover-and there should be a fly leaf for table of contents—for were the cover to be torn off, or get loose by accident-there would be no bill of fare at all. Surely a more appropriate motto might also have been pitched up on than the here and there one apropos to nothing, which at present figures on the cover? But these are trifles after all —and we cordially congratulate the profession on having got an organ worthy of them, and sincerely hope that the public spirited, and talented, and much esteemed Editor, will be extensively and zealously supported in his excellent undertaking. To give our little aid-we subjoin an extract explanatory of the nature of the undertaking: "It may be thought necessary that in our first number we should lay down a plan for our own guidance as to the nature and contents of our Journal, from month to month. In the main it will not differ in its plan as it does not differ in design from the Journal of 1834. 1st. Orginal communications or reviews of new works published in India or by Indian Officers. 2d. Correspondence on professional subjects. 3d. Cases and hospital Reports. 4th. Extracts and précis of intelligence from British and Foreign Periodicals. 5th. Biographical and Obituary notices, reports of Inquests or Charities, so far as they relate to health or disease. 6th. Medical news, reports of Medical Retiring and other Funds at the different Presidencies in which the profession are concerned. 7th. Editorial comments on the above. 8th. General Orders by Government and the Commander-in-chief, relating to the Medical services of the three Presidencies.* But we will not bind ourselves to any strict rules, rather preferring to reserve to ourselves the liberty of inserting that which shall appear in our estimation most likely to interest the greatest number of our readers. In this number for instance we have so much orginal matter, that we have no room for the extracts we had prepared, we will keep them (they are set up in type) for a rainy day, by which term we would be understood to mean the hot weather, when there is no rain, and when we may expect less material of Indian growth, a smaller type shall also be adopted, for we perceive we have exceeded our stipulated limits of 64 pages. We shall be careful not to omit some extracts in our next, as we hope to conciliate, and obtain the support of Sub-Assistant Surgeons, the Subordinate Medical department, and the alumni of the Medical College, who are not likely to get Medical periodicals from England. We hope occasionally to be able to avail ourselves of the services of a first class artist in lithographing any thing new of interest that may be sent to us, susceptible of that mode of illustration. We have next to solicit a share of support from the presidencies of Madras and Bombay and also from Ceylon, and will cheerfully listen to any suggestions by which our work may be acceptable in those places. We earnestly invite communications." * We intend also to print, extra limites. lists of the Medical Service of the three Presidencies corrected to a late date, and furnish them with the Journal in the three next issues with a view to help medical officers to know where each other are located, and what officers hold particular appointments. A Brief View, Historical, Statistical, &c. of The French in India, in Past and Present Times, &c. &c., by W. F. B. Laurie, Lieut., Madras Artillery. Calcutta, Thacker and Co. In a country like India, a literary turn judiciously cultivated, is an excellent thing for a young man, especially of the military profession. When we use the term literary, we mean of course that such a turn should include extensive and studious reading, without which, added to a natural talent for observation and character, and phenomena natural and conventional, such a turn will be profitable neither to the possessor or to society. Considering its limits, the title of the little work (a pamphlet) that gives occasion to these remarks, is much too long. From its dimensions it might rather serve for "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"-or any other voluminous work of corresponding weight and importance. The view of the past as respects French connection with India, presented in this work, is rather a meagre one; as might be predicated from its form alone, and contains nothing original, being a mere abstract of matters already sufficiently well known to the reading public. We have really neither new facts nor new points of view for those familiarly known already. The secret of the publication, or rather the no secret, since the author frankly admits it, is simply that reluctance of our amour propre, to willingly let die, what may have cost trouble in composing or compiling. The sketch of Pondicherry Society is slight but pleasing, and indicates abilities fit to achieve better things were materials available. There is a simple story'—of a Mademoiselle Constance Valcour who prefers an English to a French lover, or rather suitor, and accordingly discards the latter with a facility which we trust is not a prevailing national trait; and sufficiently demonstrating, at least to our old-fashioned ideas, that she did not love very profoundly either the one or the other; and that he who got his congé was not very likely to die of grief at the disappointment. It would appear, however, that Pondicherry young ladies have notthe mighty advantages'-that young ladies from England in India enjoy, as the home education, and the home society in the spring time of life. These and the well to do' parents in India give a decided advantage, according to our author, on the part of the young lady of Calcutta or Madras, "over the comparatively solitary demoiselle of Pondicherry-she who, poor thing, can only imagine Paris, the 'golden city' of her dreams." Mr. Laurie is evidently very partial to French Society. A peculiar charm pervades it, he deems, that is to be looked for in vain in English Society. This has been observed by many, and has been accounted for in a variety of ways. In fact the French, in general, are more competent to converse on a variety of topics, and there is a flexibility in their language expressive of shades of the shadows of thoughts, which the English language has not the same osier like quality of bending to. An Englishman seldom can converse about b un art in all its branches; a Frenchman of any degree can, or thinks he can, and rattles on accordingly, and if his opinions be not always very sound or conclusive, they at any rate seem to pass the time agreeably. Mr. Laurie attributes the talent for pleasing, to their determination to be merry. It would be more correct to say that they are determined to please, and being so, generally succeed. They are anxious to set others at ease, as well as to be so themselves. The Englishman's ease on the other hand is a sort of armed neutrality. He always repels, because he suspects strangers. He is by no means anxious to please, but rather careless whether he pleases or not. There is always an element of dormant defiance even in his hours of relaxation, He cannot talk about airy nothings, or give them a local habitation and a name, and despises those who can. He deems philosophy degraded if it descend to little things, forgetful that it is little things that test the great, and that trifles are often more trying to philosophy than the great exigencies of life. Repellent at first-the English abroad are not generally liked, save when they spend their money freely, and dont haggle about it, as some, it may be many, of them, are now known to do, with a loudness of tone, and a vehemence of decision not calculated te make a very amiable impression. True they often give offence unintentionally, but it is no less certain, that too often they are utterly indifferent whether they give offence or not. This trait may be familiarly observed in the land we live in, where it is by no means common to hear "black fellows"-spoken of even in the hearing of respectable natives. It is mortifying to a Briton to hear how slightingly young Englishwomen are spoken of abroad, especially in regard to a freedom of manners characteristic of unmarried young women, as compared with those of young French ladies; which do not make a favourable impression upon our Gallic neighbours. In the Levant, and Egypt, it is the same-English women are considered too free in their manners. Indeed they are at times not sufficiently scrupulous, and that upon the honi soit que mal y pense principle. In a word they are not always sufficiently mindful of appearances. In Cairo and Alexandria no woman of respectability goes out unveiled. It were as well were our countrywomen at times, mindful of the saying about doing at Rome as the people there do—or in other words conforming in matters of external decorum, and etiquette, to the manners of the country. In Egypt their galloping about unveiled, is not considered correct or modest. Singular enough, her modesty, in her own country, is the point respecting which an Englishwoman is most sensitive and tenacious. It is not always so abroad-and young women who would be horrified at a man servant entering their dressing room at home, have been known in Egypt to be assisted in the most recondite duties of the toilette by a Turk or Arab Servant! In India too, our countrymen sometimes appear to forget, that some native servants belong to the masculine gender! The following particulars respecting the French settlements in the East, may be interesting to some of our readers. The establishments would seem to be altogether disproportioned to territorial extent, and the routine of public efficiency :— "The whole of the French widely scattered settlements in India are under the rule of one Governor, (selected from the Captains in the Royal French Navy,) who resides at Pondicherry. He has a privy council, composed of the chief agent of the administration (chef du service administratif), and the attorney general (Procureur général chef du service judiciare). The revenue collector (receveur des domaines) assist the privy council in all matters concerning the revenue. In each of the settlements of Chandernagore, Karikal, Yanaon and Mahé, there is a government agent who receives the governor's orders direct, and corresponds with him. The salaries are in the following scale : The Governor receives (per mensem)... The Attorney General (chef du service judiciaire) The Chief Government agent at Pondicherry (chef du service 1,333 rupees. 400 " 400 400 333 200 "" Each of these agents is allowed, independent of his salary, a residence and a certain number of servants or Peons, according to his rank.-A medical officer resides at Pondicherry, one at Chandernagore, and one at Karical. It is proposed to have a second at Pondicherry, and one at each of the small settlements of Yanaon and Mahé. At Pondicherry, there is an apothecary, belonging to the Navy (Pharmacien de premiére class). JUDICIAL SALARIES. The Attorney General, (it has already been mentioned,) The President of the Cour royale........ The two Auditors, each. The four Senior Judges (Conceillers) each... The Royal Judge at Pondicherry. The King's Counsel (Procureur du Roi)... What would Lords Brougham, Denman, and Campbell-the great legal Triumvirate of England-say to this, I wonder? A King's counsel for 133 pounds a year! These salaries are certainly very small-hardly in accordance with the rank and position of the servants employed. Whether the French settlements in India are to go on dwindling |