NOTES 467 



As everyone knows, His Highness Sir Bhawani Singh, K.C.S.I., is a warm 

 lover of science, and the dinner which he gave was much appreciated by all 

 who were present, including many Fellows of the Royal Society. Our own 

 aristocracy appear to be so much engaged on politics and sport that they 

 have no time to think of science and art. 



Mount Everest 



The Royal Geographical Society have in view a joint expedition with the 

 Alpine Club to explore and climb, or, at any rate, attempt the ascent of Mount 

 Everest, the highest measured mountain in the world. The foremost object 

 of this expedition is the actual ascent of Mount Everest itself ; but the mapping 

 and exploration of the whole of its vast massive form is the secondary objective. 

 And it is hoped not only to map and to photograph, but to make other scien- 

 tific observations covering a fairly large field, the physiological side of the 

 question being one of the most important. Dr. Keller's most recent observa- 

 tions, being his expedition of the present year on the Kamet massif in British 

 Garhwal, are awaited with interest. Owing to political difficulties, at 

 present unsettled with Tibet, it may not be possible for the expedition to start 

 this year, but it is hoped that by next year all will be settled. In all likeli- 

 hood the first year will be spent in reconnaissance and trials of porters and 

 in establishing suitable bases, and it will probably not be feasible to tackle 

 the mountain until the second year ; and even a longer time may be necessary. 



The mountain itself lies on the Nepal-Tibet boundaries and no part of 

 it is in British India. Consequently, as Nepal is not open to British travellers, 

 the mountain must be approached via Sikkim and thence through Tibet to 

 the Tingri plain directly to its north. Further, as the plain itself is less 

 elevated and fairly easy of access, it offers very great facilities ; the northern 

 face of the mountain has an infinitely drier climate, as it is but little affected 

 by the great monsoon winds and rains. 



The Federation of Medical and Allied Societies 



We have little space in Science Progress to deal with events in connection 

 with applied science, but should note that the formation of this new body 

 promises to do a great deal in connection with medicine. On November 5, 1920, 

 it discussed some clauses in the new Health Bill proposed by the Ministry of 

 Health. The burning question is. How are we to continue to run the great hos- 

 pitals ? Owing to the rise in prices of all commodities it is becoming increasingly 

 difficult to find sufficient funds from private benefactors ; and Lord Knuts- 

 ford was even obliged to state that the London Hospital, of which he is the 

 head, will be obliged to close down very shortly. The brutal truth is that 

 many of those who used to subscribe to hospitals are now finding that British 

 working men are, fortunately, so much better off, chiefly because of their 

 vigorous trades-union action, that they can afford themselves to pay for 

 their medical benefits. Of course there is a residuum of pauperism which 

 perhaps cannot pay anything ; but we think with many others, that the time 

 has come when patients should pay as much as possible, at least for their 

 maintenance in hospital. It is a moot question whether subscriptions of this 

 kind added to private benefactions would alone suffice to maintain the hos- 

 pitals, and national or municipal additions to the hospital funds are therefore 

 being suggested by many. This would involve more or less state or municipal 

 control of the hospitals, to which many doctors object — perhaps with some 

 reason. We think that those who cannot pay anything for medical treat- 

 ment must be paupers, and should be treated as such by the State. Those 

 who are not paupers should subscribe, not only for maintenance in hospital, 

 but also for their medical treatment — just as, we think, every person who is 

 not a pauper should pay income-tax, and a share of municipal rates. The 

 tendency of our pseudo-philanthropists to try to get the " poor " excused 



