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shaping the conclusions arrived at in that well-known and important 

 inquiry. He subsequently took an equal interest in the Indian Sanitary 

 Commission ; and it is really chiefly to his exertions and his influence with 

 the Government (in support of the persistent action of Miss Nightingale, 

 Sir Ranald Martin, Dr. Sutherland, and others) that we must attribute the 

 advance which has been made in carrying out that most important reform, 

 a reform which will influence not only the European soldiers in India, but 

 the many million inhabitants of that empire. 



It is not wished to claim for Sir James Clark more honour than is due. 

 There were many other labourers in the field, and no one man unassisted 

 could have done such great works. All that is urged for him is that he 

 was one of the earliest of those who saw the importance of sanitary science, 

 and that he was ever ready with time and thought and influence to aid in 

 the progress of inquiry and reform. In connexion with military medical 

 arrangements, he served on the Committee which organized the Army 

 Medical School now stationed at Netley ; and he continued to the last 

 moment to take the warmest interest in everything connected with that 

 institution. 



In addition to the work of inquiry on sanitary legislation among the 

 civil population and in the public services, he was very much interested in 

 the legislation for the insane. In 1855 an American lady, Miss Dix, who 

 was visiting the lunatic asylums of England and Scotland, was refused ad- 

 mission into some of the private asylums in the latter country. In order 

 to compass her wishes, she obtained introductions to some influential per- 

 sons, among others to Sir James Clark, and the inquiries then set on foot 

 led to the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the Scotch 

 Lunacy Laws. In this inquiry, and in the appointment of the Lunacy 

 Commissioners which followed the Report of the Royal Commission, Sir 

 James Clark took an active share ; and in after years, when various 

 attempts were made to revert to the old state of things, he spared neither 

 time nor trouble to stem the retrograde current by correspondence and 

 verbal remonstrance with Members of Parliament and Members of the 

 Cabinet ; indeed, after his death, the Lord-Advocate quoted in Parliament 

 a letter from him as a justification of the foundation of the Scotch Lunacy 

 Board. 



Only two years before his death he wrote a life of Dr. Conolly, the object 

 of which was not only to perpetuate the memory of his friend, but also to 

 place before the public the true treatment of the insane, and to rebut the 

 attempts, certainly feeble enough, which have been made to impair the wise 

 and benevolent mode of treatment which Conolly did so much to popularize. 



When it is considered that all these labours (and in the true sense of the 

 word his exertions were labours) were carried on in addition to the work 

 entailed by his Court duties and a large private practice, the great activity 

 of Sir James Clark will be appreciated. 



In this sketch only some of the public services rendered by him can be 



