288 TlMEHRI. 
is entirely lost, just as much indeed as advice to a child 
to take some nauseous physic that might be placed in its 
vicinity and not actually given to it. Their improvidence 
is proverbially too true, and to most of them sickness 
drags early in its train a condition of actual insolvency, 
soon attended by the effects of destitution. Medical aid 
is usually then only sought too late and with the 
somewhat morbid view of obviating a Coroner's enquiry ! 
For these poor people are quite aware of the solicitous 
attention that is bestowed upon them in this matter at 
a comparatively ridiculous outlay of money, which we 
would all rather see spent in giving a man what he needs 
when sick, than in making sure of what he died ! 
Then we come to the effectiveness of the rural popula- 
tion. Sickness is the great weakener of such effe6tive- 
ness. A sick man is not only an incubus, but he is 
possibly an unprofitable expense, for the earning power 
of each man is deservedly an important question in the 
economy of the rural people. The earning man gives 
and takes. He is a profitable unit, and besides all this 
he is often the material support of others ; so that it 
becomes a state question that he should be cared for 
medically. I propose, therefore, rn answer to the ques- 
tion, " what might be done," to place under different 
heads, numerically, a somewhat comprehensive and 
elaborate system. 
I. In each medical district, there should be placed 
in certain localities relieving officers, whose duties 
it should be to become acquainted with the cir- 
cumstances of the persons in their division, and 
thus be enabled when called upon to report upon the 
ability or otherwise of persons seeking medical aid and 
