294 TlMEHRl. 
does mixed races with different languages, ideas and 
modes of life. It is not beyond my experience to have 
become aware how medical instructions may sometimes 
be misunderstood, by learning of the assiduous efforts of 
a poor coolie man to encourage his poorer wife to eat 
all the linseed meal that he had mixed with warm water, 
or, in his opinion, cooked, according to instructions, mis- 
interpreting however the mode of administration. Such 
experiences, sad though they may be, are probably 
inseparable from the nature of the circumstances sur- 
rounding these people, at least in so far as their medical 
aid is concerned ; and I am fully aware that the difficulties 
of combating those circumstances by any quick and 
generally popular system or method of medical aid may 
be assigned as the cause of their continuance. To 
obviate this and to bring such medical aid to these people 
as their present condition demands, is the object which I 
have in view in this letter and beg herein to submit. 
" I would suggest that the free rural population have 
extended to it such medical aid, as, bearing in mind 
its nature and mode of living, would be suitable and I 
trust successful. Such might be recapitulated under the 
following heads. 
" i. Encourage the opening of sound apothecaries' 
shops under the supervision of the district medical officer, 
subsidising a qualified dispenser or sick nurse to reside 
therein to sell medicines, upon the medical officer's order 
or prescription, almost if not entirely at cost price. 
Further make such dispenser or sick nurse assist the 
sick in every manner, under the instructions of the dis- 
trict medical officer, in and about the locality wherein 
he might reside. Let there be such a dispensary in 
