The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-26 00:00:00

WOOL.

The supply of most kinds of wool on offer is rather on
1180 od d
to
the increase, and the demand is extremely heavy, at barely
stationary prices. Last week's imports into London were
87 bales from Boulogne, 152 from Buenos Ayres, 620 from
Algoa Bay, 580 from Sydney, 1010 from Bombay, 60 from
;e;ic fleastnenrel fie wool, is Gluckstadt, and 2,800 from Melbourne.
The following are the current rates of English wool :
Down tega, is 0d to is ld ; Down ewes, is to is ;
half-bred ewes, lid to 11 d ; half-bred togs is Od to is Did ;
Kent fleeces, is Oct to is Oid ; long heavy wool fleeces OAd
to 10~d
11 id per lb.
1 &cal ne
tb iwn og o ls,k7inds o9(111rd liLdto

Lord Seymour—You meant the other day—at least I
understood you so—that you considered the hospitals
were in such a state of cleanliness that it required the
critical eye of a woman to detect any dirt in them ?
Dr. Smith—l said so, but figuratively, of course.
(Laughter.)

Examination resumed —The reports which he received
from the medical men did not state whether the purveyor
was doing his duty or otherwise. That officer had the
general superintendence of the management of the hos-
pital; but, as far as he recollected, the letters he referred
to said nothing at all about the purveyor, nor about the
want of washing in the hospitals. The reports said
nothing either respecting the inefficient state of the cook-
ing department or the food supplied to the patients. lie
was consequently led to suppose that the whole conduct
of the hospital was satisfactory.

Lord Seymour.—Do you think the hospital at Varna
was in a better or worse condition than those at Scu-
tari ?

Dr. Smith said he had received no report on the sub-
ject, and, accordingly, he had no means of forming an
opinion with regard to it. He bad no reason to sup-
pose there was a defective medical staff at Scutari, as
the medical officers never made a complaint to him that
they were short-handed.

Lord Seymour.—• You have told us Miss Nightingale
was to go out as superintendent of the nurses ; can you
also inform us with what anthority she was invested
Dr. Smith.—With no particular authority ; nor was
her position defined beyond that implied by the fact
that she was superintendent of the nurses. The duties
of the nurses were defined by letters of instruction, and
Miss Nightingale was to see that they did their duty—
at least he believed such was the case. A few medical
men offered their services in connection with the Scutari
hospital, but he did not accept their offers. He did not
think (subject to correction) that any of them offered
their assistance gratuitously. He had endeavoured
constantly to induce young assistants to go out, andhad
offered them 401. for their outfit, 10s. a-day, and 3s. more
for a servant. He obtained 150 or 200, and their con-
duct had been good.

Mr. Drummond—Did not Dr. Hugh MTherson, of
he East India Company, offer his services gratuitously!
Dr. Smith said he did not recollect such a circum-

wtance.

Sir J. Pakington—l have received a letter this morn-
ing from the Crimea, stating that on the Bth of this
month there was no quinine at Balaklava, though it was
wanted by a regimental surgeon for use in cases of low
fever which bad broken out. Have you received any
official information of the fact ?

Dr. Smith replied that he bad not, nor had he any
reason to doubt the correctness of the fact stated by Sir
J. Pakington. He could not, however, account for the
want of that medicine, as enormous quantities bad been
sent out at different times, and, moreover, there was
always a substitute for it amongst the medical stores.
Mr. Roebuck—Has any report been received from the
commissioners who were sent out to Scutari to inquire
into the state of the hospital ?
Dr. Smith—None.

Mr. Layard here read some extracts from a letter re-
ceived from eminent medical men in London, from a
regimental surgeon in the Crimea, and which was dated
the Ist of January, in which it.was stated that there was
a want of medicines and medical comfort, and that men
were dying in numbers of dysentery without the sur-
geons being able to relieve them. The hon. gentleman
inquired if that state of things agreed with the official
reports Dr. Smith had received.
Dr. Smith replied that it did not, and he believed such
a condition of things did not exist. In justice to his
own reputation and the British public, ho was bound to
say some portions of Mr. Osborne's evidence were not
correct,

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