The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-12 00:00:00

DOCTORS IN THE NAVY.

We regret the efforts now bi3ing made in the two branches
of Congress to introduce radical changes in the organization
of the medical corps of the navy. Bills are pending in the
Senate and in the House of Representatives, either of which
if enacted will effectually paralyze one of he few branches
of the Government service which are not dependent on
partisan or political influences, but on the individual merits
and scientific attainments of their members. The House
Bill proposes that the present rigid competitive examination
of the candidates for entry into the medical corps as assistant
surgeons shall be done away with, and that instead the ap-
pointments shall be made directly, with no other qualifica-
tion than a medical degree from some medical college of
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now existing—namely,
is the maximum number allowed by law—is the result of a
determination on the part of the examining board to keep
out all they possibly can in order to present a stronger
claim to Congress and the country for the official elevation
of the medical corps to a level of its compeers of the
navy, the line officers. In a late number of the Washing-
ton Chronicle, which has steadilly opposed "staff rank,"
these charges are directly made against the naval surgeons.
The real reason wby so many vacancies exist is due t the
fact that properly qualified men do not present themselves
for examination, because they know too well the difficulties
and obstacles thrown in the way of thoge who are already
in the service, and have at present no definite status whereby
they can share equally the honours and privileges of their
compeers of the "line." The army surgeons are satisfied
with their status in all respects, and there are neither
jealousies nor discords between them and the army line.
Over two hundred candidates have been lately examined by
the army medical board for admission into their corps, and
all vacancies can thus be filled by choice from a surplus
number of qualified candidates. As a rule a graduate of
one of our medical colleges is compelled to take an extra
course of study to satisfy the requirements of either the
army or naval examining board, and a high order of profes-
sional talent is thus obtained to guard the lives of oursoldiers
and sailors. It is to be regretted that by any unnecessary
legislation the naval surgeons should be exposed to utter
demoralisation, and we trust that the majority of both
Houses of Congress will be of this mind.—Boston Adver-
tiser.

The treasurer of the Mont-de-Pi6td at Rome has
just absconded with a sum of £12,000.

The royal palace of Madrid has recently been
robbed of five paintings by Goyi, the subjects of which
are a satirical allegory, two pictures of children at play, a
guitarrero, and dogs in a hunting field. Fac-similes of
these works, engraved on wood, have been sent to the
different museums of Europe with a view to the discovery
of the thief.

A suggestion for the protection of shops from bur-
glars has emanated from Mr. Ernest Turner, mem-
ber of the Royal Institute of Architects. This gen-
tleman advises that all shutters should be painted
white instead of black or brown as is now generally
the case. The light in the streets at night would,
he considers, be reflected, and the chances of a
marauder escaping; observation be thus lessened.
There are two objections to Mr. Turner's plan, but as
burglars latterly have 'begun to ply their trade syste-
matically and extensively they may be thought trivial.
In the first place the owners would have to get their
establishments painted several times a year if they
wished them to look respectable ; and secondly, a
number of white shops in a street on Sundays or
holidays would render its appearance monotonous
and displeasing to the eyes of most people. In the
winter a row of shops painted according to Mr.
Turner's pattern would cause the aspect of the street
to be terrifying.,