The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-20 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, June 15.—There is very little news to
report since the departure of the mail on the 10th
inst. The Naval Commander-in-Chief had not re-
turned to Gibraltar on the 9th, but was daily ex-
pected in the Psyche from Cadiz. The Caledonia
(flagship), the Arethusa, and the Trinculo were
awaiting his arrival. The Galatea, Capt. his Royal
Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, had arrived from
Dlarseilles, en route to Madeira, Rio Janeiro, and the
Australian Colonies. Her Majesty's ship Victoria
is reported by the captain of the English screw
steamer May Queen to have been met on the 2d
inst. off Cape Finisterre, standing to the north-east.
Here at Malta we have the ironclads Prince Con-
sort and Royal Oak. The former vessel has not yet
completed fitting her guns, the latter is quite ready
for sea, and she may be ordered off any day to join
Lord Clarence Paget's squadron of escort for the
Sultan. Some very good theatrical performances
took place on board the Prince Consort last night,
the performers being the officers of the ship. The
quarter-deck was tastefully decorated and brilliantly
lighted up, and the entertainment, which concluded
with a dance, proved a great success. The Cruiser,
5, from Beyrout, and the Tyrian, from Candia, are
daily expected here. The cholera is making progress
in Sicily. At Caltanisetta, in the interior of the
island, 30 or 40 cases occur daily, about 20 termi-
nating fatally. It continues very bad at Girgenti,
and a few cases have occurred at Palermo. All ar-
rivals from Sicily and Calabria Ultra are now sub-
jected here to 15 days' quarantine. Ia Sicily there
have lately been copious showers, and some heavy
rain has fallen here during the past week ; but, un-
fortunately, as regards Malta, tha showers were not
general or of long duration. The greatest distress
continues to be felt by the poor people in the coun-
try and in the Three Cities for want of water. The
experiment of sinking a shaft in the sandstone, by
which means Mr. Bateman promises to procure an
abundant supply of water, is being made. Some
serious doubts are expressed, however, as to the qua-
lity of the water to be obtained in this manner, owing
to the vicinity of the sea, and the fissured and broken
character of our rocks, even should there be any
certainty of a large supply, which is also considered
by some local geologists as very problematical. A
condenser for the use of the dockyard, capable of
producing about 100 or 120 tons a day, is now hard
at work, and two others have been ordered out from
England. Up to the present moment the popula-
tion and garrison are remarkably healthy. The
epidemic in Tunis has been declared by nine mem-
bers out of 11, composing the Tunisian Board of
Health, to be cholera. The Egyptian steam yacht
Fayouni leaves to-day for Toulon to join the flotilla
of the Viceroy. The 29th Regiment, it is expected,
will leave about the end of this month for Canada
in the Tamar, which is to bring out the 31st Regi-
ment for this garrison. The first detachment of
the 3d Brigade Royal Artillery, under orders for
Canada, will embark later in the Simoom, on her
arrival from England."
The following regulations relative to the exami-
nation of candidates for the appointment of as-
sistant-surgeon in the Royal Navy have been pro-
mulgated :

" Admiralty, May 7.

" The Right Hon. the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty are pleased to direct that the follow-
ing regulations, relative to the examination of can-
didates for the appointment of assistant-surgeon in
the Royal Navy, shall in future be adopted :-1.
That a candidate for entry into the Royal Navy
shall make a written application to that effect, ad-
dressed to the Secretary of the Admiralty, on the
receipt of which application he will be furnished
with the regulations and a printed form, to be filled
up by him, to show if he possesses the required quali-
fications. 2. As vacancies occur the number of
candidates required will be ordered to attend at the
Admiralty-office on the first Tuesday in alternate
months, commencing with Tuesday, the 21 of July,
1867 ; but it is to be observed, that no person can
be admitted as an assistant-surgeon in the
Royal Navy unless he can produce satisfactory
evidence that his name has been placed on the
Medical Register as legally qualified to prac-
tise both medicine and surgery according to
the regulations established by the Medical Act.
And, further, he will be required to make a declara-
tion that he is free from any mental or bodily disease,
defect, or infirmity which could interfere with the
efficient discharge of his duties as a medical officer
in the Navy. 3. Each candidate will be required
to produce a certificate of good moral character,
signed by the clergyman of the parish or by the
magistrate of the district. 4. A certificate that he
is not less than 20 nor more than 28 years of age.
5. That he has received a preliminary classical edu-
cation. 6. Subsequent to the age of 18 he has actu-
ally attended a recognised hospital for 18 months,
in which the average number of patients is not less
than 100. 7. That he has been engaged in actual
dissection for 12 months, and that he has performed
the principal capital and minor operations on the
dead body under a qualified teacher. The certifi-
cates of practical anatomy must state the number of
subjects or parts dissected by the candidate. 8. On
producing the above certificates he will be examined
before a board of naval medical officers specially
summoned by their lordships on the following sub-
jects—viz., anatomy, surgery, physiology or insti-
tutes of medicine, practice of medicine, chemistry,
materia medica, midwifery, and botany. 9. Al-
though the above are the only qualifications which
are absolutely required in candidates for the appoint-
ment of assist.-surgeon, a favourable consideration
will be given to those who have obtained the degree
of M.D. from any university in the United Kingdom,
or who, by possessing a knowledge of the diseases of
the eye, or of any branch of science connected with
the profession, such as medical jurisprudence, natural
history, and natural philosophy, appear to be more
peculiarly eligible for admission into the service, ob-
serving, however, that lectures on these or any other
subjects cannot be admitted as compensating for any
deficiency in those required by the regulations. 10.
Such candidates as shall have been found in all re-
spects competent for the appointment of assistant-
surgeon will be forthwith nominated to one of her
Majesty's ships, or to a naval hospital at home ;
or, should their services not be immediately re-
quired, their names will be duly registered for
early appointments as vacancies may occur. But
it is distinctly to be observed that candidates ad-
mitted into the naval medical service must serve in
whatever ship they may be appointed to ; and that
in the event of their being unable to do so from sea
sickness their names cannot be continued on the
Naval Medical List, nor can they, of course, be
allowed half-pay. 11. By the rules of the service
no assistant surgeon can be promoted to the rank of
surgeon until he shall have served five years, two of
which must have been in a ship actually employed
at sea, after which he will be required to pass an
examination before a board of naval medical officers,
assembled at the Department of the Medical Direc-
tor General of the Navy. 12, Assistant surgeons at
home, after completing the stipulated five years'
service, may, if the public service will admit, be
granted two months' leave of absence on full pay on
condition of their resuming their studies at a medi-
cal school or hospital. 13. Their Lordships have
been pleased further to direct that a limited num-
ber of those candidates who pass the best examina-
tion on entering the service shall be promoted
annually to the rank of surgeon at an earlier period
than would occur under ordinary circumstances,
and that these promotions shall be awarded as fol-
lows :—The candidate who passes the best examina-
tion of his year after five years' service ; the candi-
date who passes the second lest examination after
six years' service ; the candidate who passes the
third best examination after seven years' service ;
provided, however, that their second examinations
are passed in an equally creditable manner, and
that their conduct during the whole time they have
been in the service has in all respects been satisfac-
tory.---.By command of their Lordships,

44 HENRY G.LENNOX."

The Orwell, screw gun vessel, was commissioned
yesterday at Portsmouth by Lieut. A. S. Marescaux
for service on the coast of Ireland.
Major-General J. 0. Travers, In'spector-
General of the corps of Royal Marine Light Infan-
try and Royal Marine artillery, attended by Capt.