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DELAY OF PROMISED MEDICAL WORKS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

Sir,,-In addition to the works enumerated by your corre-spondent, "A Constant Reader," as being delayed in publica-tion, I would mention the second edition of Graham’s" Chemistry." The first number appeared in Nov. 1846; thesecond, a few months since, (I forget exactly when;) and Ihave inquired in vain for the third, although the whole workis promised by October next.-I am, Sir, yours, &c.,

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G. H. T.

MEDICAL FEES AT ASSURANCE OFFICES.

THEODORE COMPTON, Secretary.

JOHN JONES.

THEODORE COMPTON.

JOHN JONES.(Communicated by the Editor of the Provincial Medicaland Surgical Journal.)

To the Editor of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal.

SIR,—I beg to forward to you the accompanying copy of acorrespondence between the Secretary of the TemperanceProvident Institution, 39, Moorgate-street, London, and my-self, and likewise a copy of an agreement entered into someyears ago by the medical men of this town. I am inclined tothink, that if a similar agreement were adopted and adheredto by the profession generally, we should not so frequentlyhave to complain of being placed by assurance societies incollision with our patients, and thit, too, without receivingany remuneration for the valuable information which theyobtain from us.

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Temperance Provident Institution, 39, Moorgate -street, London.

SIR,—A proposal having been made to this Institution forthe admission of Mr. Gilbert Dallison as a member, andreference having been made to you for information respectinghis present and general state of health, I have to request onhis behalf that you will favour the directors with answers tothe enclosed queries. [Sixteen queries.] Permit me to add,that it is important to the party himself that every questionshould be answered in as full and correct a manner as possible.As communications of this nature are considered to be

strictly confidential, and a reason for rejection is never

assigned, a perfect reliance may be felt, that should the ten-dency of your answers be such as to induce the directors notto accept the proposed candidate, the purport of them willnever be suffered to transpire, or to become in any way thesubject of observation.

I have further to solicit that you will have the kindness toreturn the accompanying certificate, addressed as above, atyour earliest convenience.-I am, &c.

’

May 23rd, 1849. THEODORE COMPTON, Secretary.

Derby, May 24th, 1848.

SIR,—I have just, received the form of certificate of health,which you request me to fill up for Mr. Gilbert Dallison.In consequence of the frequent applications made to medical

men, by life assurance societies, for information respectingthe health of persons desirous of having their lives insured,the medical men of this town have entered into an agreementthat they will not answer the list of queries sent to them onsuch occasions unless they are accompanied with the feeusually given to the appointed referee of such societies.

Waiting your reply, I remain, Sir, &c.,Theodore Compton, Esq. JOHN JONES.

London, May 25th, 1848.

SIR,—In reply to your letter, I beg to state that we requireevery person to give us satisfactory evidence of his health;I can therefore only refer you to your patient, if you willnot give your answers without a fee. Should we require any.Special advice, or any examination, we shall be quite ready topay you, but we cannot think your demand tenable for merelygiving such information as you have at hand.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,J. Jones, Esq. THEODORE COMPTON.

Derby, May 27th, 1848.

SIR,—In accordance to your suggestion, I have applied toMr. Dallison for a fee before I answer the queries containedin the form of certificate of his health forwarded by you tome, which lie declines paying; I am therefore under thenecessity of refusing to fill up the certificate as requested. Indoing so, I beg to state that I consider assurance societiesought not to object to pay the remunerating fee to the medicalattendant of the applicant for assurance, to whom they applyfor information, for the following reasons :-

1. The information is of the utmost importance to the inte-rests of such societies.2. The usual medical attendant can generally afford suchinformation as cannot be obtained from any other source.3. "As communications of this nature are considered to be

strictly confidential," the transaction is, in my opinion, en-tirely and exclusively between the society and the medicalman to whom application is made.

I have received from you a similar certificate for Mr. JohnHendley, which, for the reasons stated as referring to Mr.Dallison, I must also decline filling up till I receive a fee tothe same amount as you are in the habit of paying to yourregularly-appointed medical referee.

I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,Theodore Compton, Esq.

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JOHN JONES.

Copy of Agreement.It being a common practice for agents of life insurance

companies to apply for information respecting the health ofthe applicant for insurance to his usual medical attendant,and in so doing present a formula of queries to be filled up byhim, with an assurance, that if an untavourable report shouldbe made, the applicant shall not be acquainted with thesource from whence the company have derived their infor-mation, thus constituting the transaction a private one

between the company and the medical man; and as in manyinstances the company refuse to give a compensating fee forinformation thus obtained, we, the undersigned medical prac-titioners of Derby, agree, for the future, never to respond tosuch applications, without receiving from the company’sagents the same remunerating fee as is given to their regu-larly-appointed medical referee :-

W. E. Forrester, M.D.; Thomas Bent, M.D.; Wm.Baker, M.D.; James Heygate, M.D.; Douglas Fox, sur-geon ; Wm. Bennet, surgeon; Edward Charles Rudkin,surgeon; John Wright, surgeon; John Hill, surgeon; S.W. Fearn, surgeon; Charles Borough, surgeon; JohnLindley, surgeon; John Johnson, surgeon; J. WhitakerJohnson, surgeon; John Jones, surgeon; Augustus G.Greaves, surgeon; Henry F. Gisborne, surgeon; RobertHamilton, surgeon; John Webster, surgeon; Thos. Har-wood, surgeon; Allen Borman, surgeon; Thomas Buxton,surgeon; Edward Hoskins, surgeon; Joseph Butler, sur-geon ; Wm. Moore Wooler, surgeon.

If you agree with me in thinking that the publication of theabove might be useful, I shall feel obliged by its insertion inthe Provi7icictl Journal; and perhaps you will not think it toomuch trouble to cause it to be forwarded for insertion also inTHE LANCET.—I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,Derby, June 5th, 1848. JOHN JONES.

EMIGRATION AND ARRANGEMENTS INEMIGRANT SHIPS.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—In the number of your valuable journal for May 20this

a letter, addressed to Lord John Russell, upon this importantsubject. It is quite clear that the writer has not seen theexcellent regulations issued by the Government,—excellent

! whether as regards the small amount required from each’ emigrant as a security for good conduct on board, and as anevidence of industry and frugality, (for the idle and dissolutecan seldom muster the money,) or as regards the extremecare and precaution displayed in every matter relating to thehealth of the voyagers. Mr. Butler could never have writtenthe following passage had he been aware of these things :-" The serious drawback to the present very limited plan of

Government colonization is the uncomfortable and unhealthyaccommodation provided in the small hired vessels, whichinduces many to object going out in them."

I enclose one of the printed regulations, in the hope youwill print a part of it for the information of the public. Itwill be seen that medical science and the medical professionare appreciated by the Government, as every emigrant-shipis placed exclusively under the care of a medical man, notonly as the doctor, but as SOLE SUPERINTENDENT during thevoyage, independently of which a number of medical menhave been appointed paid agents at home to examine andreport to the commissioners upon applicants, previous totheir joining the ship.

I have the honour to be, Sir, yours respectfully,June, 1848. AN EMIGRATION AGENT, L.A.C. & M.R.C.S. Lond.P.S.—I have in my possession a letter of thanks from two

single men and two single women, who sailed some months