Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/208

 from the public stores; but the consciousness of having done a good action must, in the majority of cases, be his only reward. Those who could afford to give a fee are mean and niggardly in the extreme, and those who cannot are as niggardly of their gratitude.

Government at one time prohibited Civil Surgeons from receiving fees from natives; and I have known a case where the fee was ordered to be returned. That order now does not, that I am aware of, exist, and I have known a case where remuneration was recovered in a civil court.

His duties are the care of the civilians of the station, their wives; and families, the prisoners of the jail varying from 700 to 1500, and the native servants of the court.

By way of making up for his small allowances, civil Assistant-surgeons were at one time allowed to trade, but that has of late been prohibited. The life that Assistant-surgeons lead at an out-of-the-way civil station is not a very desirable one; every one is busy but himself; his own duties do not occupy a tenth part of his time; and, unless he be able to draw largely upon his own resources, he is very apt to fall a victim to his old enemy, ennui. Moreover, his pay is less than he would have with a regiment, and, compared with the rest of the civilians, not a third part of theirs. No one likes to be the lowest