As quietness is indispensable in Hospitals, every duty should be performed with the least possible noise, more especially at night. Every patient must be in bed by 8 o’clock in winter, and 9 in summer; and no conversation must be permitted after that time. Patients should be made useful in the wards, as far as possible; but should fetch nothing into them. And no discharged patient should be permitted to enter any ward, except in the fixed visiting hours. The Governor, where there is a Governor, or the Principal Medical Officer, will fix the visiting hours; which shall not be more than two hours during each of three days of the week. [Take proper advice as to whether this maximum is too short. It is fully enough for Civil Hospitals, but Military Hospitals are in sundry respects essentially different.] In the discipline of all Military Hospitals, besides the prohibition of all swearing and foul language included in the Articles of War, is included the non-admission, or if by oversight admitted among visitors, the immediate expulsion of all disorderly persons. (Query--whether not to specify prostitutes.) I very much wish that Hospital Sentries in General Hospitals might keep out all visitors, except in the fixed visiting hours. And I very much wish that a stringent rule were made as to female visitors, both in Regimental and in General Hospitals. Proper Military as well as Medical advice should be taken on this point. It might not do to exclude them altogether; and, if soldiers’ wives come, it might be better to admit also all respectable-looking women, for it would be useless attempting defining as to sisters, aunts, friends, &c., &c.; though, except in the case of dying patients, all women, except their wives and mothers, are better away. I do not know what amount of strictness in practice is shown in enforcing the Regulations in English Army Hospitals; but if, at present, equivocal women, as well as ascertained prostitutes, are not excluded (which very possibly they are) they should be. At the same time, a sentry may often be honestly puzzled as to equivocal or non-equivocal appearance, in these days of over-dressing. And some mistake, made by a stupid or brutal sentry, might lead to endangering the rule. This whole matter must be referred to men. [Sidenote: 12. Orderlies’ Attendance.] 12. With regard to the question of the “Regulation” number of Orderlies, viz., 1 to every 10 patients, it is to be observed,-- [Sidenote: (1.) 40-Bed Ward Minimum Size for Regulation Number of 1 Attendant to 10 Patients.] (1.) A ward of 40 patients might be efficiently served (but it would be hard work) with 1 Head Nurse--Female. 3 Orderlies. With no number under 40 of patients to a ward, can the Regulation proportion of 1 attendant to 10 patients be adhered to. [Sidenote: (2.) 20-Bed Ward requires 3½ Attendants.]