It was suggested, in the first instance, by Sir George White, successor to Lord Roberts as Commander-in-Chief of the forces in India, and re-incorporated in the despatch of the Secretary of State as to immediate steps to be taken to check venereal disease, that female medical assistants be employed to conduct the examinations. It is our belief that respectable women-physicians wish to treat disease--not prostitution. Even if such were given the full control of Lock Hospitals, which is not likely, we wonder how many would like to return to their own country bearing certificates for faithful service, such as Mahaldarni Ezergee of the Cantonment of Rawal Pindi displayed to us with such evident pride, that she had been trained in other besides the ordinary duties of a mahaldarni: "The soldiers were remarkably healthy while the prostitutes were under her charge." Again, another officer had testified: "Few soldiers were in the hospital while the women were under her care." The surgeon of the regiment had testified: "Disease has been reduced to a minimum among the soldiers," while the women were under Ezergee, "superintendent of the prostitutes." This is what Lady Cook describes in a recent American periodical as "ministrations to women," while the certificates show that everything that was done was valued only as it protected the soldiers in vice; the indications as to the health of the women are never once even commented upon--all the work for women was done _with reference to men_. This being the fact, it is no wonder that in the official reply from India, dated May 18, 1897, and signed by the Viceroy, Sir George White, and others, it is declared that "It is doubtful whether the women possessing the necessary medical qualifications, and of a status sufficiently good to preclude the possibility of their receiving bribes from the women they have to examine, would be willing to undertake the work."[8] As regards the examination of the women, we take a chapter out of the history of our India work, in illustration, as recorded in our Journal: MEERUT, India, February 8, 1892.