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sanitary conditions prevailing in prisons. In this connection the authorities are now making every effort in their power for the maintenance of the health of the prisoners. All prisons are provided with adequate accommodation for the free admittance of light and air. Every possible precaution is taken against infection by contagious diseases, and cleanliness is warmly encouraged. Inmates suspected of having infectious diseases are carefully isolated and intercourse prohibited between them and healthy individuals. All accused persons, condemned criminals without obligatory labour, and offenders are required to walk or take other exercise in grounds laid out for that purpose for more than half an hour daily. Bathing in general is, of course, permitted every fifth day in summer and every tenth day in winter, though a distinction is made between prisoners where the nature of their respective labour or other circumstances demands. For foreign criminals there are provided special individual bath-tubs best suited to the custom of their country. There is a marked difference shown between the food given native and foreign prisoners, the former being supplied with a mixture of rice and wheat boiled together in the proportion of four-tenths and six-tenths. Not more than three go^[1] are given to one person at a meal, though the amount is regulated according to the labour or other circumstances of the prisoner, but all necessary food is provided from good, nutritious materials, according to its cost, at the rate of 3 sen or less for each person. Much better food is supplied to foreign prisoners, according to their taste. The following report shows the amount of illness and number of deaths among the prisoners for the five years from 1896 to 1900 inclusive:

In most cases the object of imposing obligatory labour upon prisoners, except in some cases of condemnation without labour, is to give them careful training in useful labour, and to encourage diligence, so that on their discharge from the prison at the end of their term of imprisonment they will find less difficulty in obtaining employment. The Government has therefore provided various kinds of useful work which is not injurious