After much negotiation, and a good deal of opposition, site for a hospital was secured at the important town of Eng-chhun, which had long been desired as a new centre for English agents to settle at.

Dr. Durfy was asked in his written cross-examination why it was his opinion that poor husbandry led to the conditions seen in all of the tortoises if he did not observe their habitat. Dr. Durfy replied …The abnormalities and illnesses seen in the tortoises, especially when you consider that all of them are affected, are due to improper care, inappropriate diet, lighting humidity, temperature, hygiene, to name a few, are what causes issues in these species – poor husbandry.

A rather different instrument was the nocturnal: it enabled you to tell the time at night, provided you knew the date, from the position of the stars in the constellation of the Great Bear, which rotate around the Pole Star.

Below the cuisses were knee pieces called poleines, which were half round or slightly pointed in profile, usually with a spade- or kidney-shaped wing on the outside to protect the back of the joint. Articulated at the base of the poleine was a demi-greave, a small plate ...