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SummaryIn the problem of estimating from sample the value of a parameter in a probability function new postulates are suggested of unbiased linear estimate and minimum sampling variance. A comparison is made, with illustrative examples, between this method and the principle of maximum likelihood, and ground common to the two is traversed. The new postulates are also placed in relation to the theory of sufficient statistics.

SummaryThe effect of tetracycline in the treatment of “Q” fever was investigated in 56 cases, by a technique of sequential analysis.Tetracycline reduced the duration of fever after commencement of treatment by approximately 50%. However, treatment must be commenced within the first three days of illness for this to be of importance.The severity of liver involvement, as estimated by “Bromsulphalein” retention, was significantly less in the treated group.The incidence of phase 1 complement‐fixing antibody six months or more after the onset was significantly less in the treated group.Treatment, essentially blind therapy, is probably justified only for patients who are severely ill, who are at risk of endocarditis because of previous cardiac disease, or who are in the older age groups.

SUMMARY.-On the basis of data gathered from long term residents of 3 widely separated regions of Queensland a multivariate analysis has been made to determine the influence of a number of factors in the aetiology of skin cancer and solar keratosis. Factors considered were age, sex, susceptibility to sunburn, complexion, eye colour, ancestry, occupation, clothing habits and residential district. For both sexes, both diseases and all age groups the factor " susceptibility to sunburn " proved to be the most powerful single discriminant. On the whole it appeared that the genetically based factors as a group provided more information on susceptibility than the environmental factors. The relative importance of " occupation " remains in some doubt. In the tropical area away from the coast it appears to be of considerable importance. In coastal areas its influence appears to be blunted, presumably by factors such as sports and recreation habits.AN earlier article in this series (Carmichael and Silverstone, 1961) used actuarial techniques to estimate the cumulative lifetime risk of incurring skin cancer in various parts of the coastal areas of Queensland, Australia. The proportion of males between 20 and 80 years of age who might be expected to produce at least one cancer varied from about 5 or 60 in the sub-tropical areas around Brisbane, to 12 or 130% in the tropical areas of Townsville and Cairns some 1000 miles nearer the equator (see Fig. 1). Rates for females were about 50 to 60% of those for males.These estimates were based on recorded data at the various skin cancer clinics, and while the survey would have provided reasonably accurate results it was not possible to relate the prevalence of skin cancer to the personal characteristics of those affected. The existence of such extremely high risks makes it possible, however, to conduct field surveys of the population to achieve this latter purpose. With this in view, three separate field surveys were made in areas which had widely different climatological conditions but which at the same time provided a good cross-section of the population.Procedures have been described in detail in two preliminary reports (Silverstone et al., 1963;Silverstone and Gordon, 1966) but for convenience a brief summary follows.Regional Surveys The areas studied were located on the sub-tropical coast (annual sunshine 2740 hours; annual rainfall 44 inches); the dry north-west tropical inland (sunshine 3300 hours; rainfall 17 inches); and the wet north tropical coast (sunshine 2660

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