Qhu]i;nnt Sfopits. THE SHOWMAN IN MEDICINE.
Do medical men at home thirst for yellow journalism in their medical newspapers ? Are they carried away by an ecstasy of admiration for Barnum's show which is now perambulating the provinces ? The spectacle of the talented Editor of the Practitioner offering his readers as a bon mot the stale old students' story of how the features of a patient's fundament made a greater impression on some celebrated Surgeon (Syme in this instance) than his face, is pitiful; but what are we to think of the hundreds of practitioners at the Edinburgh Meeting of the British Medical Association who received with applause a kinematographic representation of two surgical operations performed for the purpose in record time by a Parisian surgeon ? The patient's life may or may not have been jeopardised to procure this show, and when obtained, it may have been a very pretty sight as well as a novel advertisement for the operator, but surely its exhibition was in execrable taste, and the Council should never have allowed such a prostitution of surgery to occur. A phonographic representation of the sounds accompanying anfesthesia and of the bystanders' remarks should have been added to complete the display of bad taste. INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE DINNER AT SIMLA.
|
i
The annual Indian Medical Service Dinner took place at the United Service Glut) on September 19th, Surgeon-Major-General Harvey, C.B., D.S.O., presiding. The officers attending the dinner were Surgeon-Colonels Stephen, Franklin and Dane; Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonels Martin, Wilkie, O'Connor and Bate; Surgeon-Majors J. Anderson, Bamber, Shearer, Harington, G. Duncan, Sykes, Hendley and Leslie; SurgeonCaptains Clark, Marks, A. R. Anderson, Hulbert and Gould; Surgeon-Lieutenants Clemesha, S. Anderson and Stodart. The only guest was Sir Edwin Collen. After the usual loj'al toasts, the Chairman, in proposing the toast of the evening, " Prosperity to the grand old Service to which we are all proud to belong," said the new warrant granted to the sister Service had unavoidably introduced changes into theirs, changes which were depreciated by some, desired by others. Time would show their effect?to him the fact of an indisputable rank seemed a distinct gain. Whether as Doctor or Major, they would go on doing their duty, which after all was the
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
384
The Indian Medical Service had been true to itself and risen to its duty.
point.
always
Famine, plague and war had amply proved that in the past four years alone in both its Civil and Military branches. Those at the front came out nobly in the last campaign, but not one whit more so than those who had silently and faithfully fought the plague, famine and cholera in the plains. The Civil and Military might change places any day, and the only rivalry between them should be the rivalry of doing good. Botli were equally necessary to the State; it was well therefore to cultivate that solidarity of feeling which knitted all altogether, members of a common Service, into one harmonious whole. Such a pleasant meeting as that tended towards this end.
THE
GROCER
[Oct.
COMPANY'S
RESEARCH
1898.
SCHOLAR-
SHIP.
Dr. Raghavandra Row, who was elected by the Committee of the Tata Higher Education Scheme to proceed to England to read Medicine in general and Bacteriology in particular, having obtained the degree of M.D. of the London University in 1897, has now been elected to the Grocer Company's Research Scholarship of ?250 to proceed to Bombay to undertake an investigation on the typhoid fever bacillus. This is the first distinction conferred upon an Indian from among a large number of scientific English workers who applied for the Research Scholarship. Dr. Row left England early in August and will work in the Petit Laboratory.?Pioneer.
comparatively small attendance might be regretted, but one satisfactory reason for it was that leave had been re-opened after being closed The
for several years, and that the full numbers who War and could take furlough had done so. famine were mercifully over, not so plague alas ! ?which might mean much troublesome work before it was conquered. In one of the papers lately the Indian Medical Service had been stated to be a decadent Service. This had been said repeatedly since he joined it thirty-three years ago and had never been true. At that time it was the rarest thing for a medical officer to obtain any official recognition of his services; now they were freely acknowledged both for civil and military work, and no less than three knights had retired this year. In general influence, in their power for good, in their standing with the Government, and in their relations with all sorts and conditions of men the Service was steadily progressing. It still offered prizes to many, and unique opportunities of usefulness and honest work to all. The speech was greeted with loud and frequent applause, and the toast was drunk with great enthusiasm. The only other toast was the health of Sir Edwin Collen, proposed by Surgeon-Colonel Franklin, who spoke of the kindly interestalways shown in the Service by the present Military Member. Sir Edwin Collen briefly acknowledged the compliment paid him, and thanked his hosts for
their
hospitality.
The dinner
was completely successful, and will be memorable as the last gathering at which the old titles were employed, for with the publication in the Gazette of September 23rd of the Royal Warrant the combatant rank will be introduced. We would suggest that in future the Simla Indian Medical Service Dinner should be advertised beforehand in the daily papers, just as other Service and School dinners are, to enable men outside Simla who can obtain the necessary leave to attend it.
GERMAN PLAGUE HONOURS.
Two members of the German
Plague
Commis-
sion, Dr. Gatflcy and Dr. Pfeiffer, have received
honorarium of 15,000 marks each and Dr. Strieker and Dr. Dieudonne 9,000 marks The two first-named receive, in addition, each the Order of the Red Eagle of the second class and the others the same Order of the third class.
an
CALF LYMPH AT HOME.
Dr. F. Blaxall has been appointed to the chief control of the new laboratory of the Local Government Board's glycerinated calf lymph establishment at the British Institution of near Chelsea Bridge. Preventive Medicine, The Local Government Board has appointed Mr. Fremlin to be Dr. Blaxall's assistant, under He has the title of Senior Laboratory Assistant. been medical officer of health for the Tiverton rural districts, and was formerly at Westminster Hospital. It is officially stated that all the calves from which lymph will be taken for the new process will be slaughtered immediately after the material for vaccination is secured. The lymph will be stored in glycerine for at least a month, giving ample time for the authorities to make inquiries into the state of health of the calves up to the time of slaughter. The carcasses will be submitted to veterinary surgeons, who will certify as to their condition. Until reports of such examinations have been received the lymph will not be used.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN LONDON AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
The new elections to that most exclusive the Royal Society of London, have now been made, and include the names of only two medical men, Dr. William Osier, of Baltimore,
body,
Oct.
CURRENT TOPICS.
1898.]
Professor pf Medicine in the Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Edward Waymouth Reid, Professor of Ph}7siology in University College, Dundee, one of the co-authors of Schafer's New Text-book of Physiology. In spite of the fact that for the first time since the days of Sir Benjamin Brodie, the President of the Royal Society, in the person of Lord Lister, is a medical man, the hold of medical men upon the Society grows weaker. Time was when a prominent surgeon or physician in London was almost as a matter of course elected to the Royal Society; now his work in pure surgery or pure medicine counts for little in his chances. The following members of the honorary medical staffs of the great metropolitan hospitals have been elected: At University College Hospital Sir William Jenner, Sir William Gowers, Dr. Sydney Ringer, Dr. Charlton Bastian, Dr. Rose Bradford, Dr. Sidney Martin and Mr. Victor Horsley; at King's College Hospital, Lord Lister, P. R. S., Sir Alfred Garrod, Dr. Lionel Beale, Dr. David Ferrier and Mr. Watson Cheyne; at Gays Hospital, Sir Samuel Wilks, Dr. Pavy and Dr. Pye-Smith; at Charing Cross Hospital, Sir Joseph Fay re r and Dr. Frederick Mott; at the London Hospital, Dr. Hughlings Jackson and Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson; and at St. Mary's Sir William Broadbent. Middlesex Hospital and St. George's Hospital are unrepresented in the Royal Society : while the representatives of St. Bartholomew's Hospital and St. Thomas' Hospital, Sir James Paget and Sir John Simon, respectively, have retired from active practice. This is not a great list, and the tendency of recent elections has been to make it smaller. We might add to the above list given by the Philadelphia. Medical Journal, the Dr. names of Professor Halliburton at Kings', Lauder Brunton, Dr. Klein and Sir Richard Thorne Thome, K.C.B., at St. Bartholomew's, and Professor Schafer at University College. Most of the lecturers on Chemistry also at the different London hospitals hold the F.R.S., but few of them are medical men, and the above statement that work in pure surgery or pure medicine counts for little in a man's chances now a days is quite true. DINNER TO Dr. NIELD
?
COOK.
On Tuesday, August the 9th, Dr. Nield Cook, Health Officer of Calcutta, was entertained at dinner by the Medical Officers now on plague duty in Calcutta, sent out b3r the Secretary of State. These are : Drs. Olemow, Justice, Laing and Pettifer. The guests were Surgeon-Colonel Hendley, C. I. E., Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal; Surgeon-Major Dyson, Sanitary Commissioner; Surgeon-Major Bannennan, now in charge of the plague operations; SurgeonMajor Harris, Surgeon-Captains Pilgrim and Green, Mr. J. O'B. Saunders, Dr. Banks and Mr.
S85
A. Price. Several speeches indicating the very cordial relations existing between Dr. Cook and the plague officers were made, and an important speech was made by Dr. Hendley in which he emphasised the supreme importance of cleanliness in meeting with plague, to be effected only by continuous and most careful inspection and a considerable expenditure of time and money.' He also related how the existence ot plague in Calcutta was determined. A full account of the dinner and speeches appeared in the Englishman, of August 11th. '
QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.
Captain Norton, M. P., asked Mr. Brodrick in the House, on June 21st, whether it was in contemplation to withdraw Army Medical Staff Officers from the charge of British Regiments in India. The auswer was that Mr. Brodrick was In auswer to not aware of any such intention. other questions asked by Captain Norton, the information was given that there was no present intention of applying to officers of the Indian Medical Service the rules under which military officers, permanently appointed to civil employment, are, after ten years' absence from military duty, placed 011 the supernumerary list. The United Service Gazette apparently regards the Indian Medical Service a3 composed of some kind of ka/cims or vaids, for, in noticing the question first mentioned above, it launches out into the following diatribe:?"The British soldier must have his own British Service doctor, and Tommy will not put up with his medical care in India being passed into the hands of the local (Indian) Medical Service. C'est tout /" '
'
AMERICAN VIEWS ON THE RANK QUESTION.
The Journal of the American Medical -4ssociation remarks that though the United States Army Medical Department had a difficult work before it in organizing and equipping its medical service anil hospital corps, it was fortunately not handicapped by any of the conditions which are now for the first time undergoing radical treatIt made its start ment in the British Service. in the war with Spain in full possession of that which has been the objective of the British medical staff* for years, rank in the army and command over its own hospital corps men. Commenting upon this the New York Medical Journal rightly points out that this statement as regards the British Service is scarcely correct. The demand for substantive rank was based upon the fact that the officers were already actually in command of a Medical Staff' Corps' some 6,000 strong, with a depot and headquarters It was because they commanded at Aldershot. this corps in every sense of the word, being and responsible for the drill, discipline, '
clothing
3S6
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
of their men while they still were not commissioned as military officers with regimental rank in that corps, that their position became so difficult. "The origin of the injustice is peculiar. When the Army Hospital Corps was first formed, the surgeons, detached from the former position as medical officers of the respective regiments, and placed as departmental officers on the staff, had nothing to do with the corps outside the execution of their professional duties. The corps was officered for purposes of administration and discipline by 'combatant' military officers called lieutenants and captains of orderlies.' These officers were abolished on the score of expense, and the medical officers called upon to do their work. It is from this point that their claim for substantive military regimental rank very properly dated."
rationing, &c.,
'
'
'
THE INVESTIGATION OF MALARIAL
DISEASES.
[Oct.
1898.
tain E. Wilkinson, i.m.s., atBanga; and SurgeonH. Smith, i. m. s., at Nawashahr.
Captain
THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF SANTIAGO.
Captain Leonard Wood, Assistant-Surgeon, U. S. Army, after a record run of promotion has become Military Governor of Santiago, Cuba. In May last lie was deputed from Washington to assist in the recruiting of a regiment of mounted riflemen. The Journal of the American Medical Association describes the rapid organization of the rough riders and their election of Dr. Wood as their Colonel ; their success in being sent to the front with the first expedition ; in their bravery and gallantry in action ; the epigrammatic advice of Colonel Wood to his men in the trenches, Don't swear! fight!" and the promotion of Colonel Wood to be BrigadierGeneral for gallantry in the field of battle, and justly remarks that the story reads like a fairy tale. General Wood has now succeeded General McKibbon as Military Governor of Santiago. The journal quoted after describing the work to be done in Cuba, ends by saying ; no other man has ever had such a glorious opportunity, and General Wood's record, although brief, is such as to give every assurance that this great saniwill be performed wisely and well. work tary As the Spaniards say, the drum is in the hands of one who knows well how to beat it." "
We learn that the Royal Society, recognising the importance of the scientific stud}' of the causes of malaria and its mode of distribution, and having regard especially to the researches of Surgeon-Major Ross, of the Indian Medical Service, into the relation of the mosquito to the malarial parasite, have appointed a small Committee to consider the subject, and to confer with a Committee appointed by the Colonial Office. The Royal Society, we understand, contemplate voting a sum of money for the prosecution of researches in India and Africa, and it FUTURE POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF CIVIL is anticipated that the Colonial Office will make ASSISTANT. SURG EONS. It is proposed that a a similar contribution. of improving the position and This question small Commission, consisting of two medical prospects of Civil Assistant-Surgeons has been men and one entomologist, should be nominated under the consideration of the some time to proceed at first to India and afterwards to for of India. Government make to the Africa West necessary researches In future Assistant-Surgeons will not be placon the spot.?( B. M. J.) ed on unemployed pay, except as a punishment. T1 lis change will not effect Madras, Bombay, THE KING AND CUNNINGHAM MEMORIAL. Burma or the Central Provinces, where the of unemployed pay is not in force. The sum subscribed to the memorials to Sir system on A senior grade of Civil Assistant-Surgeons O Geoi'ge King and Dr. D. D. Cunningham now a Us. 300 a month is sanctioned. The of salary amounts to over Rs. 4,000. number of Senior Assistant-Surgeons in each province must not exceed 10 per cent, of the total strength of the service in the province, FIELD HOSPITALS. but Assistant-Surgeons who may be permanentThe Committee which recentty sat at Simla ly appointed to the charge of civil stations will to consider Field Hospital equipment was comPromotion not be included in this percentage. from the grades on Rs. 100 and Rs. 150, respectively, will, as hitherto, depend on the Expeditionary Force, as President. The results of the examinations passed after a service other Members were Major Burke, r. a.m. c., and of not less than seven years in each of those Surgeon-Majors Shearer, I. m. s., and Duncan, grades. Promotion to the first grade on Rs. 200 I. M. S. will be given to officers of not less than 14 jrears' service who have passed the second examination. At present there are, including one officer in PLAGUE IN THE PUNJAB. and two in the Punjab, who have been Madras The medical officers now 011 special plague to be Uncovenanted Medical Officers, duty in the Punjab, are Surgeon-Captain G. Y. C. promoted five Assistant-Surgeons who have been only 1. at "
'
CT
Hunter,
M. s.,
Garhshanker;
Surgeon-Cap-
REVIEWS: AGRICULTURAL LEDGER.
Oct. 1898.
placed
iu
Bombay
Bengal...
...
...
5 2 5
"
North-Western Provinces and Oudh
of civil stations. The Local Governments have expressed their willingness to reserve 19 Civil Surgeon-
permanent charges
Madrag
...
.
2 3
i.
*
i
i
i
i
cies, distributed the margin, to
as
i
shown
be filled
:., in
by
Qivil Assistant-Surgeons. For the present the Government 19 of India sanction the reservaTotal tion of this number of Civil for Assistant-Surgeons, leaving it to Surgeoncies the Local Governments to appoint them to such stations as may be considered suitable. The Government of India are in correspondence with Local Governments with the object of increasing the number of Civil Surgeoncies to be thrown open to Civil Assistant-Surgeons to 28, and trust that it will be found possible to raise them to this figure. When posted permanently to the independent charge of a civil station, an Assistant-Surgeon will receive a consolidated salary of lis. 350?30?500 a month. When in temporary charge, he will draw acting allowances on the minimum pay (Rs. 350) fixed for an officer holdPunjab
...
"J
^
...
ing permanent charge.
The introduction of the new arrangements is O to the express coudition that Municipal and Local Funds shall paj7, iu full measure, for the services of the Government Assistant-Surgeons who are attached to Municipal and Local Fund hospitals. The contributions payable to Government by those local bodies for the cost of the services of an Assistant-Surgeon must therefore be raised in the provinces where such contributions are calculated with reference to the pay only, and do not include consideration of leave allowances and pensions. ,
^
subject
MANUAL OF JAIL HYGIENE.
We understand that Dr. W. J. Buchanan's Manual of Jail Hygiene is out of print. A second edition will shortly be issued by Messrs. Thacker, Spink & Co. It is being adopted for use in the Jails of the Central Provinces.
387
Do medical men at home thirst for yellow journalism in their medical newspapers ? Are they carried away by an ecstasy of admiration for Barnum's show which is now perambulating the provinces ? The spectacle of the talented Editor of the Practitioner offering his readers as a bon mot the stale old students' story of how the features of a patient's fundament made a greater impression on some celebrated Surgeon (Syme in this instance) than his face, is pitiful; but what are we to think of the hundreds of practitioners at the Edinburgh Meeting of the British Medical Association who received with applause a kinematographic representation of two surgical operations performed for the purpose in record time by a Parisian surgeon ? The patient's life may or may not have been jeopardised to procure this show, and when obtained, it may have been a very pretty sight as well as a novel advertisement for the operator, but surely its exhibition was in execrable taste, and the Council should never have allowed such a prostitution of surgery to occur. A phonographic representation of the sounds accompanying anfesthesia and of the bystanders' remarks should have been added to complete the display of bad taste. INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE DINNER AT SIMLA.
|
i
The annual Indian Medical Service Dinner took place at the United Service Glut) on September 19th, Surgeon-Major-General Harvey, C.B., D.S.O., presiding. The officers attending the dinner were Surgeon-Colonels Stephen, Franklin and Dane; Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonels Martin, Wilkie, O'Connor and Bate; Surgeon-Majors J. Anderson, Bamber, Shearer, Harington, G. Duncan, Sykes, Hendley and Leslie; SurgeonCaptains Clark, Marks, A. R. Anderson, Hulbert and Gould; Surgeon-Lieutenants Clemesha, S. Anderson and Stodart. The only guest was Sir Edwin Collen. After the usual loj'al toasts, the Chairman, in proposing the toast of the evening, " Prosperity to the grand old Service to which we are all proud to belong," said the new warrant granted to the sister Service had unavoidably introduced changes into theirs, changes which were depreciated by some, desired by others. Time would show their effect?to him the fact of an indisputable rank seemed a distinct gain. Whether as Doctor or Major, they would go on doing their duty, which after all was the
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
384
The Indian Medical Service had been true to itself and risen to its duty.
point.
always
Famine, plague and war had amply proved that in the past four years alone in both its Civil and Military branches. Those at the front came out nobly in the last campaign, but not one whit more so than those who had silently and faithfully fought the plague, famine and cholera in the plains. The Civil and Military might change places any day, and the only rivalry between them should be the rivalry of doing good. Botli were equally necessary to the State; it was well therefore to cultivate that solidarity of feeling which knitted all altogether, members of a common Service, into one harmonious whole. Such a pleasant meeting as that tended towards this end.
THE
GROCER
[Oct.
COMPANY'S
RESEARCH
1898.
SCHOLAR-
SHIP.
Dr. Raghavandra Row, who was elected by the Committee of the Tata Higher Education Scheme to proceed to England to read Medicine in general and Bacteriology in particular, having obtained the degree of M.D. of the London University in 1897, has now been elected to the Grocer Company's Research Scholarship of ?250 to proceed to Bombay to undertake an investigation on the typhoid fever bacillus. This is the first distinction conferred upon an Indian from among a large number of scientific English workers who applied for the Research Scholarship. Dr. Row left England early in August and will work in the Petit Laboratory.?Pioneer.
comparatively small attendance might be regretted, but one satisfactory reason for it was that leave had been re-opened after being closed The
for several years, and that the full numbers who War and could take furlough had done so. famine were mercifully over, not so plague alas ! ?which might mean much troublesome work before it was conquered. In one of the papers lately the Indian Medical Service had been stated to be a decadent Service. This had been said repeatedly since he joined it thirty-three years ago and had never been true. At that time it was the rarest thing for a medical officer to obtain any official recognition of his services; now they were freely acknowledged both for civil and military work, and no less than three knights had retired this year. In general influence, in their power for good, in their standing with the Government, and in their relations with all sorts and conditions of men the Service was steadily progressing. It still offered prizes to many, and unique opportunities of usefulness and honest work to all. The speech was greeted with loud and frequent applause, and the toast was drunk with great enthusiasm. The only other toast was the health of Sir Edwin Collen, proposed by Surgeon-Colonel Franklin, who spoke of the kindly interestalways shown in the Service by the present Military Member. Sir Edwin Collen briefly acknowledged the compliment paid him, and thanked his hosts for
their
hospitality.
The dinner
was completely successful, and will be memorable as the last gathering at which the old titles were employed, for with the publication in the Gazette of September 23rd of the Royal Warrant the combatant rank will be introduced. We would suggest that in future the Simla Indian Medical Service Dinner should be advertised beforehand in the daily papers, just as other Service and School dinners are, to enable men outside Simla who can obtain the necessary leave to attend it.
GERMAN PLAGUE HONOURS.
Two members of the German
Plague
Commis-
sion, Dr. Gatflcy and Dr. Pfeiffer, have received
honorarium of 15,000 marks each and Dr. Strieker and Dr. Dieudonne 9,000 marks The two first-named receive, in addition, each the Order of the Red Eagle of the second class and the others the same Order of the third class.
an
CALF LYMPH AT HOME.
Dr. F. Blaxall has been appointed to the chief control of the new laboratory of the Local Government Board's glycerinated calf lymph establishment at the British Institution of near Chelsea Bridge. Preventive Medicine, The Local Government Board has appointed Mr. Fremlin to be Dr. Blaxall's assistant, under He has the title of Senior Laboratory Assistant. been medical officer of health for the Tiverton rural districts, and was formerly at Westminster Hospital. It is officially stated that all the calves from which lymph will be taken for the new process will be slaughtered immediately after the material for vaccination is secured. The lymph will be stored in glycerine for at least a month, giving ample time for the authorities to make inquiries into the state of health of the calves up to the time of slaughter. The carcasses will be submitted to veterinary surgeons, who will certify as to their condition. Until reports of such examinations have been received the lymph will not be used.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN LONDON AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
The new elections to that most exclusive the Royal Society of London, have now been made, and include the names of only two medical men, Dr. William Osier, of Baltimore,
body,
Oct.
CURRENT TOPICS.
1898.]
Professor pf Medicine in the Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Edward Waymouth Reid, Professor of Ph}7siology in University College, Dundee, one of the co-authors of Schafer's New Text-book of Physiology. In spite of the fact that for the first time since the days of Sir Benjamin Brodie, the President of the Royal Society, in the person of Lord Lister, is a medical man, the hold of medical men upon the Society grows weaker. Time was when a prominent surgeon or physician in London was almost as a matter of course elected to the Royal Society; now his work in pure surgery or pure medicine counts for little in his chances. The following members of the honorary medical staffs of the great metropolitan hospitals have been elected: At University College Hospital Sir William Jenner, Sir William Gowers, Dr. Sydney Ringer, Dr. Charlton Bastian, Dr. Rose Bradford, Dr. Sidney Martin and Mr. Victor Horsley; at King's College Hospital, Lord Lister, P. R. S., Sir Alfred Garrod, Dr. Lionel Beale, Dr. David Ferrier and Mr. Watson Cheyne; at Gays Hospital, Sir Samuel Wilks, Dr. Pavy and Dr. Pye-Smith; at Charing Cross Hospital, Sir Joseph Fay re r and Dr. Frederick Mott; at the London Hospital, Dr. Hughlings Jackson and Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson; and at St. Mary's Sir William Broadbent. Middlesex Hospital and St. George's Hospital are unrepresented in the Royal Society : while the representatives of St. Bartholomew's Hospital and St. Thomas' Hospital, Sir James Paget and Sir John Simon, respectively, have retired from active practice. This is not a great list, and the tendency of recent elections has been to make it smaller. We might add to the above list given by the Philadelphia. Medical Journal, the Dr. names of Professor Halliburton at Kings', Lauder Brunton, Dr. Klein and Sir Richard Thorne Thome, K.C.B., at St. Bartholomew's, and Professor Schafer at University College. Most of the lecturers on Chemistry also at the different London hospitals hold the F.R.S., but few of them are medical men, and the above statement that work in pure surgery or pure medicine counts for little in a man's chances now a days is quite true. DINNER TO Dr. NIELD
?
COOK.
On Tuesday, August the 9th, Dr. Nield Cook, Health Officer of Calcutta, was entertained at dinner by the Medical Officers now on plague duty in Calcutta, sent out b3r the Secretary of State. These are : Drs. Olemow, Justice, Laing and Pettifer. The guests were Surgeon-Colonel Hendley, C. I. E., Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, Bengal; Surgeon-Major Dyson, Sanitary Commissioner; Surgeon-Major Bannennan, now in charge of the plague operations; SurgeonMajor Harris, Surgeon-Captains Pilgrim and Green, Mr. J. O'B. Saunders, Dr. Banks and Mr.
S85
A. Price. Several speeches indicating the very cordial relations existing between Dr. Cook and the plague officers were made, and an important speech was made by Dr. Hendley in which he emphasised the supreme importance of cleanliness in meeting with plague, to be effected only by continuous and most careful inspection and a considerable expenditure of time and money.' He also related how the existence ot plague in Calcutta was determined. A full account of the dinner and speeches appeared in the Englishman, of August 11th. '
QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.
Captain Norton, M. P., asked Mr. Brodrick in the House, on June 21st, whether it was in contemplation to withdraw Army Medical Staff Officers from the charge of British Regiments in India. The auswer was that Mr. Brodrick was In auswer to not aware of any such intention. other questions asked by Captain Norton, the information was given that there was no present intention of applying to officers of the Indian Medical Service the rules under which military officers, permanently appointed to civil employment, are, after ten years' absence from military duty, placed 011 the supernumerary list. The United Service Gazette apparently regards the Indian Medical Service a3 composed of some kind of ka/cims or vaids, for, in noticing the question first mentioned above, it launches out into the following diatribe:?"The British soldier must have his own British Service doctor, and Tommy will not put up with his medical care in India being passed into the hands of the local (Indian) Medical Service. C'est tout /" '
'
AMERICAN VIEWS ON THE RANK QUESTION.
The Journal of the American Medical -4ssociation remarks that though the United States Army Medical Department had a difficult work before it in organizing and equipping its medical service anil hospital corps, it was fortunately not handicapped by any of the conditions which are now for the first time undergoing radical treatIt made its start ment in the British Service. in the war with Spain in full possession of that which has been the objective of the British medical staff* for years, rank in the army and command over its own hospital corps men. Commenting upon this the New York Medical Journal rightly points out that this statement as regards the British Service is scarcely correct. The demand for substantive rank was based upon the fact that the officers were already actually in command of a Medical Staff' Corps' some 6,000 strong, with a depot and headquarters It was because they commanded at Aldershot. this corps in every sense of the word, being and responsible for the drill, discipline, '
clothing
3S6
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
of their men while they still were not commissioned as military officers with regimental rank in that corps, that their position became so difficult. "The origin of the injustice is peculiar. When the Army Hospital Corps was first formed, the surgeons, detached from the former position as medical officers of the respective regiments, and placed as departmental officers on the staff, had nothing to do with the corps outside the execution of their professional duties. The corps was officered for purposes of administration and discipline by 'combatant' military officers called lieutenants and captains of orderlies.' These officers were abolished on the score of expense, and the medical officers called upon to do their work. It is from this point that their claim for substantive military regimental rank very properly dated."
rationing, &c.,
'
'
'
THE INVESTIGATION OF MALARIAL
DISEASES.
[Oct.
1898.
tain E. Wilkinson, i.m.s., atBanga; and SurgeonH. Smith, i. m. s., at Nawashahr.
Captain
THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF SANTIAGO.
Captain Leonard Wood, Assistant-Surgeon, U. S. Army, after a record run of promotion has become Military Governor of Santiago, Cuba. In May last lie was deputed from Washington to assist in the recruiting of a regiment of mounted riflemen. The Journal of the American Medical Association describes the rapid organization of the rough riders and their election of Dr. Wood as their Colonel ; their success in being sent to the front with the first expedition ; in their bravery and gallantry in action ; the epigrammatic advice of Colonel Wood to his men in the trenches, Don't swear! fight!" and the promotion of Colonel Wood to be BrigadierGeneral for gallantry in the field of battle, and justly remarks that the story reads like a fairy tale. General Wood has now succeeded General McKibbon as Military Governor of Santiago. The journal quoted after describing the work to be done in Cuba, ends by saying ; no other man has ever had such a glorious opportunity, and General Wood's record, although brief, is such as to give every assurance that this great saniwill be performed wisely and well. work tary As the Spaniards say, the drum is in the hands of one who knows well how to beat it." "
We learn that the Royal Society, recognising the importance of the scientific stud}' of the causes of malaria and its mode of distribution, and having regard especially to the researches of Surgeon-Major Ross, of the Indian Medical Service, into the relation of the mosquito to the malarial parasite, have appointed a small Committee to consider the subject, and to confer with a Committee appointed by the Colonial Office. The Royal Society, we understand, contemplate voting a sum of money for the prosecution of researches in India and Africa, and it FUTURE POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF CIVIL is anticipated that the Colonial Office will make ASSISTANT. SURG EONS. It is proposed that a a similar contribution. of improving the position and This question small Commission, consisting of two medical prospects of Civil Assistant-Surgeons has been men and one entomologist, should be nominated under the consideration of the some time to proceed at first to India and afterwards to for of India. Government make to the Africa West necessary researches In future Assistant-Surgeons will not be placon the spot.?( B. M. J.) ed on unemployed pay, except as a punishment. T1 lis change will not effect Madras, Bombay, THE KING AND CUNNINGHAM MEMORIAL. Burma or the Central Provinces, where the of unemployed pay is not in force. The sum subscribed to the memorials to Sir system on A senior grade of Civil Assistant-Surgeons O Geoi'ge King and Dr. D. D. Cunningham now a Us. 300 a month is sanctioned. The of salary amounts to over Rs. 4,000. number of Senior Assistant-Surgeons in each province must not exceed 10 per cent, of the total strength of the service in the province, FIELD HOSPITALS. but Assistant-Surgeons who may be permanentThe Committee which recentty sat at Simla ly appointed to the charge of civil stations will to consider Field Hospital equipment was comPromotion not be included in this percentage. from the grades on Rs. 100 and Rs. 150, respectively, will, as hitherto, depend on the Expeditionary Force, as President. The results of the examinations passed after a service other Members were Major Burke, r. a.m. c., and of not less than seven years in each of those Surgeon-Majors Shearer, I. m. s., and Duncan, grades. Promotion to the first grade on Rs. 200 I. M. S. will be given to officers of not less than 14 jrears' service who have passed the second examination. At present there are, including one officer in PLAGUE IN THE PUNJAB. and two in the Punjab, who have been Madras The medical officers now 011 special plague to be Uncovenanted Medical Officers, duty in the Punjab, are Surgeon-Captain G. Y. C. promoted five Assistant-Surgeons who have been only 1. at "
'
CT
Hunter,
M. s.,
Garhshanker;
Surgeon-Cap-
REVIEWS: AGRICULTURAL LEDGER.
Oct. 1898.
placed
iu
Bombay
Bengal...
...
...
5 2 5
"
North-Western Provinces and Oudh
of civil stations. The Local Governments have expressed their willingness to reserve 19 Civil Surgeon-
permanent charges
Madrag
...
.
2 3
i.
*
i
i
i
i
cies, distributed the margin, to
as
i
shown
be filled
:., in
by
Qivil Assistant-Surgeons. For the present the Government 19 of India sanction the reservaTotal tion of this number of Civil for Assistant-Surgeons, leaving it to Surgeoncies the Local Governments to appoint them to such stations as may be considered suitable. The Government of India are in correspondence with Local Governments with the object of increasing the number of Civil Surgeoncies to be thrown open to Civil Assistant-Surgeons to 28, and trust that it will be found possible to raise them to this figure. When posted permanently to the independent charge of a civil station, an Assistant-Surgeon will receive a consolidated salary of lis. 350?30?500 a month. When in temporary charge, he will draw acting allowances on the minimum pay (Rs. 350) fixed for an officer holdPunjab
...
"J
^
...
ing permanent charge.
The introduction of the new arrangements is O to the express coudition that Municipal and Local Funds shall paj7, iu full measure, for the services of the Government Assistant-Surgeons who are attached to Municipal and Local Fund hospitals. The contributions payable to Government by those local bodies for the cost of the services of an Assistant-Surgeon must therefore be raised in the provinces where such contributions are calculated with reference to the pay only, and do not include consideration of leave allowances and pensions. ,
^
subject
MANUAL OF JAIL HYGIENE.
We understand that Dr. W. J. Buchanan's Manual of Jail Hygiene is out of print. A second edition will shortly be issued by Messrs. Thacker, Spink & Co. It is being adopted for use in the Jails of the Central Provinces.
387
