EXAMINATION FOR PROMOTION IN THE INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE,
lias hitherto been the custom for the India office authorities to modify the rules regulating the Indian Medical Department so as to assimilate them to those of the Sister Service, yst several months have passed away, and not a word has been uttered regarding any changes, which miglit be expected to have followed the recent warrant. The point which mostly nfleets the Indian Medical officer, is the fact that for his brother officer of the British service, there is no examination to be passed prior to promotion to Surgeon-Major. Now I presume there is not a man in the Indian Service who cares two straws about passing a professional examination every five years, or oftener if anything were to be gained by it, but I do think it is a sort of slur on us to be compelled to pass an examination almost insulting in its details, which, if the British Service men will pardon me, I think was much m 're suited to them than it ever was or could be to us. The fact is the rules of the examination wore framed for the Britisli the first in and the service instance, ignorant (that is, of Indian affairs) authorities at home thrust them as they were on us, of their unsuitableness. The candidate, for inirrespective stance, has to submit a topographical and sanitary report of the station he has been residing at for a year ! What Indian Medical officer of nine years' service has not submitted at the very lowest calculation six such reports, either of his regiment, or of his station if he be in Civil Employ ? This is not the case with men of the British Service. With them, a man under nine years' service, rarely or never holds an independent charge, unless some such minor affair as a battery of artillery. Again he (the candidate) has to submit a certificate that he has taken every opportunity of performing operations on the dead body. Oil, ye gods! what an insult, when with few exceptions, we as a body, by the time we have served nine years, have performed, it may be several times, all the major operations on the living body. In the Britisli service he is a lucky man who has had an amputating knife in his hand, even once in nine years' service. These two points alone show the examination was better adapted for the British than the Indian service. I should bo sorry indeed if any member of the Sister Service misunderstood me as to the value I place on their professional
Sir,?It
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. attainments.
At the same time let it be remembered they have opportunities that are afforded us ; they do not, until they are comparatively senior, hold independent charges, whilst it is our invariable practice to hold whatever charge we have independently. Why, it is of frequent occurrence, a young man, just out of from England, before he can well express himself in the language, is sent, as a temporary measure, to hold Medical charge, it may be of a first class Civil station, where he has weekly to perform some major surgical operation, perhaps lithonot the
extraction of cataract, &c., all of mofusil dispensary. It stands to reason, that those who hold independent Medical charges, must keep themselves up in their work, and that they do so in the Indian Medical service, is amply proved on perusal of the various printed reports that are issued from the SurgeonGeneral's office. Nothing will make a man devote his time to his profession, and tend to make him an enthusiast, so much as by giving him an independent charge. He knows, whatever Surgical or Medical case presents itself for treatment, he, and he alone, at the risk of his professional reputation, has to undertake that treatment. It may be the subject is under the consideration of our very able and deservedly popular Surgeon-General. I hope so, for then we may rest satisfied that he will not countenance any proceeding that is calculated to lower us in our own estimation, I know, for a fact, or that is not for the benefit of the service. there are men at this moment, who are delaying to submit their nnmes for examination, in the hope that it will be abolished before many mouths will have passed away.
tomy,
which
or an
amputation,
are common cases
or
at
a
Surgeon. 29tli
September, 1876.
[November 1,
137a.
lias hitherto been the custom for the India office authorities to modify the rules regulating the Indian Medical Department so as to assimilate them to those of the Sister Service, yst several months have passed away, and not a word has been uttered regarding any changes, which miglit be expected to have followed the recent warrant. The point which mostly nfleets the Indian Medical officer, is the fact that for his brother officer of the British service, there is no examination to be passed prior to promotion to Surgeon-Major. Now I presume there is not a man in the Indian Service who cares two straws about passing a professional examination every five years, or oftener if anything were to be gained by it, but I do think it is a sort of slur on us to be compelled to pass an examination almost insulting in its details, which, if the British Service men will pardon me, I think was much m 're suited to them than it ever was or could be to us. The fact is the rules of the examination wore framed for the Britisli the first in and the service instance, ignorant (that is, of Indian affairs) authorities at home thrust them as they were on us, of their unsuitableness. The candidate, for inirrespective stance, has to submit a topographical and sanitary report of the station he has been residing at for a year ! What Indian Medical officer of nine years' service has not submitted at the very lowest calculation six such reports, either of his regiment, or of his station if he be in Civil Employ ? This is not the case with men of the British Service. With them, a man under nine years' service, rarely or never holds an independent charge, unless some such minor affair as a battery of artillery. Again he (the candidate) has to submit a certificate that he has taken every opportunity of performing operations on the dead body. Oil, ye gods! what an insult, when with few exceptions, we as a body, by the time we have served nine years, have performed, it may be several times, all the major operations on the living body. In the Britisli service he is a lucky man who has had an amputating knife in his hand, even once in nine years' service. These two points alone show the examination was better adapted for the British than the Indian service. I should bo sorry indeed if any member of the Sister Service misunderstood me as to the value I place on their professional
Sir,?It
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. attainments.
At the same time let it be remembered they have opportunities that are afforded us ; they do not, until they are comparatively senior, hold independent charges, whilst it is our invariable practice to hold whatever charge we have independently. Why, it is of frequent occurrence, a young man, just out of from England, before he can well express himself in the language, is sent, as a temporary measure, to hold Medical charge, it may be of a first class Civil station, where he has weekly to perform some major surgical operation, perhaps lithonot the
extraction of cataract, &c., all of mofusil dispensary. It stands to reason, that those who hold independent Medical charges, must keep themselves up in their work, and that they do so in the Indian Medical service, is amply proved on perusal of the various printed reports that are issued from the SurgeonGeneral's office. Nothing will make a man devote his time to his profession, and tend to make him an enthusiast, so much as by giving him an independent charge. He knows, whatever Surgical or Medical case presents itself for treatment, he, and he alone, at the risk of his professional reputation, has to undertake that treatment. It may be the subject is under the consideration of our very able and deservedly popular Surgeon-General. I hope so, for then we may rest satisfied that he will not countenance any proceeding that is calculated to lower us in our own estimation, I know, for a fact, or that is not for the benefit of the service. there are men at this moment, who are delaying to submit their nnmes for examination, in the hope that it will be abolished before many mouths will have passed away.
tomy,
which
or an
amputation,
are common cases
or
at
a
Surgeon. 29tli
September, 1876.
[November 1,
137a.
