(fki'iicspmlcitqc. THE SISTER MEDICAL SERVICES.
To the Editor op the
Sir,?Permit journal to offer
"
Indian Medical Gazette."
through the columns of a professional a protest against the publication in the lay press of such letters as have appeared lately in^ both the Pioneer and the Civil and Military Gazette in relation to certain staff appointments. I feel sure that every thoughtful officer, both of the Medical Staff and of the Indian Medical Service, must have noted with regret the tenour of some of those letters ; particularly as they amount in fact to nothing more than the washing of a certain quantity of professional Such a dirty liuen in the public papers. discussion is not only unprofitable to the public, but degrading to the profession. It is by such glaring errors in medical policy that our profession loses ground in its upward advance both in military and civilian society. If either service wishes to air grievances, be they real or not, I think the professional press in the proper place. It is to ba regretted that any member of me
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
126
honourable a service as the Indian Medical Service, should have penned either of those letters which appeared above the terms of "Blunt Scalpel" and "Bistoury." It is questionable whether those letters have done or will do their service any good. They betrayed certain avaricious and self-conceited notions which I believe the mass of their service will deprecate, if not disavow. Three assertions se*)m to have been made. They are:? 1. That the Indian Meiical Service is the premier medical service in this country. 2. That surgeoncies to the Viceroy and the Commanderin-Chief should be equally divided between the Medical Staff and Indian Medical Service. 3. That Staff and Lock Hospital Surgeoncies should be services. equally divided between the sister In regard to the first claim, which appears to me to be somewhat puerile, permit me to ask whether the Indian Staff Corps and the Native Army are premier to any British Is the native Corps in the Imperial Military Service? soldier premier to the European ? I in no way wish to native draw invidious distinctions between the army and the European, and still less so between those of my proit is to treat the native sick, and those fession whose duty whose equal duty it is to treat Tommy Atkins. But the claim has, with questionable propriety, been brought forward, that the Indian Medical Service is premier to the Medical Staff. Much regretting that such an impolitic assertion should have been made, I must submit we do not entertain such a view for a moment. The native army has always ranked second to the British, and as a natural sequence, the Indian or native medical service comes after the British medical service, or as it is called the medical staff. If there is such a thing at all, as a premier service (I would have the term sunk in oblivion), it is beyond doubt the medical staff. The second claim is about the surgeoncies to the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief. They being purely personal appointments rest with the donors, and are in the main out of the sphere of departmental influence. The appointments of Staff Surgeon are, I admit, open to both services. They are made by the General or other officer commanding a station, who, as a rule, give the place to the man most fitted for the duties. It ie to be inferred that when the vacancies occurred, the Indian Medical Service must have been somewhat indifferently represented, otherwise doubtless more of the appointments must have fallen to their share than appears to have done latterly. May it not be that the Indian Service no longer gets the best men from the schools now, who choose the services for a career ? As to the Lock Hospital surgeoncies, I emphatically deny that the Indian Service has any claim on them whatever. The lock hospitals are solely for the benefit of European troops, and the only medical officers suitable for their charge, are those doing duty with European troops. There are several other side issues connected with this controversy between the two services, which I decline to discuss in a letter which has already exceeded the limits I intended it should occupy. Permit me in conclusion to again express regret that such a feeling as has lately been displayed by the Indian Medical Service against the Medical Staff should ever have found expression in the columns of the lay press; and trust that it may be allowed to die a natural death ; and that both official sections of our profession in this country, by placing such questions as precedence, extra emoluments, &c., See., in the back ground, may together strive to do sound work in the investigation, treatment and prevention of disease which is only too prominently ao our doors. so
R. H.
Dugshai, 30th,
,
March
FIRTH,
Faithfully yours, A., Oxon., F.R.C.S., Eng., Medical Staff.
B.
1887.
[We entirely agree with our correspondent on Wo points:? (1) The impropriety of ventilating service questions through the non-medical press, especially when the communications are of an aggressive or controversial character, and (2) the inexpediency of discussing the question of precedence
[Apbil,
1887.
of the services there or elsewhere. Comparisons are in most cases odious, and in this instance they are in addition impossible, because the Indian Service occupies a position in India and fulfils sundry important and responsible functions which have no analogue in the British Service. We refer to its civil duties. On the other hand, we wish we could agree with him that staff appointments, &c., are always given on the principle of detur digniori. Lock Hospitals have undoubtedly been established, and are maintained for the benefit of British troops ; but the material with which the system has to deal and the rules and regulations according to which it is worked call into requisition a knowledge of the languages and customs of this country, which medical officers who have selected India as a career are probably best acquainted with.?Ed., Indian Medical
Gazette.]
To the Editor op the
Sir,?Permit journal to offer
"
Indian Medical Gazette."
through the columns of a professional a protest against the publication in the lay press of such letters as have appeared lately in^ both the Pioneer and the Civil and Military Gazette in relation to certain staff appointments. I feel sure that every thoughtful officer, both of the Medical Staff and of the Indian Medical Service, must have noted with regret the tenour of some of those letters ; particularly as they amount in fact to nothing more than the washing of a certain quantity of professional Such a dirty liuen in the public papers. discussion is not only unprofitable to the public, but degrading to the profession. It is by such glaring errors in medical policy that our profession loses ground in its upward advance both in military and civilian society. If either service wishes to air grievances, be they real or not, I think the professional press in the proper place. It is to ba regretted that any member of me
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
126
honourable a service as the Indian Medical Service, should have penned either of those letters which appeared above the terms of "Blunt Scalpel" and "Bistoury." It is questionable whether those letters have done or will do their service any good. They betrayed certain avaricious and self-conceited notions which I believe the mass of their service will deprecate, if not disavow. Three assertions se*)m to have been made. They are:? 1. That the Indian Meiical Service is the premier medical service in this country. 2. That surgeoncies to the Viceroy and the Commanderin-Chief should be equally divided between the Medical Staff and Indian Medical Service. 3. That Staff and Lock Hospital Surgeoncies should be services. equally divided between the sister In regard to the first claim, which appears to me to be somewhat puerile, permit me to ask whether the Indian Staff Corps and the Native Army are premier to any British Is the native Corps in the Imperial Military Service? soldier premier to the European ? I in no way wish to native draw invidious distinctions between the army and the European, and still less so between those of my proit is to treat the native sick, and those fession whose duty whose equal duty it is to treat Tommy Atkins. But the claim has, with questionable propriety, been brought forward, that the Indian Medical Service is premier to the Medical Staff. Much regretting that such an impolitic assertion should have been made, I must submit we do not entertain such a view for a moment. The native army has always ranked second to the British, and as a natural sequence, the Indian or native medical service comes after the British medical service, or as it is called the medical staff. If there is such a thing at all, as a premier service (I would have the term sunk in oblivion), it is beyond doubt the medical staff. The second claim is about the surgeoncies to the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief. They being purely personal appointments rest with the donors, and are in the main out of the sphere of departmental influence. The appointments of Staff Surgeon are, I admit, open to both services. They are made by the General or other officer commanding a station, who, as a rule, give the place to the man most fitted for the duties. It ie to be inferred that when the vacancies occurred, the Indian Medical Service must have been somewhat indifferently represented, otherwise doubtless more of the appointments must have fallen to their share than appears to have done latterly. May it not be that the Indian Service no longer gets the best men from the schools now, who choose the services for a career ? As to the Lock Hospital surgeoncies, I emphatically deny that the Indian Service has any claim on them whatever. The lock hospitals are solely for the benefit of European troops, and the only medical officers suitable for their charge, are those doing duty with European troops. There are several other side issues connected with this controversy between the two services, which I decline to discuss in a letter which has already exceeded the limits I intended it should occupy. Permit me in conclusion to again express regret that such a feeling as has lately been displayed by the Indian Medical Service against the Medical Staff should ever have found expression in the columns of the lay press; and trust that it may be allowed to die a natural death ; and that both official sections of our profession in this country, by placing such questions as precedence, extra emoluments, &c., See., in the back ground, may together strive to do sound work in the investigation, treatment and prevention of disease which is only too prominently ao our doors. so
R. H.
Dugshai, 30th,
,
March
FIRTH,
Faithfully yours, A., Oxon., F.R.C.S., Eng., Medical Staff.
B.
1887.
[We entirely agree with our correspondent on Wo points:? (1) The impropriety of ventilating service questions through the non-medical press, especially when the communications are of an aggressive or controversial character, and (2) the inexpediency of discussing the question of precedence
[Apbil,
1887.
of the services there or elsewhere. Comparisons are in most cases odious, and in this instance they are in addition impossible, because the Indian Service occupies a position in India and fulfils sundry important and responsible functions which have no analogue in the British Service. We refer to its civil duties. On the other hand, we wish we could agree with him that staff appointments, &c., are always given on the principle of detur digniori. Lock Hospitals have undoubtedly been established, and are maintained for the benefit of British troops ; but the material with which the system has to deal and the rules and regulations according to which it is worked call into requisition a knowledge of the languages and customs of this country, which medical officers who have selected India as a career are probably best acquainted with.?Ed., Indian Medical
Gazette.]
