SICK & WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2361, 18 January 1915, Page 6

SICK & WOUNDED

TRENTHAM BASE HOSPITAL PROPOSALS DEFINED BIG RESPONSE EXPECTED F©R GREAT NEED It is generally expected that a large sum of money will be raised by way. of voluntary publio subscription for the base hospital which is to be erected at Trentham Military Camp. The attitude taken up by Dunedin doctors is regarded in Wellington as tho attitude of a-small minority, and'if is felt that very general support will be forthcoming. In order to make the whole position quite clear the chairman of the Central Council of the New Zealand branch of the British, Medical Association .(Dr. J. a.. Elliott) made a statement on tho subject when approached by a Dominion representative last evening.. He said that the. association was very keenly interested in all matters connected with the war, and that, many members had volunteered for service. The first step was taken in Hawke's Bay, respecting motor ambulances. The Hawke's Bay division of the New Zealand branch of the B.M.A. wrote and asked the governing council in Wellington if they would tako the movement up. The council approached the military authorities, and they said that the Government had already ordered fourteen motor ambulances for the use of the New Zealand troops.

'We were informed," continued the chairman, "that the best we could do to help the Defence authorities was to provide financial assistance for hospital work in .the Trentham Camp, at jvhich troops from not only Wellington but from the whole of New Zealand were to be stationed for a lengthy period. The Hawke's Bay division of the association had no difficulty in raising £3000 for the motor ambulances, and the council sent out directions to the various divisions to make publio the need for financial assistance to supplement tile work of the Government in tho treatment: of sick soldiers, and lo help to raise what money they could fo/.that purpose.

Necessary for the Medical Corps, "It should be made clear that the B.M.A. in New Zealand has never attempted to dictate te the military authorities what should be done, and the ivhole aim of the association is merely to provide financial assistance to supplement the. hospital work being done by the Government. It was not our idea te initiate or carry out any scheme * our own.

The. action of the Dmiedin division has,, apparently, been based on a misapprehension of-what is desired, and it does not meet with the approval of the great, bulk of the doctors of the association. Everyone will recognise the great need for voluntary help in time of war whether it be for the assistance of the Belgians, or for any other piuianthropic cause in connection with tiie war; but .we believe that there is no work of this kind which is of Higher, importance than helping forward the .treatment of our own sick soldiers—our own kith and kin. If this is. not pre-eminently a subject for voluntary financial aid to the Government, .it would be-hard to say. what k. . bince the time of the- Crimean War • not only in our own country, but in' foreign countries, too, voluntary help tor hospital work has been considered a worthy object of; voluntary aid, and hnancial .help of this kind is at present' hang given in England and in France. U.he Government is doing all it possibly, can in the matter. It has tho very best of advice, and has offered' to do whatever is asked of it. It.is impossible to conceive how an important organisation like the New Zealand Medical Corps is. going to carry on its duties efficiently during a war of this magnitude without a central hospital depot. It seems to me that help in a matter of this kind is obviously a work tor medical men.

Figures Show the Need,

„ Th? B6 , doctors and orderlies of the New Zealand Medical Corps are going away in medical charge of our troops, and it will be greatly, to the advantage or the orderlies to get some insight into the* work of a military hospital beforehand; otherwise, they will not have as much training as they might have been provided with. I don't know, of any object within the whole range of war that is more a work for the public than the voluntary giving of money for the. assistance of the sick : and the wounded."

With.regard to the need for a military base hospital, a most experienced English Army medical officer, Lieut.Colonel Firth, R.A.M.C, has published statistics which are interesting and very important. He shows that the average constantly sick in England per 1000 strength of troops is twenty-five, varying from forty-nine in the London military district • to . twenty-one m the Scottish command. The proportion of constantly sick among the troops in the South African garrison is 28 per 1000, and in the Mediterranean garrisons it is 34 per 1000. LieutenantColonel Firth lays it doivn that sick likely to recover soon should not be treated in civil hospitals, and that medical officers should make frequent visits to patients to see that no man fit for duty is remaining in hospital. The number of. sick in camps, etc., depends broadly upon the care of the troops, and their general environment. The figures given by Lieutenant-Colonel Firth cpneern men in barracks, which have been improved from long experience, and they refer to times of- peace. Suppose, for instance, our average was 25 per 1000 (it may, of course, turn out to be much less), there would be about 100 men constantly sick in the camp. Then Trentham is to be the demobilisation camp for all New Zealand, and that fact must be considered carefully. It has been stated that the members of s the Medical Association were making arrangements under which six or seven doctors would always be available as a hospital staff. This statement was erroneous. The fact is that no oivilian doctor will be there, but that the work ■ will be done by the medical officors of the Defence Force. TRENTHAM MILITARY BASE HOSPITAL. £ s. d. Amount previously acknowledged 385 9 0 Members of the Westland Di- , vision of the B.M.A. (first instalment) n \\ rj Mißs H. C. Inglis 2 0 0 Bible-in-State-Schoola League of New Zealand i..„ 10 0 0 Messrs. Stanton and Evans 2 2 0 Miss Joseph '.. 25 0 0 Total'to datd ; 436 2 0