WHAT OUR READERS THINK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2477, 2 June 1915, Page 6

WHAT OUR READERS THINK

MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN. A MEDICAL MAN'S VIEW. (To the Editor.) Sir,—ls the "weeding out" process as at present practised unfair to volunteers for the Front, and unnecessarily expensive to the Government? Why aro so many men who have been accepted as volunteers and sent to Trentnam camp for training boarded after a, few days in camp and cast out medically unlit?

Reason I.—Many unfortunate men n'lio have given up good billets, and many good-for-nothings, who never would keep a billet, are sent to camp and given outfits, etc., without being medically examined, with the natural results that, being quite uusuited for the training, they break down and show signs of weakness which prove them medically unlit for active service. Reason ll.—ln the examination of recruits for active service practical knowledge on the part of the examining metiical ofheor is the iirst essential: a knowledge to discriminate re the apparently fit man who will become uuht and the apparently unlit man who is fit, or will become tit. Having given the two prime reasons, I will point out what the experienced practical medical officer has learnt. First, to know the regulations governing the examination ot recruite, and to keep as near to them as possible. Second, to use the experience he has gained and use his matured judgment to the benefit of his Government and the men he examines. For instance, many well-matured young men witii good teeth arid from comfortable homes will go to pieces on "hard tack" at first, and need lots of uursing up to the point ol fitness, whereas a bunch of "hard eases who have lived hard and have few teeth, but the digestions of ostriches, will live and thrive on the smell of an oil rag for all their apparently unlit appearance. This is also the case with young men who are thin chested, badly developed, but sound, and capable of development. Again, many a in man wil' fail on the eyesight test, which oculists in seeing certain figures sn designs at certain distances tnuarly always in a loom) in a bad light or an artiticial light, lake this man into the open, and'in nine cases out of ten he Will be able to see objects at a distance with the greatest ease, and show iiis ability to hit them if given the opportunity with a ritlo or gull. Ally practical sergeant-major or combatant officer will bear out \Vhat 1 say, judge of a fit or unfit man for active judge of a fit oruunt man for active service than the ordinary examining medical officer for volunteer corps, i An ounce of practical experience and i knowledge is worth a ton ot theory, but a combination oi knowledge and practical experience is better, and one good practical experienced medical officer can get through the work of six inexperienced meaical officers in an equal time with a greater benefit to the Government, and the boys in khaki. Query: Are there experienced medical officers (who have seen service and learnt) available?— Answer: Yes. Query: Is there any inducement or encouragement given to them to give their services? Many examining medical officers are themselves medically uufit and invalids,' and are therefore unfitted, unless experienced, to judge the fitness or unfitness of men for the front. I will go further and maintain that a sick medical man is not in any walk of • life the best person to prescribe, visit, or advise a sick or imaginary sick man, mucn less is he a proper person to decide on the fitness or otherwiso of a fallow man volunteering for active service. _ To ensure a good medical service it is necessary to have ail experienced and practical chief. He will naturally gather round him tho best assistants he can find, and choose them carefully for their ability, irrespective of social or other claims, particularly at such a crisis. I do not want to imply there are not many good M.O.'s at present examining recruits; there are, but there are also inexperienced ones who counteract the good work. A series of clearinghouses is necessary to prevent so many men being sent into camp, at great expense, losing thereby billots, only to be rejected from camp after a few days to a month's service.—l am, etc., A CHIEF RECRUITING M.O. IN SOUTH AFRICA.