A REMARKABLE CASE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 149, 13 March 1918, Page 6

A REMARKABLE CASE

BEFORE SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE. A remarkable case was brought before the executive of the Second Division League last evening by a reservist who attended in person to state his experiences.- This man, according to an official report supplied by .the league, is 42- years of age, and suffers from recurrent attacks of malarial fever contracted while in th 6 tropics some years ago. His wife is also in very delicate health, being subject to attacks of complete prostration. The reservist was drawn ill the first Second Division ballot, and, on (attending for medical examination, notwithstanding the information he supplied to the board, was passed fit A. He had appealed for exemption on account of ■ tiis wife's health and his .case was adjourned to March 1. In the meantime he applied for a re-examination, backing up his application with medical certificates which completely endorsed his statements. The re-examination was granted, and he appeared before the same Medical Board on February 11, and this time was classed C 2 (unfit for active service). The next stage .was reaciied when his adjourned appeal came before the Military Service Board o;i March 1, when, in the ordinary course of events, it would have been passed over by the board as the medical classification of 0 2 settled the question of his liability for servico. This course, according to the reservist's statement, was about to be adopted by the board when the military representative, Captain Baldwin, demanded an order for a fresh medical examination. This was given by the board and the reservist was required to present himself once more for medical examination. He again went before the same doctors, and on this occasion was classed C 1, and ordered to parade for entrv into the special physical training camp on Juno 5. The reservist, therefore had been classed A (fit for active service), 0 2 (unfit for active service), and C 1 (lit after special training), all by the same medical examiners and within the space of a few weeks., Before placing his case before the executive of the league the reservist had written to the Minister of Defence,- setting forth' his experiences and disabilities, and asking the Minister whether under the circumstances he would liave So obey the order to enter camp. The Minister had replied stating that lie couid not interfere. The reservist explained thai, it was not his wish in any way to avoid service, but he knew his own physical weaknesses, which were clearly set out in the metli- ; cal certificates he held, and in addition the anxiety of the position was having a very bad effect on his wife s health. lie produced a certificate from Dr. W. Cairns, M.8.C.M., which read: "Wellington, December 10, 191'• "I herooy certify i'liat wias under my treatment- iif J aumarunui eignt years ago, on two occasions, for recurrent' (yeauy) attacks oi niaXuriu, with severe pulmonary congestion 111 second instance, i'iio penoii oi attack of (and) convalescence extending ironi four to livo weeks, lie then subject to irregular heart action, with profuse night sweats. He was then occupied m outdoor work (repair work on mill tramway line), and on my advice he relinquished fchat/ tor i clerical work, which seemed to buit | him better. On active severe exertion he suffers from palpitation, sometimes considerable duration. 1 doubt whether he would be able with nis history to stand severe training or extremes of temperature." The certificate concluded with particulars of the wife's illness, winch showed that she requires constant companionship, and that any anxiety or mental worry might be followed by serious consequences. The members of,the executive questioned the reservist closely, anrl.it was the generally expressed opinion that lie should hot he called upon to enter, camp. Strong comments were mado on the fact that three examinations by the same board resulted in three different) classifications hemg arrived at. ' The principle of sending men of 40 or over to the physical training camp was also strongly condemned, it boing held that at a much earlier age the chances of physical improvement under training were remote in the extremo. The following resolution was then carricd: — "That in .view of the Prime Minister's statement to the_ league that men of the Second Division who are classed C 2 will not be required to undergo re-examination, his attention be called to the case in question, and that the Minister of Defenco be respectfully requested to have the reservist reinstated in the C 2 class, and further, in view of ,tho wife's state of health, that the case he treated as a matter of urgency." It was a'so resolved:—"That the Seoflnd Division League rrftords an emphatic protest against the useless practice of sending men of forty or over into tho phvsical training camp, and urges that tho policy of the Deforce Denartme'it in this matter should he thoroughly reviewed in order I to remove any possibility of unnecessary hardship."