ELIMINATING THE UNFIT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1691, 27 March 1917, Page 4

ELIMINATING THE UNFIT.

A statement was made recently by Surgeon-General R. S. F. Henderson, Director of Medical Services. regarding (he recent criticism of the medical examination, General Henderson said that official reports regarding men found unlit in the training camps in England, before being sent to the front, stated that the number had been about 1 per cent, to January 13th. It was difficult to eliminate entirely such cases owing to the varying opinions of medical ollicers. Undoubtedly men cooped up on hoard ship for eight weeks or more became “soft,” and were liable to have any weaknesses accentuated by the rigorous I raining at Sling Gamp. The eliminations in England comprised mainly cases of rheumatism, men prematurely old, and men with “flat feet.”

None of the men hitherto sent to England had been passed by the Medical Boards under the ballot system. Every endeavour had been made in the past to secure as many recruits as possible from the first division, hut in doing this, the instructions laid down by the Army Council had adwgys been strictly observed. Regulations issued some time ago had admitted slight relaxations in the .standard of recruits, as regards taking men with mild hernia, slight deformities, ele. It was lound that the opinions of medical men differed considerably as to what constituted fitness, and, in consequence, it had been decided to adopt a more rigorous standard, and the results already were becoming considerably better. He hoped ultimately that they would be able practically to eliminate the despatch of unfit men.