GILBERTIAN EPISODE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 March 1918, Page 3

GILBERTIAN EPISODE.

RESERVIST'S EXPERIENCE. CLASSED AS FIT, UNFIT, A>TD FIT AFTER. SiPECIAL TRATMING.

A remarkable case was brought before the executive of the Second Division League at Wellington on Tuesday evening by a reservist, who attended in person to state his experiences. This man is forty-two yars of age, and suffers from recurrent attacks of malarial fever, contracted while in the tropics some years ago. His wife is also in very delicate health, being subject to attacks of complete prostration. The reservist was drawn in 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'hi» wife's health, and his case was adjourned tc March 1. In the meantime lie apulied for a re-examination, backing up liis application with medical certificates which completely endorsed his statements. The re-examination was granted, and lie appeared before the same Medical Board on February 11, and this time was classed C2 (unfit for active ser-nee). The next staac was reached when his adjourned appeal came before the Military Service Board on March 1, when, in the ordinary course of events, it would have been passed over by the iioard ns\ the medical classification of "C." settled the question of his liability for- service. This course, accord in? to the reservist's statement, was about to lie adopted bv the board when the military representative, Captain Baldwin, remanded an order for a fresh med : cal e.v•nn;rni.tion. This was given by the boanl, am! the reservist was required to i)resi»nt himself once more for modimi examination. He went before the same doctors, and on this occasion classed CI. and ordered to narade for ctitrv into the special nhvsiccl training camp on .Time 5. The reservist, thf-efore had boon clessed A ffit for vice) : anil CI (It after special training; all hv (lie same nvdieel e,vi!m;n----»r« i"d within the snn.ee of a few week-. Before niacin? his ease before (he Executive of the Teajue the. reservist heft written in the Minister for Defence, selling forth his experiences and ilis••iii|>t;e-- and a-kint (lie 'Minister who(her in th" circumstances lie would lwve 'i obey (lie order '» enter camn. The "\lin : stcr had ,riplied stating that he pnniii nof. interfere. The reservist explained that it was not bis wi-li in e'iv w;iv t'i avo : d ceniee. but be 1 new his own vhvsicaV weo':nesse=\ which wen. ,>V.i)l\- oot out in Hi" niedieal eerlifvatei be held, and in e'blii ; in (be anvetv of *b" posii l mi w<ii liivipr- ;i very bed effect on ],i, wife's health. He prr.rl'ieed •v eertifieate from Dr. W. Cairns. M.B , CM. which rpji.l: T herein- certify (lint. was un. dor my treatment in Taumar'nni ei'-'ht

■-•farr «o mi two for recurrent (venrlvl at(aek< '•' malaria. wi*h severe ptilmonarv congestion in second instance, the period of attack and con-val'-secnee crtendint» from four to five \vecks.-;He. was then subject to irresrular heart action, with profusp night "wr.nts. Ho was then occupied in outdoor work (repair work on mill tramwav line! ind on mv edvice he ro'innnisliert (h»t for clerical work which seems to suit him better. On active oevre exertion he suffers from palnitari.yn. r-ometimes of considerable duralion T doubt whether be would be aide with his hiatorv to stand severe trainin f or extremes of tempera hires." The eertifieate cotielnded with particulars of the wife's illness which showed that she -requires constant convoan-:m>'-I)ip find that anv anxiotv or mental wonv mir'ht be followed by serious eon-eauopoos.

Th" .""Mnhern of the eveutico nues. tioned (he reservist elooelv anil it v:n« Hie nencrallv-pyreoaed opinion thai be should not be called upon to enter camp. Strong comments wyro made <m the fact that three examinalinns bv the some board respited in three different clnssifHtiona boine; arrived at. The "ripoiHo of coHiii"- men 'in ev over <" the physical training camp was also ofronclv eendei'med. it bo'ui'< V>!d vlr' 1 at a much earlier ne'e the olianees of phvsical improvement under training vn>re remote in the extreme.

The following resolution was (lion parried:—"That in view of the Prime Minister's statement fo (he League that men of (he Second Division who are classed C2 will not be required to undergo re-examination, his attention be califd to the ense in question, and that the Minister of Defence be respectfully requested to have the reservist reinstated in the C2 class: and. further, in view of (he wife's state of health, that the case be treated as a matter of nrycncv." It was also resolved:—That the Seernd Division League records an emphatic protest against the useless practice of sending men of forty or over into the physical training camn and urge\ that the policy of the Defence Department in (his tr.a'j'er should be thoroughlv reviewed in tl'der to remove anv possibility of unnecessary^hardship." During the discussion the chairman mentioned a oa.se that bad been broinrht under his notice where a youth ha-* been classed Fit, A by (be Military Medical Board, but on making- a proposal for life insurance to the Government Life offiee ] 1!l( i bppn turned down, br Die examining doctor.