MEDICALLY FIT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 67, 19 March 1917, Page 9

MEDICALLY FIT.

EXTRAORDINARY OFFICIAI, VERDICTS. BEACniXO SEEDED. (By Telesraph.—Special to -Star."! WELLINGTON", tins day. >iuee telegraphing yon on the subject oi the medical examination of wants, two casses UaVe come to my notue showing that there is imperative nooa for the" promised personal investigation T.v the Minister of Defence into the evgtem which allows itntit men to enter camp eausin<r disturbance of their civilian arranfcmonte. loss to the state, and sometime.- permanent injury to the unfortunate men who are misled by an inaccurate medical verdict into takkig up tasks beyond their physical power. If the names of the medical authorities whose opinions 1 i_o upon in writing this article were at once published. there would be serious missrivinjis in the minds of the public as to the thorotijrhness of tho medical examination of Jo -- emit* by some of the Boards, but ( will mention tlie facts, leaving further information for the authorities if th-H" care to challenge the accuracy of the statements. A young man who lias been in bad health for some years, under constant medical treatment or surveillance, tried to enlist. At that time the standard was high, or the medical examiner was careful, for lie was turned down. Then, in lit? enthusiasm, lie recently tried again, and passed as. tit. though there is in existence a recent medical opinion, signed by a well known specialist in certain diseases, that this young an is hopelessly unfit for ruilitary service, and that if lie did enter camp he would either die or become so ill that he ■would be a burden to the State or his relatives for the remainder of his life. His trouble has beeu so pronounced. that- for a whole year he has been unable to follow even the lightest occupation. Camp work would kill him. blithe is enthusiastic, and wants to take all the risk. He should have been protected from tlie consequences of his own short-sightedness, but the examining system, as it sometimes works, has failed badly, and needs vigorous reform. There is another case of a man suffering from consumption who got past the medical examiners, and spent some time in camp with healthy men before it was discovered that he- was a menace to his companions, and he was discharged. The -—Jiister for Defence should not lose a moment in investigating a phase of defence administration which has become scandalously inefficient.