MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16118, 24 January 1918, Page 6

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.

THE WORK OF THE BOARDS

SURGEON-GENERAL HENDER-

SON'S STATEMENT

(rnESS ASSOCIATION- TELEORASI.I "WELLINGTON, January 23

The following statement regarding the work of the Modical Bouu t > Surgcon-Gcncr.il Henderson, 'was maue available by the Minister of Detcnce to-night. "The Medical Beards -have to aeai with all soils of conditions of reeiuii..-, tome of whom, impatient of conti-J under iho stress and dislike of the examination they have to suoir.it -o. are lial>-o to .m isunderstand and l cyclic y questions put to them to i 'lueii'ate their physical On ; 1 ■;• e.'i.i r hand the medical olliceis of Recruiting Boards have a thanK-

task combined with most severe and work. It is no ploa;..iij to tiicM to have to pass a man as ]it whin such action means a separation. perhaps forever, from near iind do;;:' tins, with an addition, possibly, of pecuniary sacrifice*; or, on llie other iiand, have to find unlit vfuii..; and generous youi is. layer for ser\ ice, who cannot underr:Jiiiti that a disability which causes little inconvenience in civil Hie. absolutely precludes them lrom taking their part in the great cause. ''Although .such action is in no way to bt! justified, it is quite conceivable tii."..; the ji.cdical officers, in the muldie ot a hard day's work, with many more men waiting to be examined, .nay occasionally retort in kind to the recruit who delays his examination nut evades questions put to him. Cases may have occurred in which there have been grounds for complaint, but it is generally recognised tuat recruits vvio are about to give their services to their country are entitled to every courtesy, and that everything that can possibly be done to smooth their progress to becoming soldiers of the Umpire should be done. This is my ova feeling, and it is, 1 feel sure, the feelinc; of members of the Medical Hoards who are also making sacrifices of time, comfort, money, and health in trying to do their duty by their country. "The public may rest assured that every consideration will be fully extended to all recruits, and I would Uke to emphasise the fact that both the members of the Boards and myself will welcome bona lido charges preferred by any man, subsequent to this date, .vho considers himself aggrieved, and will give them the fullest satisfaction. In this connexion men with grievances should be particular in specifying daro, place, subject, etc., and the full circumstances, and address them to the officer commanding or to the director of military services of the district concerned. ''There still seems to exist a great deal of misapprehension as to r.he varying decisions as to fitness given by the Medical Boards. It is pointed out that medical science is not an exact one, and different medical men may quite legitimately hold different; opinions as to the ultimate effects of ccrtain suspected disabilities. In this connexion it may be mentioned that :1 a leading hospital in England, attended by most eminent physicians, ;he results of post-mortem * examinations during a period of a year disclosed something like 10 per cent, of errois in diagnosis made in the lifetime of in.j patients. "To secure greater uniformity ai\d as far as possible ensure that only suitable men are passed in future, medical officers who have returned from active service and are familiar with conditions at the front, are being added to the Boards, and no man of the Second. Division who lias been classed by a Medical Board as C 2 will again be brought up for medical <xamination."