MEDICAL HISTORY OF RECRUITS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22894, 15 December 1939, Page 15

MEDICAL HISTORY OF RECRUITS

to THE ECHOS Or THE PRESS. Sir,—While one is loath to criticise the military authorities who are working under obvious difficulties at the present' time, it does seem to many thoughtful pcopTc that the present system of obtaining information from recruits is grievously at fault. Men who are selected for military service should certainly be made to swear to the correctness of their name, age, occupation, and, above all, their medical history. It is astonishing that so important a matter as medical history should be almost ignored, and yet such is the case. No doctor can possibly determine accurately whether a man's health, is suitable for active service overseas unless he has before him correct details of that man's medical history. Without this information the medical examination can only be sheer guess-work. , During the last war many men who had previously suffered from tuberculosis and other serious illnesses were as fit by medical boards, and in due course went overseas. They were soon sent back again, v - iver, without seeing active servht ".1, simply because their health hj; .d ip the meantime. All this conse mt waste of time and huge expense tv me nation could have been avoided had only a proper system been used as the beginning. Those- who have seen the official figures know all about it, and it would be very enlightening to your readers if those figures could be published some time. . Now surely we are not going _ to make the same blunder again during this war. I do hope you will soon lake up in earnest this matter of national importance and press fearlessly for immediate reform of the present system. It is capable of easy remedy, but it is essential that it should be rectified at once before it is too late. Reforrri will mean a great saving of time to the military authorities, and less expense to an already impoverished government.—Yours, etc., COMMON SENSE. December 11, 1939. [“Men selected for military service sign the medical form at the time of examination. This form includes questions regarding age and medical history.” states a reply issued by Military Headquarters. “In some cases there is no doubt that important details regarding previous illness have not been inserted. The medical examination is much more thorough than at the last war. At that time, more particularly in the early days, recruits were examined in crowded and noisy barrack rooms, and one medical certificate only was required. Men are now examined by a medical board consisting of two medical officers and a dental officer. The regional deputy, medical and dental supervisors are present and any case in question or difficulty can be referred to them. The regional deputy closely scrutinises each form before the man ;s passed. No man who has had a mental or nervous breakdown will be accepted for service. The senior medical officer of the camp keeps in close

touch with the regimental medical officer and if there is a doubt about the health of any soldier he is again placed before a board for-regrading.”!