MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3090, 22 May 1917, Page 4

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS

A DIFFICULT PEOBLEM. The medical examination of recruits, voluntary and conscript, has been one ot the most difficult problems with whichthe Government has had to deal. On occasion the result of the medical ex-, aginations has not been satisfactory to the authorities, one of the most receDt' cases being that of the rejection of such a large percentage of men by tho board working in tho AVairarapa district, ,a to-! cality in which it might be presumed; that the rate of rejection would be low. i A special re-examination of doubtful cases may be ordered, but tlie practice: has been to send the cases back to tho board which originally dealt with them. Tho Minister has. now decided to add another medical man to the board for the'determination of these cases referredback. It is not thought advisable that the recruits should go before a wholly newTioard;' one of the reasons being that there might be difference of opinion between the two boards as to the decisions that should be given on the samo facts, and this the Department does not wish. In any case tho decision must bo the medical man's judgment, and this makes it almost impossible for the Government to secure uniformity. Another difficulty is that'tho standard of fitness varies from time' to time. Sir James Allen made somo further reference yesterday to the demand J;hat is being made by the' Second Division League for tho immediate medical examination of the members of tho Second Division. "The reason why we can't examine tho Second Division now is that the examination does not as a rule stand for more than three months," ho 6aid.: "A man may be fit to-day and jinfit in' three months. Not only this, but the. standard by which men are examined alters, and it would bo onlv misleading tho Second Division man to have him exam-: ined now. Apart from both of thesecon-; siderations we' can't do tho work. We have not the staff to do it. Wo havo the greatest difficulty as thines are new in 'dealing with the men called up in the ballot, and wo have no doctors to spare for the formation of moro medical boards. We have classified the Second Division, and that is all the warning we can give to men of the Second Division as to the probable date on which they will be required. We know that the First Division will last from four to six months,, and after that the married men will be : drawn upon in the ( ordor of their classification." '