MEDICAL CORPS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 98, 22 October 1927, Page 6

MEDICAL CORPS

I AT VOLUNTEER

THE SHJ^D CQMPETITiO-N"

Instruction in how to care for the wounded, in ■;times of';war —and, incidentally, a ; 'very useful knowledge of first-aid for cases that might occur in. civil life—is the object of tho seven days' -course that over seventy officers and non-commissioned officers of the jtfew Zealand Medical Corps are completing at Trentham to-day. The casip, which is a voluntary one, has been held <TMJT: year for the last three years, and is growing in! popularity. Men from all .three commands have been present, aSid each and everyone will go back to Mb own unit better equipped in matters medical than ever he was before. Major G. A. Gibb has been in command, and with him were tho following officers:—Majors Gould and Borne, Captains Will, Tweed, Wright, and Stewart, and Lieutenants . Beaumont Talbot, and Helmore, nearly • all of .them medical men. The sergeantsmajor were T. F. Sudd (Christchurch) S. W. Grarley (Auckland), aDd C. Kidman. (Wellington). Yesterday afternoon the knowledge acquired during the week was put to the test,:teains from each command vicing with .one, another for the M'Nab Shield. This shield was originally presented by the Defence Department in 1908, in the old Volunteer days, and was competed for in 1909 and 1910; but after the/system of compulsory training •,wasi instituted it.'was found diffi- ! cult to organise the competition, and matters were allowed to stand until 1925, when the first voluntary Medical Corps camp was held. In that year Wellington was the victor, and Christchurch carried^off the trophy, in 1926. Each team yesterday consisted of lour men—three privates, and one noncommissioned officer—and their "patient" was supposed "to be "wounded in the field, both a-leg and ah arm. being shattered. . Using Thomas 's splints the stretcKer-bearers- had to attend to the injuries, stop imaginary bleeding, and generally doctor their comrade so that he would^ require do further, attention until he arrived at a" base hospital. Major B. Stout, N.Z.M.C, of Wellington, and Major M'Kenzio, •D.8.0., M.C., 8.A.M.C., wlio is on leave from India, were the judges. Marks were awarded.for bandaging, splinting, •toppage of bleeding, carriage of the patient,., and general appearance . and •turn-out. 'Christehureh again carried off the shield, their points totalling 84 compared, with Wellington's 74 and Auckland's 72. The trophy, was then, presented by Colonel Tracy Inglis, Director of Medical Services, ..who told' the boys how pleased the General Officer Commanding-.. . (Major-General B Young) was-with "their work. It was apparent} ie said,- that those in camp had lad" *a^.thoroughly' enjoyable and yery,;; iris true tiv<y time. ': ■ ' Eur.t"he>r l cbinment on the work of the Doys.-."wa»'- mide'by "Major M'Kenzie, WAijrsai.a,.that Qe ; standard was more' to. be 'from the regular army; than .from -Territorials.. He then consferu"etively;;cntieised some of the methods adopted-fbjf.-th© teams -during the eompetitioh, and his advice'was much appreciated." 1' Among. th.er. spectators at the demonstration/were Lady Luke, the Matroii-rt-Ghief, (Miss : J._ .Bicknell), Drs. Ada Patersoa and Agnes Bennett, the Direc-tor-General of Health (Dr. T H A 'S* I!?*^' the CMe£: of the General Staff (Colonel W. H. L. Sinclair-Bur-gess), the Diraeiror of Military-Hyeiene ■ (Major T. M'Kibbin), and the Dirtetor of Dental Services (Colonel T. Hun--Jssr)*.V"".V'V""T"-.'V".'r. .":■":"."■■"".'■"■.