THE LATE DR. MARTIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10527, 4 December 1916, Page 5

THE LATE DR. MARTIN.

The British Medical Journal has added a notable contribution io the many tributes paid to the life and work of the Into Dr Martin, in a recent issue the Journal says: Major Arthur Anderson Martin, New Zealand Army Medical Corps, whose 'death was recorded in last week’s British Mcdi-al Journal, died on September T7 of wounds received the same, day, aged 40. Ho was educated at Edinburgh University, where in; gained the Carlyle Scholarship in anatomy, the Grierson Scholarship in materia medica and pathology, and the Mackenzie Prize in practical anatomy. After graduating M.B. and C'h.B. with honours in 1900, he was house-surgeon to the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond street. London, and senior housesurgeon, Royal Hospital, Sheffield. He served as a Hvil surgeon in the South African Field Force in 1901-2, gaining the medal, and reported in our .columns at that time from No. 15 General Hospital a case of traumatic aneurysm in the left groin treated by ligature of ibe common iliac artery, in which the patient recovered. tic returned to this country and

i graduated M.D.Edin. in 1903. taking the diploma of F. ILG.S.Fdin. in the same year. He went - o Now Zealand, where lie settled in practice at Palmerston North, and was surgeon to the hospital in that town. lie was appointed a representative of the Division to the Annua! Representative Meeting of the British Medical Association at Aberdeen in 1914, and was in ibis country when the war broke out. He at once joined Ibe R.A.M.C.. the date of Ids first commission being August 14, 1914. Ho was attached to i lie 15th Field Ambulance, and was through the battles of the Marne and Aisiu and was mentioned in Lord French's dispatch of January 14, 1915, for gallant, and distinguished service in the field. He was for a time surgical specialist to the No. 6 General Hospital, Rouen, and while holding that office contributed a paper entitled “Notes from a temporary clearing hospital at the Iront” to our pages ou January 25, 1915; in it. he dealt particularly with cases of gas gangrene and wounds oi the abdomen. lie afterwards returned to New Zealand for a short lime, hut in February, 1916. joined die. New Zealand Army Medical Corps ami became sc. omi in command ol No. 5 Field Ambulance; it was while serving in. that capacity that he received the wounds which caused Ins death. I host 1 around him say that, he was utterly regardless of danger or self. fn New Zealand, where lie practised at Palmerston North, he will be mourned as a generous and helpful friend by many who loved him, and where his ability and dominating personality will be much missed by numbers who admired and respected him. Ho was the author of the much-read book on the present war called “A Surgeon in Khaki,” published by Messrs Arnold.

Surgeon-General R. Porter, C.8., whose Jotter is dated “In the Field, October 10, 19!o,” writes to tho British Medical .Journal: 1 hope you will lie to grant me a small space to pay a- slight tribute to the memory of the late Major A. A, Martin. N.Z.M.0., of whose death from wounds in action 1 have learnt with the deepest regret.. I first met Major Martin in September, 1914, during the battle of the Marne, lie had been sent up to the corps with which 1 was then serving, and 1 posted him to the 15th Field Ambulance. It was not long before- he proved his worth. Those who had the opportunity of seeing the work done by Martin in the shrapnel-swept village of Missy on the Aisne, and later in an hospital civil iq. miliiaire behind the lines will never forget- the line qualities hidisplayed ; whether removing wounded from mulct heavy shell lire to a place of .\ !l {'‘ T ■ or performing some of tho most, uidkudf operations known to surgery under the most trying conditions, his fearless courage and fine, judgment wore abundantly proved. Personally i shall never forget ht= surgical work in the hospital in question. The operation work which be did amongst the apparently hopo!e,s cases was magnificent, and stamped him as a skilful operator of the highest order. Arthur Martin was one of the mo-t sympathetic and tender hearted men 1 have ever met. and still he did not know what fear was in the midst of danger. During the lime he was with us a in his very readable hock,, “A Surgeon in Khaki,” sums up his lift*: “The surgeon sees the seamv .Ado of war. lie conics close to tin* men k truck down in the field—helpless, and bleeding, anti in pain, lie stands by them in the dark hours in hospital, end by then bedsides whini they die. Many who worked with us in the'a* days_ have “crossed the bar”; none of them will be _ remembered mort afieenonately for qualities ot heatt anil head than poor Arthur Marini,