DOCTORS' PART IN THE WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue XLIX, 31 December 1915, Page 4

DOCTORS' PART IN THE WAR.

IN the Jasfc war that Britain fought piior to the present titanic conflict there was a. marked disproportion between battlefield and- hospital losses'. Roughly, some 5000 anen were iosfc hy actual fighting in South Africa, whereas disease claimed about 20,000 victims. Even that sad record was an improvement on the Crimean campaign. "One heartening aspect of the present war," says on English writer, "is the high percentage o'f recovery from wounds,and t-ha notable | lowness of the death-rate from disease. >on a.ll hands, indeed, testimony is forthcoming to the effect that nevctr has " a, British army on active service 'been more faithfully served by- the Royal: Army Medical Corps., What /that: has meant in. unreimitting devotion to duty and dauntless bravery will . never be. fully known, even when the history of tho war is written. We do know, however, that the; R.A.M. C. lias suffered as

if it were a fighting omit.. Its Red Cross brassard has been no protection against German, any more than the Geneva 'Convention has secured for it those ameliorations -which it was framed to guarantee for all medical and chaplain units. Although not belligerents, the officers and -men of the R.A.M.C, who are sometimes regarded as less than soldiers, have not 'been ex-: celled in heroism by any of their fighting comrades. Tht'.y can point with pride to the record of one of their number in winning the Victoria Cross twice, whiie every list of honours bears eloquent estimony to the valiant deeds performed by their corps. Theirs, indeed, is that rarest of all kinds of bravery which derives no inspiration from the clash of - spirit which impels a dauntless advance on an enemy position, surely, if there are degrees in gallantry, that is a still loftier courage which succours wounded and dying under fire which it may not re-, turn."