ONLY FIT MEN TO PASS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16498, 26 March 1917, Page 4

ONLY FIT MEN TO PASS.

ONE STANDARD OF FITNESS. , BOARDS DRAFT ••; new : SYSTEM- -. ; [BT ■'•■ TEIJSGTII.UML— \ COBaESPOSDEHT,] $ ;': -...:- P '"■: '■:■■p- .:/-;- ■ WELLINGTON. •; Sunday. :: AcbxreßEfCE of Medical Boards has been i held ;in Wellington-.'. to : 'discuss ■ the ; standardisation of „ military;-■ medical inspection. A system has been drawn up which, it is hoped, will; give ■ uniformity 'of'; results, k ■ % \ Surgeon-General £R. S. -F. Henderson, ! Director of Medical , Services, stated that the men rejected from camp for unfitness, ■ hare ' been •"chiefly., volunteers, who were '' passed' by/ independent '; medical . men.'': In. some cases, no doubt, these men were '. eager to get into camp, ; and :some; defects were minimised. Under .the new system. every man will in future be examined by a Medical Board. Hitherto there has been very little trouble'/: with balloted r men passed by the boards. • - ' ~ , There have been a number of cases of • men : whose condition f was "•; doubtful,: said General Henderson, 'i These'were sent into camp to see if -j training would improva them. In future ; this would not; be done, and no man would be accepted who did not comply fully with the standard of fitness, In order to secure uniformity of judgment, as far ;; as possible,, the" boards had standardised the qualifications which members? will regari&'as' necessary ' for physical fitness. This would eliminate at least a large part of the differences between medical opinions. ; It was, however, not to be expected that perfect uniformity in this respect, could be achieved. • vP