THE MEDICAL BOARDS

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 46

THE MEDICAL BOARDS

STATEMENT BY SURGEON-GENERAL HENDERSON. WELLINGTON, January 23. The following statement regarding tho work of the medical boards, by Surgeongeneral Henderson, was made available by the Minister of Defence to-night:—• "The boards have to deal with all sorts and conditions of recruits, some of whom, impatient of control and with a dislike of the examination they have to submit to, are liable to misunderstand and resent tho necessary questions put to elucidate their physical conditions. On tho other hand, tho medical officers of tho recruiting boards have a thankless task, combined with most severe and monotonous work. It is no pleasure to them to have to pass a man fit when such act;on means a separation, perhaps for ever, from near and dear ones, with, in addition, possibly great pecuniary sacrifices, or, on the other hand, to have to find unfit, young and generous youths who are eager for service and who cannot understand that a disability which causes little inconvenience in civil lifo absolutely precludes them from taking part in the great cause." " Although such action is in no way to be justified, it is quite conceivable that the medical officers, in the middle of a hard day's work, with many more men waiting to be examined, may occasionally retort to a recruit who delays his examination and evades the questions put to him. Cases may occur in which there have been grounds for complaint, but it is generally recognised that recruits who are about to give their services for their country are entitled to every courtesy, and that everything that can possibly be done to smooth their progress to becoming soldiers of the Empire should be done. This is my own feeling, and is, I feel sure, the feeling of the members of the medical boards, who aro also making some sacrifices of time, comfort, money, and health in trying to do their duty by their country. " The public may rest assured that every consideration will be fully extended_ to all recruits, and I would like to emphasise the fact that both the members of the boards and myself will welcome bona fide charges preferred by any man subsequent to this day who considers himself aggrieved, and will give them the fullest satisfaction in this connection. Men with grievances should be particular in specifying the date, place, subject, etc., and the full circumstances, and address any communication to the officer concerned or to the adjutantdirector of military services of .the district concerned. "There still seems to exist a great deal of misapprehension as to the varying decisions as to fitness given by the medical boards. It is pointed out that medical science is not an exact one, and that different medical men may quite legitimately hold different opinions as to the ultimate effects of certain suspected disabilities. In this connection it may be mentioned that at a leading hospital in England, attended by most eminent physicians., the results of post-mortem examinations during the period of a year disclosed something: like 10 per cent, of errors in the diagnosis made in the lifetime of patients. To ensure greater uniformity and, as far as possible, to. ensure that only suitable men are passed in the future, medical officers who have returned from active service and who are familiar with the conditions at the front are being added to tho boards, and no man of the Second Division who hasbeen classed by a medical board as 02 will again be brought up for medical examination."