Report and evidence taken by the Committee appointed to enquire into the pay, status, and conditions of service of the medical officers of the army : with evidence concerning the Indian Service and some of the more important appendices. April 1890.

  • Great Britain. War Office. Committee on the Pay, Status and Conditions of Service of Medical Officers of the Army [and Navy].
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report and evidence taken by the Committee appointed to enquire into the pay, status, and conditions of service of the medical officers of the army : with evidence concerning the Indian Service and some of the more important appendices. April 1890. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    in for substantive rank. The fact is that until lately it is only a few men who have really studied the subject very closely, and who see the distinction. I would consider honorary rank anything but an improvement. 653. Will you explain to me what would be the effect of giving- you substantive rank; what titles would you give to medical officers, perhaps you will kindly tell me in detail?—I have said that my opinion is that substantive rank is the only rank which will give us the status required to enable us to cope suc- cessfully with the many difficulties and responsibilities we have, and that that alone will satisfy medical officers, unless we are made pure civilians, without any responsibilities. The only distinction which should exist between our rank and that of others, is that the power of command should be limited as defined in Article 271, which however should be amended, to obviate any chances of misunderstanding-, by the addition of the words, “ or specially placed under his command ; ” because, as at present worded, there may be a doubt as to their being “attached” to the Medical Staff Corps. Then the obtaining of substantive rank involves the assumption of military titles. You have just asked me that. Although I believe it has been suggested that we should have the actual rank with- out the title of the rank (I have seen it suggested that we should have the actual substantive rank without the title of the rank), that is a position which I confess I cannot understand. It seems to me that it would be very much as if Her Majesty were to say to some distinguished officer, “ I create you an Earl, and you will understand that you are an Earl; but you will remember that you are not to call yourself an Earl, and you are not to allow anybody else to call you one,” I want to know what that man’s position would be in the House of Lords. 654. But assuming that substantive rank carries with it a title, will you be so good as to tell me what titles you would give to the medical officers ?—The assumption of military titles would, in my own case, at any rate, at first, I admit, be very distasteful. 655. To whom ?—To myself; and it would, I have no doubt, to many others of the senior officers who have not been dccustomed to it; and it would certainly subject us to some sneers at first. But it is not a matter of personal taste that we should consider, but what is for the good of the Service. The young men see that no middle course is now possible, and they demand it. Objections will be raised that military titles are not suitable to members of the medical pro- fession, and at one time they certainly were not. But times are changed; a Colonel or a Captain no longer means the successor of the knight of old, who lived by his sword, and did not care about tables of pay or allowances; but the title of Colonel or the title of Captain is now simply a title indicating that the possessor of it has a certain standing and position in the Service; and it is given to him quite irrespective of his being a leader of men; since his employment may be of the most peaceful description; he may be employed in issuing- rations or pay, or repairing- barracks. 656. Tthink all that we understand; but will you tell me what titles you would give to the various grades of medical officers ?—What I propose is that the Medical Department should be changed into a corps. I propose that the same change should take place as regards ourselves as has lately taken pluce as regards the Army Service Corps; and that for titles, therefore, we should begin by being Lieutenants of the Medical Corps. 657. Has the Army Service Corps army rank?— Yes; the Army Service Corps is perfectly combatant; the private soldier of the Army Service Corps who drives the baker’s van is a combatant, although the doctor is not. 658. Then what by title would you call yourself; would you drop the surgeon altogether, and merely give the corresponding military title in rank ; or would you keep the word surgeon ?—I think that the officers should be ordered always to put after their rank, we will say, “ Medical Corps ” or ‘- Royal Medical Corps,” which of course is what we would like. We are as much physicians as surgeons. 659. Then I will leave that point. With regard to the first entry of medical officers into the Service, when a surgeon first enters, he ranks as a Captain, does he not?—He is supposed to rank as a Captain. 660. Do you think that that is desirable?—So, I think not. I think there is a great deal of jealousy amongst the other branches about it. 661. Do you think that the medical service generally are of opinion that it would be desirable for the first few years he should not so rank ?—I tliiuk so. I have spoken to young surgeons myself ; and they have felt that it has put them into a false position, that it was uncomfortable; they would rather not have it. 662. It is true that when they join they are older men than the Lieutenants, I believe ?—Undoubtedly they are; and when the warrant first came out making them of the relative rank of Captains, there was no rank in the army below that of Lieutenant. They had abolished that of Ensign; but now they have gone back to Second Lieutenant, so that there would be a class below them even if they begin as Lieutenants. 663. Sir William Crossman. There is one question I should like to ask you. I see in a letter which I have here from Dr. Earquharson, he says, “ I believe that the advantages of the old and the economy of the new” (that is talking of the regi- mental system) “could be easily combined by tho medical officer seeing the men reporting themselves sick regimentally in the early morning, and then following them up for treatment at the station hospital attached to the district where he is doing duty.” That is only a rough sketch of what he pro- poses in order to retain to a certain extent an advan- tage over the old regimental system, which was, I suppose we all agree, that the medical officers were brought more in contact socially with the officers of the particular regiments, and to make them more comfortable, and that they felt themselves more part and parcel of the whole body of the army than they do at present under the existing station hospital system ?—Yes. 664. For instance, if a regiment went into garrison at Portsmouth, and were likely to remain there three or four years, could not one of the officers of the medical staff there be attached to that regiment, work with the regiment, and still at the same time follow the men up into the station hospital, and do the work there as well; do you think that anything of that sort could be managed or established?—I cannot see what advantage there would be in that. It might however be very nice for the officer to be attached to a regiment. 665. To belong to the regiment for the time being? —Then he would have to get the uniform of the regiment. 666. No?—Then he could not belong to tho regiment. 667. lie might be attached to the regiment?—Ho might be attached to it. Socially it would be very nice; but I do not see what other good object would be gained. 668. Would he not also be able to know the men of the regiment?—Who knows the men of the regi- ment now-a-days ? 669. Did they not know them before? — Yes, because they served for 21 years, but no one knows them now, and it is not necessary to know them. 670. If you know the men for three or four years as their medical officer, 3-011 would know something about them?—There ought to be nothing to know about them; they are men selected.from the civil population in the very prime of life, after undergoing a strict medical inspection ; except from the result of their own indiscretions they- ought never to be ill; you do not want to know them; they are not like