Report on sixth International Congress of Military Medicine and Pharmacy, and meetings of the Permanent Committee : The Hague, the Netherlands, June, 1931 / report for the delegation from the United States of America by William Seaman Bainbridge.

  • Bainbridge, William Seaman, 1870-1947.
Date:
[1932]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on sixth International Congress of Military Medicine and Pharmacy, and meetings of the Permanent Committee : The Hague, the Netherlands, June, 1931 / report for the delegation from the United States of America by William Seaman Bainbridge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of private practice seems, to the author, a necessary condition for the good functioning of the Military Medical Service. Aside from this point, the French system is entitled to credit for the training of the personnel, as there is a School of Medical Service in Lyon, where from the beginning of their studies, the medical and pharmaceutical stu¬ dents receive military instruction and participate in military exercises. Colonial Army—Dutch Indies.—Every year, a certain number of young men are accepted by the Colonial Ministry, under definite condi¬ tions, to be prepared for the position of medical officers in the Army of the Dutch Indies. This acceptance includes a certificate of access to the Medical Faculty of a Dutch University, for study and examina¬ tions. The officers are obliged to remain in the service of the country for at least eight consecutive years, dating from their arrival in the Dutch Indies, acting either as medical officers in the Army of the Dutch Indies, or in other analogous positions of the service of Public Hy giene in the Dutch Indies, selected by the Government. The instruction in the Dutch Universities comprises only the study of medicine, without any military preparation. The education and ad¬ vanced training of the men as medical officers takes place after their arrival in the Dutch Indies. The cardinal point of this supplementary training of the newly nominated medical officers, is a four months’ course in tropical diseases given in the Military Medical Laboratory in Weltevreden, Batavia, which treats, on an average, 350 patients of all classes and nationalities, not only soldiers, but also many women and children. While taking this course, and also during their service in the Military Hospital, the medical officers receive their military preparation and their tactical medical training. The hospital service takes place either during the course or after, or before and after. The course in tropical diseases consists of a medical and a mili¬ tary portion, the latter given entirely in the form of conferences. At the termination of the course, the young medical officers make scientific excursions for a fortnight, to learn the application of scientific prin¬ ciples to practical purposes, in the domain of hygiene, sanitation, quarantine, and epidemics, the fight against malaria, disinfection of ships, water analyses. A day is devoted to practical military exercises (use of maps in the territory). These exercises are conducted by com¬ petent instructors and constitute a welcome diversion after the months of intensive theoretical and practical work. Next, the medical officers are alternately appointed to the military dentist of the hospital, so that later on, in small garrisons, they may practice dentistry. In certain cases, after the completion of the course in tropical diseases, special