The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-19 00:00:00

NATAL MEDICAL SERVICE.

On Friday night a publie meeting of the medical
students of the metropolitan hospitals, which was also
principal medical schools
countenanced by the pre-
sence edoe United b
of the
the
Kingdom,lding delegates from
practitioners, was held in St. Mar-
tin's Hall, Long-acre, for the purpose of taking measures
to secure the amelioration of the present position of
assistant surgeons in the navy. The large hall was
crowded to excess. Mr. John Brady, M.P., was called
to the chair.

gulations, were rand front Elinburgh, Liverpool, Dub-
lin,Communications, condemnatory
Cork, Canterbury, Newcastle-oh-Tyne, Aberdeen,
of the Admiralty re-
and other places of medical education.
The CHAIRMAN, in Opening the proceedings, said,
that when he saw himself surrounded by members of
the profession who were known throughout the world,
he regretted that some of them had not been called on
to preside over the meeting. The difficulty which he
felt in occupying that position in their presence was
diminished when he considered the goodness of the cause
which had brought them together one which every
man who loved his profession ought to rally round and
support. Therefore it was that he had accepted the
honour which they had conferred on him, and he was
there heart and hand to join them in every step they
might take to raise the dignity of their profession. The
quebtion they had come to consider Was the injustice that
had been long heaped on the assistant surgeons in the
navy ; but that was not all that they had to complain of.
They had also to complain that, notwithstanding the ad-
vances which their profession had wade during the last
20 years, its members had not risen to a more elevated
social position in the country, an evil which he at-
tributed to want of unity of action and of thought among
themselves.

Mr. Husband, of Middlesex Hospital,
proposed the
in first resolution, to the effect that the meeting, com-
mon with the nation at large, viewed with deep and un-
feigned regret the ill success which had attended the
many efforts made by members of Parliament and the
t against
public press to ameliorate the condition of the naval as-
sistant-surgeons. It anticipated with anxiety aid alarm
ec ess a rayi
as loss
do f
enteredlife w h which
ewaorun
tprotest
ensue
should'
action occur while the navy was so inefficiently supplied
thewi surgicalunnecessary
regulations which wore derogatory to the medical pro-
fession, and detrimental to the efficiency of he naval a
s
service. The present position of the naval assistant-sur-
geon was one he considered of degradation and anomaly,
alike inconsistent with his age, his rank, and his educa-
tion. Arrived at manhood, they had to associate with
boys ' • gentlemen, they wire denied associate with their
equals ; holding the commission of officers, they were
held up to the laughter and contempt of subordinates.
It was supposed that they should continue the prosecu-
tion of their medical studies, but they were denied the
retirement of a cabin—an accommodation which was
afforded to the naval instructor, to the carpenter, and
to the boatswain, all of whom, they were aware, Wen
their inferiors in rank. When they, a few years since,
asked for the favour of a separate cabin, they were told
that there was no room for the construction of one. It,
however, happened that three had been since that time
constructed, and given to inferior officers—and all this
in contravention of orders in council and of the votes of
the House of Commons.
Dr. HILLYARD, University Hospital, seconded the re-
solution, and said that the Admiralty were now reaping
the fruits of their injustice to the naval assistant-sur-
geons, as they were not in time of war able to supply
the service with a number of medical officers sufficient
for a peace establishment. There were now 200 vacan-
cies in the list of the naval assistant-surgeons, and the
Admiralty proposed to fill them up by the appointment
of those who were legally and absolutely unfit for the
performance of the duties which it was proposed to im-
pose on them. (Cries of shame.)
The resolution was unanimously adopted.
Mr. RAMSDALB, Bartholomew's, in a long speech, com-
pared the exttnt of the education received by the mem-
bers of the medical profession with the scant modicum
of information required to be possessed by the marine
officers who on shipbsard ranked above them ; pointed
out how painful it would be to the feelings of an aqsig.
taut-surgeon belonging to a man-of-war, which might
have troops on board, to see the army assistant surgeon,
who might perhaps have been his fellow-student, associ-
ating with the ward-room officers which he had to keep
company with the young midshipmen in the cockpit,
and concluded by moving a resolution expressive of the
opinion of the meeting :—" That the present Admiralty
rek,sulations were such as to exclude efficient members
Ji "1"" sssisssiou from tliu Lavai sarioe, and
that it pledged itself to adopt the most earnest and ener-
getic measures to obtain redress of the existing griev-
e !woes; firmly cavinced that in the mentigie few; if
_ .