Star.
London, England, 1808-04-20 00:00:00

I . FifTN REPORT;
ON NEN CO ' MHISNIONEZE APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE AND.
EXAMINE INTO THE PUBLIC EIPMNDITURE.

ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.

THE EX4ENDITUttE.
(Continued from the STAR eye:ten/4)
Whi's: Mr. Keate was Inspector of Regimental In-;
firmaries, and contsouled the supply of medicines and
• hospital stores to general and regimental hospitals,
he proportioned the supply, he says, according to the
probableactualwantsofthesickwhichtheestablishment
was capable of containing ; and generally, on the
representation of the principal Medical Officer : but,
if that hospital had a depot of medicines and hospi-
tal stores for foreign service, " it was a different con-
sideration." In apportioning the quantity originally
directed for expeditions, the 6'ol-germ General states,
" that they
,proceed on a calculation of a certain
number of sick to a given number of men ; and as
it is frequently unknown where expeditions are in-
- tended for, they are obliged to send general divisions
of medicines and stores ; hut future supplies depend-
, ing on the-requisitions of the principal Medical Offi-
cer abroia; it is his duty to take care that no medi-
cines are 'required which are improper for, the climate
• • or the prevalent disorders."
• But we have reasons for thinking that there has
been great inattention in the assortment of the medi-
cines sent abroad, even when the destination of them
• could not but have been known ; although it is ob-
vious, as is observed by Mr. Young, in his answer to
our 19th question, that. for troops going to different
climates, or to be engaged on services of different
deScriptions, a difference in the kind_ of stores to be
provided may be necessary.
Dr. Borland "thinks that the medicines havebeen
frequently ill assorted on the services on which 'he has
beceeemployed. In the West Indies, during the last
war, he has known that great quantities of uselesi
!Articles leave been accumulated in store, whilst the
stsefularticles in different chests have heenexhausted."
sled Mr. Young thinks also, " that the general. ar-
rangement of medicines sent out with foreign expe-
- ditjons is imperfect, many of the articles not being
wanted, according to the modern practice of the army;
nor are they, in his opinion, properly proportioned :"
and he states, that whilst he acted as Inspector General
of Hospitals in the West Indies, under General Sir
Ralph Abercrombie, " there were a great number of
. articles of medical stores sent out that appeared to
him to be totally unnecessary for army medical prac-
tice in those colonies." Under this impression, he
tad, in 1798, summoned a Medical Board in the
West Indies, to report to him what Medicines were
necessary for West India practice ; which Report he
transmitted to tke Surgeon General : but in his an-
• swer to our 13th question, before alluded to, he says,
that he had frequently occasion to regret that his
Communications were not " pointedly" attended to.
On application to the Surgeon General for a copy of
Mr. Young's Report, he stated tp us, that he had
searched the office for it in vain, and that he was not
able to procure a duplicate of it from Mr. Young.
From Doctor Yates, who passed through the re.
gular steps in the Medical service of the East India
Company in India, and was Garrison Surgeon at
Point de Calle, in the island of Ceylon, fur seven
years, we learn, that whilst at that garrison he had
an opportunity of observing
.a large investment of
medicines consigned to Ceylon, when he noted seve.
ral Article; in large quantities, which he deenied of
'little or no use in that country ; awl he afters antis
heard from the Medical Superintendant of Hospitals
in the island, that some of the useful and efficient :tr-
.
tides were in small quantities, and that others were sent
out of which an abundance could have been pmt fired
• in the island, such as sago, sugar, &c. On an inspec-
tion of the Apothecary General's hills for 1804 and
1503, we find large quantities of opium charged as
sent to Ceylon, an article which could have been ob-
tained in that island, we presume, at a small expellee
compared with the price charged by the Apothecary
L Gent ral.
After these statements, collected from the exami-
nations to which we have alluded, and from the Apo-
thecary General's bills, it cannot be improper to re-
fer to note (A.) of the third chapter in Doctor Jack-
son's second publication. In this he speaks of dif-
ferent instances on the Continent, and in the West
Indies, during the last war, in which there appeared a
'great want of judgment in the selection of the medi-
crnes sent out, of great improvidence in the quantities
of the supply, and of a very inexcusable inattention
to the representations which had lawn transmitted to
the Surgeon General, relative both to the assortment
and quantity of the medicines, &c. The consequence
• of the whole, as Doctor Jackson states, was a very
great waste, and a great unnecessary expenditure of
money.
It cannot be necessary, we. suppose, to recommend
a strict attention to this subject in Future ; for, as
Mr. Young remarks, " It is certain that a proper
arrangement and abridgment of medicines would
greatly diminish the expencc of them to Goverrment."
As a means of proceeding rightly, Mr. Young re-
COMMCIIdS, that in the event of an expedition taking
place, it would be proper, if it can possibly be done,
to give a confidential communication to the principal
Medical Officer of the service to be undertaken, that
he may be enabled to judge of' the quantity and qua-
lity of the stores, &c. tit for such service.
recpect to the quality of the medicines and
surgical articles furnished from the Elaboratory, and
for wMch the Apothecary General must be. consi.:
- dared, from what we have before stated, as solely re-
.
.seonsible, the result of our information would lead us
to conclude that, in general, the public has not been
ill served. Dr. Yates thinks, as far 'as he could re-
coliett, that the quality of the articles observed by hint
at Point de Galle was pretty good : 111 i-. Young never
heard " that the quality of those sent to Egypt was
complained of ;" and Dr. Frank, who was also on
that service, says, that the medicines were of very
good quality : and Dr. Borland stat:.s, ". that the
Tiginal quality of the medicines which he observed in
the West ladies might have been generally good."
But Mr. Griffith, an experienced Staff Surgeon or
the army, who served at the York Hospital for about
three years, dnd during that period considered it as
his duty or notice the medicines and material's which
vat. sent from the Army Elaboratory for the :use of
the Hospital, states, that " the .quality of these was