Star.
London, England, 1810-03-15 00:00:00

To the DIRECTOR GENERAL of the MEDICAL
DEP.eiRTMEAT of the AR MT

Ste—l believe it is now very well ascertained, and
very generally admi:ted, that ule mortality amongst
the British troops at Walcheren; was owing as much
to the lamentable deficiency of Medical Officers, as to
the virulence of the disease. The deficiency of me-.
dical men was not confined to the late deplorable ex-
pedition, but prevails throughout the whole army in
every part of the world, for reasons that must be ob-
vious to every one. That the emoluments of the Me-
dical 01Beers of the army are trifling, and the disad-
vantages under which they labour numerous ; that
they are, even after long service, very inadequately
remunerated : that there is not attached to their situ-
ation that respectability, which, previous to their en-

tering the service, they are led to expect, and to 1
which, as men of science and a libeial professions 1
they are justly entitled. And, that there are, in fact,
no inducements whatever held forth by Government
for the encouragement of Gentlemen to enter this de-
partment of the service, will, I presume, be univer-
sally acknowledged .
On comparison, it will be found that the Military
possess a distinguished superiority over the Medical
Officers. One of the former comes into the army (I
mean without purchase) at the early age of sixteen
years, with scarcely sufficient, perhaps, to purchase
his uniform, and with the humble attainments of be-
ir.g able to read and write his own language, is found
perfectly qualified for the situation. By the usual
routine of promotion he passes through all the dif-
ferent gradations of rank, and eventually arrives at
that of a General Officer ; he may not 'stop here,
hut may realize the pompous names of Statesman and
Generalissimo, and become a Peer of the Realm.—
This is an elevation of rank to which all may aspire,
though all cannot attain.—That there are numerous
instances, in tle present day, of men having risen
through the medium of the army, from the lowest to
the highest offices of the state, will not, I believe, be
denied.

On the other hand, a young man intended for the
medical profession, requires a moderate fortune to
enable him to commence and prosecute his studies,
especially now, if we advert to the high price of edu-
cation in all the Schools and Colleges of Medicine in
Great Britain. He must be twenty-two years of age
before he can be even admitted a Candidate for exa-
mination in order to be appointed an Hospital Mate.
When he does attain an Assistant Surgeoncy, he may
remain one for eight or ten years, without expe-
riencing any increase either of his rank or his pay
during that period ; and, when he ultimately arrives
at the rank of Regimental Surgeon, he is at the very
summit of his hopes ; here' all his prospects of any
further advancement are at once terminated, for the
higher ranks being comparatively few, nine-tenths of
the whole must always inevitably remain in subordi-
nate situations.
It

but may real
Generalissin
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