The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-02-15

MILITIA SAFEGUARDS.
Proper Surgical and Med
ica1 Aid a Needed
PreCaution.
HEANEY'S BILL PROVIDES THEM
Approved By Surgeon McGill-A
Permanent Corps 10 be
Established.
hEANEY'S BILL PROVIDES THEM
specsa, to the Jersey city Ne,os.

1ul. AlChuoy . Uiiis Wulon pLoNiuOo Luz eAS
establishmenU of Medical Department. of
the National Guard of the State. i'm
presses layman that the measure is in
the right direction and should become
law. The opponents of the bill will have
to advance stronger arguments than they
yet have II they want to convince the peo-
pie OF the State that the good of the ser
vice and not petty jealousy is the cause
of their opposition. 1t will be remem-
bered by those who take an interest in
the militia, that Lieutenant London, of
the regular army, who was detailed by
the National Government to inspect the
State Encampment at Sea Girt last sum-
mer, in his report to the Secretary of
War, spoke very highly of everything
connected with the encampment except
the Medical Department. Ot that de-
partment he said that although there
were plenty of doctors and hospital stew
ards around, it lacked organization. 1t
is for the purpose of remedying this de-
feet and organizing the Medical Depart
ment on the lines Of the regular army,
that Mr. Heaney introduced his bill.
PROVISIONS OF THE ACT.
The first section of the bill provides
that there shall be established separate
department of the National Guards to be
known as the Medical Department of the
National Guard OF New Jersey; that all
medical officers of the National Guard
holding commissions shall constitute q
medical staff which shall be under the
control of the said department.; and that
all hospital stewards shall also be under
control of the department.. 1t also pro-
vldes that in addition to these the de-
partment shall consist of twenty-four
regularly enlisted privates to serve as a
part of hospital and ambulance corps;
that the mmander-in-chief, on the
Recommendation of the Surgeon Gener al
of the National Guard, shall appoint two
medical nspectors, each with the rank
and emeluments of Lieutenant-Colonel,
and that said medical inspectors shall be
under the direction and control of the
said Medical Department.
Every department in the National
Guard, except the medical. is now COM
pletely organized with assistants to facili-
ta1e its business, while no department. In
the whole service is more important in
actual war than the medical 1t is won-
derful help to q soldier going into action
to know that II he IS hit that he will be
taken care of as quickly as possible and
everything done for his comfort and re-
covery at the command of thoroughly
ovgsnized oVpsi and efficient medical corps. It
is proposed to take the twenty.four pri-
Yates. of whom the corps is to be
formed. from among the medical
and drug clerks in the militia or those
who are looking forward to such profess
sions They will be given Instruction in
materia medica, first aid to the injured,
and If the pill becomes law the Surgeon
General will arrange matters so that they
can obtain actual hospital practice in
ST. Francis Hospital, Jersey City, which
is one of the largest institutions of that
kind in the State. 1t is proposed to have
ha{,
uniforms so that they shall not cost the
State even the paltry cost OF their uni
forms. Some opposition has been mani
tested to the appointment of the two
medical inspectors who are to rank as
Lieutenant Colouels.
It would appear that the services of
such officers were greatly needed. Under
tine present system laymen who do not
know a trocar from a tOothpick are sent
ont to inspect medical supplies, hospital
furniture. the general health of the
troops and other matters with which
medical man is alone familiar.
FURTHER PROVISIONS
The second section Of the bill provides
that the members Of the department
shall hold their commissions during good
behavior, and the third provides that the
Surgeon General, under the direction of
the Commander-in-CRief, shall be charged
with the administrative duties of the
Medical Department; he shall have gen
erai snneryision and direction OF all mat
ters entertaining TO his Department.; the
selection and distribution Of all medical
aud hospital supplies. and approve or dis
approve of all acquisitions for supplies
from medical officers; he shall make,
snbiect to the approval of the Com
mander-in- Chief, such regulations for the
Government of the Medical Department
as he may consider necessary; that the
Ouartermaster-Ge General shall act as chief
medical purveyor aud storekeeper, and
shall issue medical supplies only upon
renuisitions % from medical officers duly
annroyed by the Surgeon General; he
shall purchase only such medical supplies
as the Surgeon General shall select and
approve.
didates for appointment as medical OIL
GERS in the National Guard shall be ex-
amined as to their ability to discharge
in a satisfactory manner all the duties of
q surgeon, and that the Surgeon General
shall have the charge and regulation of
such examination, and that no person
shall be commissioned medical officer
of the National Guard without under
going such an examinations; the morals,
habits, physical and mental qualifications
and general aptitude for military service
shall be subjects tor careful consideration
before candidate is commissioned;
nhvsical or mental infirmity that will in
terl0rG WIFI Juo plopCi aAU uls-
charge of a surgeons duty shall disquali-
fv a candidate; the approval or disap-
nroyal of the Surgeon General must in all
eases be noted on the certificate of a can
djdate for appointment or promotion;
hospital stewards must pass satisfac.
torv examination as to the duties of their
nositjon before appointment, and he sub
ient to the approval of the Surgeon
General.
UNoUEsTIoNABLE BENEFITS.
No one can doubt the benefits which
rouId result to the service IL such a
measure as this became the law. Under
the present system the commandant of
regiment may appoint as hospital steward
some clerk or mechanic who doesn't know
Rocheue salts from oxalic acid, and even
~ he does appoint some one who is
n druggist, or claims to be one, he runs
the risk of appointing some incompetent
persou who is liable to make some seri-
ons IL not fatal error. Under Mr..
Ueauey's bill such danger would be re-
duced to a minimum. The last section
provides for on annual report of the
Surgeon General of the workings of the
department Surgeon General John ID.
MeGill who has been connected with the
National Guard for over twenty years,
and has risen from Assistant Surgeon to
the distinguished position OF Surgeon
General, gives the bill his hearty en-
dorsemeut.
The object Of the bill, its friends de-
clare ia 10 establish in this State School
If Military Surgery which Will place the
l., rI,iS Crofa In anQh noSitiOu