The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-03

4
| the surgeons of the regular army, and
of the National Guard. The surgeons Of
| the United States army are all men of
/ srperior education, splendid physical
| development, and those who have been
| in the service for several years are well
| yersed in the routine work of the medi-
cal department. However, i'll all mat
| ters pertaining to medicine and surgery,
| fbe average National Guard surgeon
| more than holds his own. This SUI
periority of the National Guard surgeon
over his colleague of the regular army
is no reflection on the latter; it is the
natural outcome of circumstances which
make such Il difference inevitable.
'"The ,exacting and often onerous du-
ties of the military surgeon in times of
war require special qualifications to
prepare and fit him for his work. He is
not only expected to be well versed in
theoretical and practical knowledge of
everything pertaining to the practice OF
medicine and surgery, but he must be
endowed with qualities, both of mind
and body upon which he can rely when
engaged under the most trying circum-
stances.
."The physical condition of the military
surgeon must be as nearly perfect rs
possible. During my service ut Chicka-
mauga. and in the Cuban campaign, |
saw more than one volunteer surgeon,
who ought to have been excluded from
the service for physical disability. Du-
ring Il campaign the loss of Il single
medical officer may prove great dis
aster. OF all commissioned officers the
surgeon is the most Indispensable. Ills
position is one requiring special train
ing and one that cannot be filled without
crippling the medical service at some
other point. For this, If for no other
reason. the medical officer must be IN
sound health, and able to cope sue
cessfully with the hardships of cam
paign.
"A proper and adequate preliminary
education is exacted of every surgeon
in the regular army: without it be is
not permitted to pass the medical exam
mutton. Statistics show that large
percentage of the candidates are dropped
mt this stage of the examination. This
is a reflection on the system of medical
education which continues to prevail III
our country. About the only evidence Of
proficiency the National Guard surgeon
in most of our States is required to show
is his diploma. 1t makes but little differ
ence when the diploma was obtained.
Evidences Of a satisfactory preliminary
education are not required. In conse-
quence of such an easy entrance into the
medical service of our State troops, many
Of the men who receive commissions ara.
illiterate. BY hard postgraduate work
they often become good physicians, but
they seldom if ever make up for the early
defects of the education, which seriously
interferes with successful military ca
reer. Is it to be wondered at that When
such shortcomings are discovered by th2
officers of the line, they do not command
the respect that their commissions should
entitle them to:
anyone who enters the medical SER
vice of the army as a life ayocatiOn Will
| be disappointed unless he does 50 i'm
| bued with Il proper military spirit. The
military surgeon must be Il military man
and an integral part of the army If he
| wants TO do justice to his calling and the
| department he represents. | fear it is
| a lack of the proper military spirit in
some of the medical officers in the reg
| ular army that is responsible for well
recognized cleft between them and the
| officers of the line and field. If this is
/ true in the regular army, it is only too
| obvious in the National Guard. The ranE
| of the medical officers and their stand
| ing in military and social circles suffer
| when they are regarded and treated as
| an ordinary doctor
| ITO the credit of the medical officers Of
| this and other wars it must be said thut
| they showed no fear, either in facing the
| enemy or what is vastly wOrse-diseasc.
| When yellow fever made its appearance
among the troops around Santiago every
man remained ut his post and faced the
uanger without tinching. Men from the
| North who had never seen the disease
| accepted the detail for duty in the fever
| hospitals without word of complaint.
''The first and most important duty o!
| the military surgeon is to prevent dis
| ease. This can often be done more eff
| fectively by example than by precept
| The military surgeon must be known in
camp as n gentleman, not only by Off
| GERS, but by every man under his charge
| if he expects to be respected and to Dc
| justice to his high calling and response
| bic position.
1.-THE first and most important duty
| of the military surgeon during actlTf
| warfare is to prevent disease and IN
/ necessary suffering ny giving carry dN
| vice and resorting to timely precautions
| The location of camps, policing Of tht
same, the water supply, food and cloth
| ing are subjects which must receive hii
early and earnest attention. In this worl
he should receive the hearty co-opera
/ ton of the officers in command, and j
this is not the case he has the mora
and military authority to demand it
1t was not the medical department, bu
the arrogance or stupidity Of the com
manding general of the invading army
that is responsible for the extensive out
break of yellow fever during the Cuban
campaign. This experience is sufficien
to teach commanding generals that it i:
!, unsafe in the future to follow such NJ
| example, as an imprudence of this kind
| giving rise to nexcusable slaughter anC
indescribable suffering, will meet will
universal indignation"