The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-01
The Difficulty of Supplying
 Army Surgeons


 The difficulty of supplying surgeons for the new British army continues to occupy the medical authorities as well as the government. At 8 meet ing of the War Emergency Commit tee of the British Medical Associa- ton, the present position was stated as follows: (1)s The number of men already on whoIe-time war service totals 5,265; C2) the number of men of 50 and over offering swhole-time war service, 447; (3) the number of men from 40 to 49 offering whole time service, 436; (4l the number of men of 40 and under offering whole time war service 633, and (5) the number of men of 40 and under not on or offering whoIe-time war ser therefore, that there are approxi- mately 6,555 medical men of military age in England, Wales and Ireland. Of these it is necessary at present to obtain the services of about one- third. Upward of 800 men over nniIt- tary age are offering whole time. The military authorities say that if these men could be induced to take up war locum work. as they are for the most part not wanted by the authorities they would set free a number of men who are unable to go unless they can obtain substitutes, local help not being available. Professor Iittlejohn pointed out that the war office Are- c uired at the present moment 2,000 out of the .6,555 men or military age still available in England, Wales and Ireland, for the proceedings of the War Emergency Comraittee did not deal with Scotland. where an effect i've committee exists. The large mum Der of young military men at the base hospitals, many of whom had. in or-
 
 work to fill their tines was criticized Sir James Barr pointed out that it was the number of younger men, some of whom he understood had joined. only for home service, which was the objectionable feature. These younger men ought to be with the ex- peditionary force and not at the base hospitals, Says the London core spondentl of the Journal of the Amer ican Medical Association in a recent letter.
 Many medical students have for a time abandoned their s-uocs unu joined the combatant ranks of the army. The need for army surgeons is so great that those I1cur -Lnc com pletion of their course were asked to return to their schools and complete their studies so as to be able to Join the army in their professional capac- ity. The medical department Of the war office requires as many doctors as it can obtain. The civil hospitals and the health departments arc working with short staffs. Tho roll of medical casualties continues. AS the army grows, more doctors will be required and still more. The num- ber of medical students is danger ous1y low, and the visible supplies" are not so large as might be hoped The war offlce recommends that medical students in their fourth and fifth years should continue their stud ies with a view to qualifying soon as possible and discourages the granting of commissions to these men, but is unwilling to suggest that junior (nedical) students should be discouraged from taking combatarlt commissions. It is contended that thIs recommendation will have the effect of using up all the visible sup plies of medical students and empty ing the medical schools, so that three or four years hence the number of physicians will be even lower than at present. This number was too low before the war party in consequence of the increased medical work under he insurance act