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THE HEALTH OF THE ARMY.
327 If photographs of the cases occurring in Trinidad and other places are examined it is possible to select from each group some which are absolutely anomalous and others which are absolutely typical, and we cannot but infer that were a sufficiency of cases seen in each instance there would be less liability to mistake. Wherever there is the least doubt isolation should be practised and vaccination or revaccination at once carried out and the public will learn in time to appreciate the fact that pre. ventive medicine acts upon doubts as well as upon certainties. In this connexion we would appeal to the lay press, upon which many of the public rely solely for their information upon- all subjects, not to make absolutely unfounded statements. For instance, a paragraph recently appeared in a London morning paper in which Dr. S. Monckton Copeman was credited with having said that the Cambridge epidemic was neither chicken-pox nor small-pox but a complaint hitherto unidentified. As a matter of fact Dr. Copeman never said any such thing. Incorrect statements such as this are dangerous in that they lead theman in the street" to neglect precautions, above all that of vaccination. the disease.
THE
HEALTH OF THE ARMY.
London and Surgeons of England, be consider the question of recruiting. In a letter to us, which has also been communicated to the lay press, the Duke of Wellington, who is President of the National Service League, points out that a fairly accurate indication of the improvement or the reverse of the physique of an army can be obtained by taking statistics relating to a long series of years. "Nor is it possible," he says, "to escape the conclusion that if the physical standard of an army is improving or deteriorating it must be at least to some extent a barometric indication of a similar tendency in the national physique." It must not, of course, be forgotten that in this country our army recruits are taken for the most part from the unskilled labouring classes, while in countries where conscription is in force the army represents all classes of the population. But even taking this fact into consideration, the Duke of Wellington states that statistics show an undoubted tendency to deterioration in the physique of recruits and in the health and stamina of our army as compared with that of Germany.
Physicians appointed
of
to
COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO MR. JONATHAN HUTCHINSON.
Sir H. Greenway Howse presided on July 23rd at the annotation in THE LANCET of July 25th, p. 246, we dealt with the special memorandum issued by Sir William complimentary dinner given at the Trocadero Restaurant Taylor, Director-General of the Army Medical Service, in in honour of Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson. Covers were laid regard to the deterioration of physique said to be observed for 154 guests. At the high table to the right of the chairamong intending recruits. We are not, however, desirous man were seated Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, Dr. Robert of discussing here the significance of the memorandum, Barnes, Sir J. Fayrer, Mr. W. H. M. Christie, Dr. G. W. except in so far as it raises suspicions as to the fitness Potter, Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, Dr. R. Farquharson, Sir John of the men actually accepted. There appeared recently Tyler, and Mr. Andrew Clark ; to the left were seated the Army Medical Department Report for 1901 and from Sir Thomas Barlow, Sir Henry Burdett, Sir Anderson this we learn that in the army as existing on a peace Critchett, Dr. Theodore Williams, Sir Alfred Cooper, Profooting the mortality-rate for the United Kingdom was fessor Adami, Dr. G. A. Heron, and Mr. H. T. Butlin. 4’ 71 per 1000. For the last eight years the rates under Letters regretting their inability to attend were received from similar conditions in the armies of continental powers have Lord Strathcona, the Attorney-General, Sir R. Douglas been : France, 4 - 58 per 1000 ; Italy, 4 - 87 per 1000 ; and Powell, Sir T. Lauder Brunton, Sir Henry Thompson, Sir Russia, 5-32 per 1000, so that it will be seen that our William H. Broadbent, Professor T. Clifford Allbutt, Dr. Peter Sir H. G. Howse, in British results are nothing much to boast of. The figuresHorrocks, Mr. F. Eve, and others. given for France are not regarded with any specia proposing the health of Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, said satisfaction in that country and Dr. Granjux has been that when he (Sir Henry Howse) entered the profession in seeking to elucidate the influences to which they are 1861 the name of Mr. Hutchinson was then fully before to be attributed. He finds that the rate ranges from the medical profession. Referring to the journeys which 3’ 61 for the" ouvriers d’artillerie" to 7’ 88 in the case Mr. Hutchinson had made in South Africa and India, of the II infirmiers" who may be taken as corresponding Sir Henry Howse asked who amongst them at the age roughly to our hospital orderlies. These figures are, he of 73 years would care to undertake long and arduous believes, to be correlated with the facts that the journeys in search of facts which might support or might artillery workmen are usually volunteers and pursue their damn some hypothesis of interest to the profession. He He avocation in well-ventilated shops, while the men in the thought that such a record was most remarkable. second category are exposed to the risks incidental to in- would remind them that that dinner was held on the sanitary conditions and contagion. Our own army returns seventy-fifth birthday of Mr. Hutchinson. Mr. Hutchinson show a minimum rate of 3-51 for the Household Cavalry and had always taken great interest in medical studies and also in public matters, for when the London County a maximum of 7’92 for the regimental depots, while the figures for the garrison staff and departments are also high, Council put forward its proposition to open Lincoln’s Inn being 5’ 63. Causes somewhat similar to those mentioned Fields Mr. Hutchinson persuaded the Council of the Royal in connexion with French soldiers may therefore be traced College of Surgeons of England to abandon its attitude in the case of the British. It will be noticed that the figures of opposition to the scheme and to help it forward. Sir for the German army are not given above. They are said to be Joseph Fayrer, who also spoke to the toast, remarked only 2’ 32 per 1000, a fact which "gives furiously to think." that he always read Mr. Hutchinson’s books with profit The difference, as compared with France, is declared to and had learnt to look upon him with profound respect. be due to the differences in the birth-rate, and consequently What had struck him as most deserving of imitation in population, of the two countries. Each keeps up a huge was the energy with which Mr. Hutchinson had pursued standing army, but as the resources of Germany are larger his studies up to his seventy-fifth year with fidelity she has not to enforce conscription with the same thorough- of conscience and with the true scientific spirit, always ness as is necessary in France and therefore doubtful striving to ascertain what was right simply for the sake material has not to be utilised to the same extent. He (the speaker) had been asked to refer to But of right. what explanation is to be advanced in regard to British what Mr. Hutchinson had done for the colonies and he troops ?7 An inquiry dealing with this point might well be wished to express the gratitude of those young men who undertaken by the Commission which Sir William Taylor had come from the colonies. Sir Joseph Fayrer concluded suggests should, with the advice of the Royal Colleges ofby regretting that no public honour had been bestowed I IN
an
THE
HEALTH OF THE ARMY.
London and Surgeons of England, be consider the question of recruiting. In a letter to us, which has also been communicated to the lay press, the Duke of Wellington, who is President of the National Service League, points out that a fairly accurate indication of the improvement or the reverse of the physique of an army can be obtained by taking statistics relating to a long series of years. "Nor is it possible," he says, "to escape the conclusion that if the physical standard of an army is improving or deteriorating it must be at least to some extent a barometric indication of a similar tendency in the national physique." It must not, of course, be forgotten that in this country our army recruits are taken for the most part from the unskilled labouring classes, while in countries where conscription is in force the army represents all classes of the population. But even taking this fact into consideration, the Duke of Wellington states that statistics show an undoubted tendency to deterioration in the physique of recruits and in the health and stamina of our army as compared with that of Germany.
Physicians appointed
of
to
COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO MR. JONATHAN HUTCHINSON.
Sir H. Greenway Howse presided on July 23rd at the annotation in THE LANCET of July 25th, p. 246, we dealt with the special memorandum issued by Sir William complimentary dinner given at the Trocadero Restaurant Taylor, Director-General of the Army Medical Service, in in honour of Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson. Covers were laid regard to the deterioration of physique said to be observed for 154 guests. At the high table to the right of the chairamong intending recruits. We are not, however, desirous man were seated Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, Dr. Robert of discussing here the significance of the memorandum, Barnes, Sir J. Fayrer, Mr. W. H. M. Christie, Dr. G. W. except in so far as it raises suspicions as to the fitness Potter, Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, Dr. R. Farquharson, Sir John of the men actually accepted. There appeared recently Tyler, and Mr. Andrew Clark ; to the left were seated the Army Medical Department Report for 1901 and from Sir Thomas Barlow, Sir Henry Burdett, Sir Anderson this we learn that in the army as existing on a peace Critchett, Dr. Theodore Williams, Sir Alfred Cooper, Profooting the mortality-rate for the United Kingdom was fessor Adami, Dr. G. A. Heron, and Mr. H. T. Butlin. 4’ 71 per 1000. For the last eight years the rates under Letters regretting their inability to attend were received from similar conditions in the armies of continental powers have Lord Strathcona, the Attorney-General, Sir R. Douglas been : France, 4 - 58 per 1000 ; Italy, 4 - 87 per 1000 ; and Powell, Sir T. Lauder Brunton, Sir Henry Thompson, Sir Russia, 5-32 per 1000, so that it will be seen that our William H. Broadbent, Professor T. Clifford Allbutt, Dr. Peter Sir H. G. Howse, in British results are nothing much to boast of. The figuresHorrocks, Mr. F. Eve, and others. given for France are not regarded with any specia proposing the health of Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson, said satisfaction in that country and Dr. Granjux has been that when he (Sir Henry Howse) entered the profession in seeking to elucidate the influences to which they are 1861 the name of Mr. Hutchinson was then fully before to be attributed. He finds that the rate ranges from the medical profession. Referring to the journeys which 3’ 61 for the" ouvriers d’artillerie" to 7’ 88 in the case Mr. Hutchinson had made in South Africa and India, of the II infirmiers" who may be taken as corresponding Sir Henry Howse asked who amongst them at the age roughly to our hospital orderlies. These figures are, he of 73 years would care to undertake long and arduous believes, to be correlated with the facts that the journeys in search of facts which might support or might artillery workmen are usually volunteers and pursue their damn some hypothesis of interest to the profession. He He avocation in well-ventilated shops, while the men in the thought that such a record was most remarkable. second category are exposed to the risks incidental to in- would remind them that that dinner was held on the sanitary conditions and contagion. Our own army returns seventy-fifth birthday of Mr. Hutchinson. Mr. Hutchinson show a minimum rate of 3-51 for the Household Cavalry and had always taken great interest in medical studies and also in public matters, for when the London County a maximum of 7’92 for the regimental depots, while the figures for the garrison staff and departments are also high, Council put forward its proposition to open Lincoln’s Inn being 5’ 63. Causes somewhat similar to those mentioned Fields Mr. Hutchinson persuaded the Council of the Royal in connexion with French soldiers may therefore be traced College of Surgeons of England to abandon its attitude in the case of the British. It will be noticed that the figures of opposition to the scheme and to help it forward. Sir for the German army are not given above. They are said to be Joseph Fayrer, who also spoke to the toast, remarked only 2’ 32 per 1000, a fact which "gives furiously to think." that he always read Mr. Hutchinson’s books with profit The difference, as compared with France, is declared to and had learnt to look upon him with profound respect. be due to the differences in the birth-rate, and consequently What had struck him as most deserving of imitation in population, of the two countries. Each keeps up a huge was the energy with which Mr. Hutchinson had pursued standing army, but as the resources of Germany are larger his studies up to his seventy-fifth year with fidelity she has not to enforce conscription with the same thorough- of conscience and with the true scientific spirit, always ness as is necessary in France and therefore doubtful striving to ascertain what was right simply for the sake material has not to be utilised to the same extent. He (the speaker) had been asked to refer to But of right. what explanation is to be advanced in regard to British what Mr. Hutchinson had done for the colonies and he troops ?7 An inquiry dealing with this point might well be wished to express the gratitude of those young men who undertaken by the Commission which Sir William Taylor had come from the colonies. Sir Joseph Fayrer concluded suggests should, with the advice of the Royal Colleges ofby regretting that no public honour had been bestowed I IN
an