- Email: [email protected]
THE MEDICAL MAN IN PARLIAMENT.
THE MEDICAL MAN IN PARLIAMENT.
247
volunteer service of physicians with of chest conditions, who will be commissioned for short periods of three months or "Ne quid nimis." so as lieutenants in a medical corps to re-examine in in the man now service reserve officers’ every THE MEDICAL MAN IN PARLIAMENT. camps and the national guard as fast as they are MAIDEN speeches were made in Parliament this called up into federal service. In this way it is ’iweek by two notable recruits to the small number expected to prevent the risks attendant on theof medical men representing constituencies in the arduous conditions of army service to those with1 House of Commons-namely, Sir W. Watson Cheyne, any demonstrable tuberculous lesion. Any personstthe Member for Edinburgh and St. Andrews Univerwho still contend that under the present conditionsesities, and Sir A. Garrod Thomas, the Member for of civilised life infection is the main factor in theSouth Monmouthshire. In each case the speaker’s spread of tuberculosis should study with care and iwords owed authority to his medical position and an open mind the story of tuberculosis in thescientific training, but in each case the well-being French Army and Dr. BIGGS’S report upon it. It(of the community at large, and of that vast section of the public which is fighting our battles in is, of course, obvious that the complete segrega-the 1 trenches, inspired the arguments. The speeches tion of the tubercle bacillus would remove tuber- were not by doctors for doctors, which is to say that culous disease, and probably in the minds of those Sir. Watson Cheyne andSir Garrod Thomas are who uphold the infectious origin the syllogismseen i fully to understand the right role of the pro-rules: The consumptive contains tubercle bacilli;fessional ] man in a general assembly of deliberation. tubercle bacilli should be segregated ; thereforeParliament exists for the good government of the the consumptive should be segregated. This viewpeople, and men of special equipment find their place there not as advocates of their class but as was presented by the London Insurance Coramittee in their recent report on the treatmentexponents of the views of that class where are at issue. of tuberculosis, a view which prevailed against questions of public importance Sir Watson Cheyne put admirably, and indeed the unanimous dissent of the medical members of unanswerably, the arguments against the official the Committee. The report laid strong emphasis recognition for purposes of the Navy and Army on the infectious character of tuberculosis and on of unqualified medical ministrations. Officers the contact with the tuberculous person as the and men can consult any irregular practitioners if main cause of the disease, comparing, indeed, they choose, but it is impossible for the Admiralty tuberculosis with the common infectious fevers, or the War Office to take the responsibility of and suggesting that the problem of segregation handing over the medical care of their employees could be solved by adopting methods applicable to persons whose scientific equipment has received no standardised tests. Sir Garrod Thomas addressed Dr. H. HYSLOP to these transient affections. himself to a question which, like that of the THOMSON’S article, which we publish in another unqualified practitioner, is not new in the House of column, makes a comprehensive survey of the Commons, but about which more will certainly be methods of administrative control which, as expe- said. He called attention, in quite restrained ’dence has shown, are by no means covered terms but with facts behind him, to the by the avoidance of infection. How could it be anomalous distribution of medical men between otherwise- when at least seven-eighths of our the fighting forces on the one hand and urban community and one-quarter of our rural the civilian population on the other, alleging that the Army in France has many medical community have been demonstrably brought in officers whose time is but scantily employed, while contact with the tubercle bacillus, whereas less that in certain civilian centres no possible showing than 10 per cent. ever suffer from tuberculous display of energy by the few men left to do the disease ? work enables them to keep level with their duties. Mr. Macpherson, replying for the War Office to the arguments of both speakers, stated that the HOUSING IN SCOTLAND.-The Local Government Department would not take the risk of employing Board for Scotland has issued to the local authorities under unqualified persons. He also announced that a its control a series of questions as to housing accommoda- Committee would be appointed to inquire whether tion for the working classes, similar to the series inquiring any misuse had occurred in the employment of into such conditions in England, upon which we commented medical men in France. We are glad to know that last week. The inquiry covers practically the same ground this Committee will be appointed immediately. in both cases ; but the Scottish local authorities are The medical profession is anxious to learn what specifically asked for information in tabular form as to are the rights and wrongs of a very important the number of existing houses containing four apartments matter. To say that the temporary unemployment of and under, excluding sculleries : how many of these were medical officers in their ambulance capacity merely in 1911 (the date of the last Census), and how many are in implies low casualty lists at certain times is a perthe present year, occupied, vacant, overcrowded or sublet, fectly satisfactory answer in many of the cases of defective or uninhabitable-whether occupied or not. It is apparent waste of medical material which have asked, further, that, if the information can be subdivided been brought forward; but other instances of misuse conveniently, particulars shall be given separately as to have been alleged which do not fall under this houses containing one, two, three, and four apartments. category, and which should certainly be the subject The question is a pertinent one when it is borne in mind of investigation. Sir Watson Cheyne and Sir Garrod that in a house of less than four rooms there cannot be, in Thomas have made their mark as Parliamentary addition to a kitchen or living room, accommodation for debaters with far less delay than is usual among sons and daughters separate from one another and from their new Members, and the medical profession welcomes their presence in the House of Commons. parents.
instituted
a
Annotations.
special experience
I
247
volunteer service of physicians with of chest conditions, who will be commissioned for short periods of three months or "Ne quid nimis." so as lieutenants in a medical corps to re-examine in in the man now service reserve officers’ every THE MEDICAL MAN IN PARLIAMENT. camps and the national guard as fast as they are MAIDEN speeches were made in Parliament this called up into federal service. In this way it is ’iweek by two notable recruits to the small number expected to prevent the risks attendant on theof medical men representing constituencies in the arduous conditions of army service to those with1 House of Commons-namely, Sir W. Watson Cheyne, any demonstrable tuberculous lesion. Any personstthe Member for Edinburgh and St. Andrews Univerwho still contend that under the present conditionsesities, and Sir A. Garrod Thomas, the Member for of civilised life infection is the main factor in theSouth Monmouthshire. In each case the speaker’s spread of tuberculosis should study with care and iwords owed authority to his medical position and an open mind the story of tuberculosis in thescientific training, but in each case the well-being French Army and Dr. BIGGS’S report upon it. It(of the community at large, and of that vast section of the public which is fighting our battles in is, of course, obvious that the complete segrega-the 1 trenches, inspired the arguments. The speeches tion of the tubercle bacillus would remove tuber- were not by doctors for doctors, which is to say that culous disease, and probably in the minds of those Sir. Watson Cheyne andSir Garrod Thomas are who uphold the infectious origin the syllogismseen i fully to understand the right role of the pro-rules: The consumptive contains tubercle bacilli;fessional ] man in a general assembly of deliberation. tubercle bacilli should be segregated ; thereforeParliament exists for the good government of the the consumptive should be segregated. This viewpeople, and men of special equipment find their place there not as advocates of their class but as was presented by the London Insurance Coramittee in their recent report on the treatmentexponents of the views of that class where are at issue. of tuberculosis, a view which prevailed against questions of public importance Sir Watson Cheyne put admirably, and indeed the unanimous dissent of the medical members of unanswerably, the arguments against the official the Committee. The report laid strong emphasis recognition for purposes of the Navy and Army on the infectious character of tuberculosis and on of unqualified medical ministrations. Officers the contact with the tuberculous person as the and men can consult any irregular practitioners if main cause of the disease, comparing, indeed, they choose, but it is impossible for the Admiralty tuberculosis with the common infectious fevers, or the War Office to take the responsibility of and suggesting that the problem of segregation handing over the medical care of their employees could be solved by adopting methods applicable to persons whose scientific equipment has received no standardised tests. Sir Garrod Thomas addressed Dr. H. HYSLOP to these transient affections. himself to a question which, like that of the THOMSON’S article, which we publish in another unqualified practitioner, is not new in the House of column, makes a comprehensive survey of the Commons, but about which more will certainly be methods of administrative control which, as expe- said. He called attention, in quite restrained ’dence has shown, are by no means covered terms but with facts behind him, to the by the avoidance of infection. How could it be anomalous distribution of medical men between otherwise- when at least seven-eighths of our the fighting forces on the one hand and urban community and one-quarter of our rural the civilian population on the other, alleging that the Army in France has many medical community have been demonstrably brought in officers whose time is but scantily employed, while contact with the tubercle bacillus, whereas less that in certain civilian centres no possible showing than 10 per cent. ever suffer from tuberculous display of energy by the few men left to do the disease ? work enables them to keep level with their duties. Mr. Macpherson, replying for the War Office to the arguments of both speakers, stated that the HOUSING IN SCOTLAND.-The Local Government Department would not take the risk of employing Board for Scotland has issued to the local authorities under unqualified persons. He also announced that a its control a series of questions as to housing accommoda- Committee would be appointed to inquire whether tion for the working classes, similar to the series inquiring any misuse had occurred in the employment of into such conditions in England, upon which we commented medical men in France. We are glad to know that last week. The inquiry covers practically the same ground this Committee will be appointed immediately. in both cases ; but the Scottish local authorities are The medical profession is anxious to learn what specifically asked for information in tabular form as to are the rights and wrongs of a very important the number of existing houses containing four apartments matter. To say that the temporary unemployment of and under, excluding sculleries : how many of these were medical officers in their ambulance capacity merely in 1911 (the date of the last Census), and how many are in implies low casualty lists at certain times is a perthe present year, occupied, vacant, overcrowded or sublet, fectly satisfactory answer in many of the cases of defective or uninhabitable-whether occupied or not. It is apparent waste of medical material which have asked, further, that, if the information can be subdivided been brought forward; but other instances of misuse conveniently, particulars shall be given separately as to have been alleged which do not fall under this houses containing one, two, three, and four apartments. category, and which should certainly be the subject The question is a pertinent one when it is borne in mind of investigation. Sir Watson Cheyne and Sir Garrod that in a house of less than four rooms there cannot be, in Thomas have made their mark as Parliamentary addition to a kitchen or living room, accommodation for debaters with far less delay than is usual among sons and daughters separate from one another and from their new Members, and the medical profession welcomes their presence in the House of Commons. parents.
instituted
a
Annotations.
special experience
I