§ MR. BENNETinquired of the right hon. the Member for Wiltshire, whether Mr. George Pollock, assistant surgeon at St. George's Hospital, did not offer his gratuitous services to the army in the Crimea, and, if so, why his offer was not accepted? and he would put a similar question with regard to Dr. Hugh Macpherson, of the Bengal service.
§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERTstated that, so far as he could recollect, an offer of gratuitous service was made by Mr. George Pollock and also by Mr. Macpherson. But in the case of the latter gentleman, the offer was limited to serving for three months, and it was not thought advisable to accept the offers of service for so limited a time. At the time the offers were made the rule of the army service was, that civilians should be admitted to act in the rank of assistant surgeons. Subsequently that rule was altered, and civil surgeons were offered higher rank; and, finally, it had been determined not to confer military rank at all, but to convert the hospitals into civil hospitals. Mr. G. Pollock—very properly so, looking at his position in his profession—declined to act as assistant surgeon; but had he been willing to do so, he (Mr. S. Herbert) would certainly not have been willing to accept gratuitous service from any professional gentleman who would have had to work by the side of those who were receiving pay for the discharge of their duty.