§ * MR. R. J. PRICE (Norfolk, E.)called attention to the condition of the Army Medical Service, which he said was now in a very bad condition. It was impossible to get sufficient candidates to compete for the vacancies, and there was a progressive deficiency in the numbers. On the last occasion there were only 16 candidates for 37 vacancies, and this year there were only 18 candidates for 37 vacancies. He hoped the Government would make a great effort to ascertain why it was that the medical profession avoided the military service. The concessions that were made some years ago had not had the effect of attracting more men to the service. It was no use for the Government or the House to think that the terms offered were good enough, if medical men said they were not; therefore the Department and the Government must try to find out in what respect the medical profession generally were discontented with the service, and as far as possible to meet their views. There was one other matter he could not help feeling should be mentioned, and that was the treatment of disease, a subject to which reference had been made during the Session. The proportion of severe secondary cases was far too high. It was worse than in civil society, and his belief was that this arose from the treatment not being the proper treatment 372 under the circumstances. The disease was no doubt incurable in the sense that one never absolutely knew that it could not recur, but practically it often was cured if the treatment was sufficiently prolonged. It was necessary that the treatment in the Army should be far more prolonged than it was. In the majority of cases it was naturally the object of the Army Medical Department to get the men back to duty as soon as possible. This was no doubt quite right and proper, but the special treatment could be continued, and ought to be continued, long after the active symptoms of disease had disappeared. You could not trust a soldier to continue taking medicines which had a disagreeable effect upon him, and when he was feeling well. In his opinion the only practicable method of administering the necessary drug was by injection. This could be done regularly and without difficulty, and the medical records of this treatment in the Army were highly satisfactory. There ought to be an absolute order for the continuance of the treatment by these means in every case. He urged that the treatment should be more prolonged, and he hoped the Department and the officers would see to it.
* THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. POWELL-WILLIAMS,) Birmingham, S.entirely agreed that the Secretary for War should endeavour to ascertain what it was that was objected to in the present system of Army Medical Service, and endeavour to apply a remedy. The Secretary for War had tried to obtain that information, and he had before him representations which had been made by the British Medical Association on behalf of the Army Medical Officers. Some of these the Secretary for War was able to comply with, but others required careful consideration. The whole matter was before the Secretary for War, and he hoped to find before long the means of removing others of the difficulties complained of in a way that would be acceptable to the service. He thought the complaints related more to the conditions of service than to pay. There was one complaint that had been strongly urged, namely, that the period of service abroad was too long. He could not hold out any promise, as the matter had not been definitely determined, but the Secretary of 373 State had the proposals before him which would materially reduce the length of foreign service.