§ SIR WALTER FOSTER (Derbyshire, Ilkeston)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he can state what arrangements he has made for the treatment of the wounded in the South African campaign by the employment of civilian medical aid to assist the officers and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps, and the conditions of service of such civilian medical officers and nurses.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)Will the hon. Gentleman at the same time kindly make his promised statement in reference to the treatment of the wounded generally, especially at Natal? Will he also state what provision has been made for the troops in South Africa in the way of the Catholic chaplains?
§ *MR. WYNDHAMI propose to go fully into those matters on Thursday, and perhaps the hon. Member will put down for that day his question with regard to the Roman Catholic chaplains. Authority has been given for supplementing the Army Medical Staff in South Africa by the employment of fifty-six civilian surgeons, and eleven nurses of the Army Nursing Service Reserve. The civilian surgeons will receive £1 a day, with a horse and the allowances of a captain. 574 On the conclusion of their service they will be entitled to a gratuity of two months' pay. A nurse will receive £40 a year, with allowances, and a gratuity of £20 on cessation of duty. I am glad to take this opportunity of announcing that Sir W. MacCormac, the distinguished President of the Royal College of Surgeons, has intimated to the Secretary of State his willingness to proceed to South Africa with Sir Redvers Buller's field force, and to place his unrivalled skill and experience at the disposal of the military authorities. We have not hesitated to accept this generous and patriotic offer, and we shall probably arrange that he is to have the assistance of two specially selected civil surgeons.