§ 18. Sir GEORGE GREENWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of men discharged from the Army on account of adhesive ankylosis of the shoulder following upon severe sprains and dislocations, displacement and adhesive ankylosis of the ankle and wrist following upon sprains and Potts and Colles fractures, respectively, and all kinds of old standing strains and dislocations?
§ 20. Mr. PETOasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of men discharged from the Army suffering from pes planus or flat foot?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Macpherson)I am sorry that there are no statistics available to answer the questions put by my hon. Friends.
§ 19. Mr. W. THORNEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is 1167 aware that 3,000 men have been discharged from the Army owing to derangements of knee cartilages, and that five officers in the 3rd Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, Majors Wheeler and Debenham, Captain Arnett, and Lieutenants Pemberton and Garland, suffering from the same trouble, were cured and enabled to go to the front after being operated upon by Mr. H. A. Barker, and after at least two surgeons had in each case failed; and whether he will say why these 3,000 discharged men should not be sent to Mr. Barker, seeing that the Army surgeons have relinquished them as incurable?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have no information as to the matters to which my hon. Friend alludes. In regard to the last part of the question, I am afraid I can add nothing to the answers already given on this subject and to the statement which I made in Debate.
§ Mr. PETOIs it the fact that there is no record of the reasons why men are invalided out of the Army, and consequently the right hon. Gentleman has no means of ascertaining for what incapacity or disablement any men or number of men are invalided out of the Army?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONNo; I understand the facts to be different.
§ Mr. PETOCannot the right hon. Gentleman give us the summary which is asked for in the question stating the number of men who have been discharged on account of this particular disablement?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONNo; I have no doubt the facts are available, but it would entail an enormous amount of trouble, which I hesitate to put on an overworked Department.