§ Sir G. TOULMINasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of a French doctor, quoted by Sir Henry Norman, M.P., in his Report on Treatment, etc., of Disabled Soldiers, page 10, as to the effect of the continued use of crutches; whether the result is due to pressure in the armpits; whether this can partly be avoided by the use of crutches with a cross-piece for the hands and two supports for the shoulder-piece, whereby the weight of the body is then borne by the hands; whether, with the straight T-crutches usually served out to non-commissioned officers and men, this is impossible; and, if so, whether he will take steps to prevent the issue of the latter crutches and obtain the withdrawal of those hitherto issued to soldiers and their replacement by a pattern with two shoulder-supports and a hand cross-piece?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe new pattern split-ash crutches with adjustable horizontal handles admit of the weight of the body being borne by the hands, and guard against possible ill-effects of the old pattern. The new pattern was adopted in December, 1915, for Army use, and none of the old pattern are now supplied. The old pattern crutches have for the most part been discarded and replaced by the new pattern.