very arduous duties under very trying circumstances, have hitherto been permitted to rest. A General Order, dated 14th October 1879, has been
performed
issued, in which Department and
the services rendered
warmly depicts the physical
have been Haines
by
the Medical
labours of individual officers acknowledged. Sir Frederick
the
hardships
of
the
few
" With striking words. of cholera on the line march, excessive heat, entire absence of shade, and a scarcity of water,
in
campaign
a
the advanced columns must of the most trying operations of
the return march of be considered the war." the
one
It was in this of the doctors
energies
and their devotion to
duty
same
most
return march that
severely taxed, prominently displayalways do work, with
were
most
as doctors ardour and self-sacrifice when in the midst of disease and death, their own lives were in peril, and many of them, as we have recorded in this and previous numbers, succumbed to the fatal
They worked,
ed.
all the
more
of the time. The Commander-in-Chief, paying a just tribute to the excellent spirit which the troops displayed under the great hard" ships of the. service, desires to place more especially influences
while
on
record his
appreciation
dered to the
army
on
of the valuable services
the occasion referred to
ren-
by
the
medical staff of both services during the march itself and subsequently in the severe outbreak of cholera to which the garrisons in the Khyber and Peshawur were "That the Medical staff," he adds, " did not spare themselves in meeting the anxious and arduous responsibilities that devolved upon them, is too sadly proved by the lamentable death, within a few
subjected."
^Ije Jrtb'mix plcbical (?>a$cffe? DECEMBER 1, 1879. MEDICAL SERVICES AND AFFGHAN "WAR.
THE
THE
Attention has been prominently directed by the Lancet in a recent issue to the unaccountable manner in which, in the distribution of praise and honors at the conclusion of the late Affghan Campaign, the services of officers of the Medical Departments (British and
ignored. It is a fact, and a fact well known and universally acknowledged, that the campaign in question called into requisition the offices
Indian)
have been
of medical
men
in
a
very
conspicuous
way, and it
is
fact that the requisition was met with an intelligence, energy and devotion which have never been surpassed. "We rejoice to observe that His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief has done something to
equally
a
remove the depressing shade of cold neglect under which the medical officers who so efficiently and nobly
weeks, of four of their numbers (Surgeons-Major Kelsall, "VVright, Gray and "Wallace), and the large amount of sickness among the remainder." It is pleasant to note that the order bears the impress of the Viceroy's authority, and that the Commander-in-Chief is empowered by the representative of the " Queen-Empress to announce that he entertains the highest opinion of the efficient and meritorious services performed by the medical officers in the late campaign and
on
the return march to India."
The order accords
whose
names
names
belong
are
special praise
mentioned;
to
particular officers
The
majority of the Service, but there
to the British Medical
of those of the sister service among glad to observe that the suborthem, dinate medical department has not been omitted. The valuable aid rendered to Government by SurgeonGeneral J. H. Ker Innes, C. B., is cordially acknowledged, and the services of his Secretary, SurgeonMajor J. A. Marston, M. D., prominently noted. We regret to observe the omission of any allusion to the head of the Indian Service in this order. It i3 within is
a
sprinkling and
we
are
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
338
onr
knowledge
tliat the
the service in the
wherewith
shape
work
to
supply
of
were
men
of the sinews of
to work and material
largely
due to the fore-
thought, promptitude and energy of the Indian Surgeon-General, and we also know that in rendering assistance so essential to the success of the operations in front he was ably and efficiently aided by the principal and provincial medical storekeepers. It may be considered ungracious to criticize an
order of this kind, but
Indian Service
occur
names
of many officers of the
to us which we had every
reason
prominent place in such a list and are absent. Why, too, is the native subordinate service, the Hospital Assistants, many of whom to
expect would
obtain
a
did excellent service, omitted ? The truth is that the Indian Branch of the Medical Service has no representative at the head-quarters of Government for the of the year, and this we presume is tbe cause, and not the lack of competent and willing men, why the disproportion of administrative charges
greater part
given
to the local service
was so
glaring.
[December 1,
1879.
performed
issued, in which Department and
the services rendered
warmly depicts the physical
have been Haines
by
the Medical
labours of individual officers acknowledged. Sir Frederick
the
hardships
of
the
few
" With striking words. of cholera on the line march, excessive heat, entire absence of shade, and a scarcity of water,
in
campaign
a
the advanced columns must of the most trying operations of
the return march of be considered the war." the
one
It was in this of the doctors
energies
and their devotion to
duty
same
most
return march that
severely taxed, prominently displayalways do work, with
were
most
as doctors ardour and self-sacrifice when in the midst of disease and death, their own lives were in peril, and many of them, as we have recorded in this and previous numbers, succumbed to the fatal
They worked,
ed.
all the
more
of the time. The Commander-in-Chief, paying a just tribute to the excellent spirit which the troops displayed under the great hard" ships of the. service, desires to place more especially influences
while
on
record his
appreciation
dered to the
army
on
of the valuable services
the occasion referred to
ren-
by
the
medical staff of both services during the march itself and subsequently in the severe outbreak of cholera to which the garrisons in the Khyber and Peshawur were "That the Medical staff," he adds, " did not spare themselves in meeting the anxious and arduous responsibilities that devolved upon them, is too sadly proved by the lamentable death, within a few
subjected."
^Ije Jrtb'mix plcbical (?>a$cffe? DECEMBER 1, 1879. MEDICAL SERVICES AND AFFGHAN "WAR.
THE
THE
Attention has been prominently directed by the Lancet in a recent issue to the unaccountable manner in which, in the distribution of praise and honors at the conclusion of the late Affghan Campaign, the services of officers of the Medical Departments (British and
ignored. It is a fact, and a fact well known and universally acknowledged, that the campaign in question called into requisition the offices
Indian)
have been
of medical
men
in
a
very
conspicuous
way, and it
is
fact that the requisition was met with an intelligence, energy and devotion which have never been surpassed. "We rejoice to observe that His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief has done something to
equally
a
remove the depressing shade of cold neglect under which the medical officers who so efficiently and nobly
weeks, of four of their numbers (Surgeons-Major Kelsall, "VVright, Gray and "Wallace), and the large amount of sickness among the remainder." It is pleasant to note that the order bears the impress of the Viceroy's authority, and that the Commander-in-Chief is empowered by the representative of the " Queen-Empress to announce that he entertains the highest opinion of the efficient and meritorious services performed by the medical officers in the late campaign and
on
the return march to India."
The order accords
whose
names
names
belong
are
special praise
mentioned;
to
particular officers
The
majority of the Service, but there
to the British Medical
of those of the sister service among glad to observe that the suborthem, dinate medical department has not been omitted. The valuable aid rendered to Government by SurgeonGeneral J. H. Ker Innes, C. B., is cordially acknowledged, and the services of his Secretary, SurgeonMajor J. A. Marston, M. D., prominently noted. We regret to observe the omission of any allusion to the head of the Indian Service in this order. It i3 within is
a
sprinkling and
we
are
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
338
onr
knowledge
tliat the
the service in the
wherewith
shape
work
to
supply
of
were
men
of the sinews of
to work and material
largely
due to the fore-
thought, promptitude and energy of the Indian Surgeon-General, and we also know that in rendering assistance so essential to the success of the operations in front he was ably and efficiently aided by the principal and provincial medical storekeepers. It may be considered ungracious to criticize an
order of this kind, but
Indian Service
occur
names
of many officers of the
to us which we had every
reason
prominent place in such a list and are absent. Why, too, is the native subordinate service, the Hospital Assistants, many of whom to
expect would
obtain
a
did excellent service, omitted ? The truth is that the Indian Branch of the Medical Service has no representative at the head-quarters of Government for the of the year, and this we presume is tbe cause, and not the lack of competent and willing men, why the disproportion of administrative charges
greater part
given
to the local service
was so
glaring.
[December 1,
1879.
