confidence in the views which he Government for its guidance. He before places should be able to hold his own with any of the Secretaries who may have views on sanitation
to
inspire
and who may differ from him; and he can successfully effect this unless special
scarcely knowledge, experience
and senioritj' give a prehis opinions. That this is ponderating weight to needed may be gathered from the fact, if we may from what appeared in a recent Govern-
judge
Jndiait jpiadiqal
resolution,
ment
p.
that there is
a
tendency
to dis-
parage and discredit the Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal. This cannot have been done with
OCTOBER 1895.
the
object
of
seriously effecting
an
improve-
ment in the sanitation of the Province, for the criticism did not emanate from one who had any special knowledge on the subject, and as such
THE SANITARY COMMISSIONERSHIP OF BENGAL.
The
appointment of Surgeon-Captain Dyson Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal has created considerable surprise among the members of the as
medical profession, firstly, because Surgeon-Captain Dyson is a junior officer; secondly, because as a medical officer of the North-West Provinces he has been selected in preference to a Bengal officer; and thirdly, because the special claims of Surgeon-Major Waddell have been overlooked.
was very properly taken sion at its exact value.
by
the medical
We
profes-
confess, however,
have not been able to approve of this regrettable attitude towards the chief sanitary we
adviser to the Government in the Province,
as
it
is liable to do more harm than good among those who are glad to get a handle against anj^ sanitary progress; nor have we been able to approve of any of the recent changes in the Sanitary
We have
Department of Bengal. The reduction in the number of the Deputy Sanitary Commissioners
a young medical man full of zeal, with certain amount of training in sanitary matters for which he has shown considerable aptitude, and probabty he has in him the making of a
and the transference of vaccination duties to Civil Surgeons, who are overburdened
nothing to say against Surgeon-Captain or professionally. We believe personally Dyson
him to be a
good Sanitary the
necessary
Commissioner when he has
experience.
But
even
gained should
prove ultimately Sanitary Commissioner, we
Surgeon-Captain Dyson excellent
an
to be
think
the
Bengal Government have made a mistake in appointment. They are departing from principles which it is their duty to maintain if this
it be their desire that sanitation in
When
progress.
Sanitary
Bengal
shall
Commissionerships
were established, it was laid down as one of the conditions that no medical officer under the rank
shall be eligible for such a of this was to secure men The object position. of mature experience and judgment, for it was rightly held that the Sanitary of
is
a
Surgeon-Major
one
of, if not, the
appointment
in the be held
requires
to
opinions
command
ence
and
position
most
Commissionership
important medical Province. Accordingly, it
by a strong man whose respect, and whose experi-
in the
profession
are
such
as
with State
duties,
have
been
already distinctly retro-
measures and not conducive to the best interests of the inhabitants over which the Government rules; and now that these changes have been followed by the appoint-
gressive
as Sanitary Comto lower the calculated missioner, which is status and curtail the powers of the Sanitary Commissioner, the retrogression has been accentuated. If this is the policy which the
ment
of
a
Surgeon-Captain
Bengal
Government intends to carry out, it must have been decided on without a due consideration of
great health-interests
the
only and in
be characterised
one
which it will be
preventive
stake; and it can extremely ill-advised the dut3r of all interested at
as
medicine to
use
their influence to
If the Government will turn proceedings of the Indian Medical reverse.
to the
Congress
they will there learn that it was the unanimous opinion of the medical profession that the sanitary organization of the country needs strengthening, and that a resolution cn the
INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
390
to the Government of of who believe that these those India. matters have merely to be represented in a proper light to the Government of Bengal for
subject
forwarded
was
We
are
carefully considered, with the result broader policy in sanitary matters will
them to be that
a
prevail. To turn to the
tion,
it
will
of the ques-
personal aspect
cause
inconvenience and
much
irritation for
junior giving orders to Civil Surgeons who are much his seniors; and there is a general feeling that there was no special necessity for leaving Bengal and going to the North-Western doubtless in
some
cases
a
officer to be
Provinces to every
select
suitable
a
Of
man. causes
important appointment
a
course
certain
those
who among and the run to having passed over, series a of criticisms is of the the gauntlet Our of success. sympathies, however, penalty amount
of
disappointment
have been
Surgeon-Major Waddell, who is a Surgeon-Major of over 15 years' service, the with
lie
best
of which
part
has been
of
spent
he acted
scientific
department; Chemistry at the Calcutta
as
in
the
Professor
Medical College for two j^ears and as Professor of Pathology for one year. His researches on the non-bacillar nature of abrus poisoning are well-known. He studied
bacteriology under Koch, and his scientific work has lately been acknowledged at home by the conferment of the LL.D. decree ? of Glasgow University. For over ten years he has been a Deputy Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal, and in that time has travelled nearly over every district in the Province, so that he is
thoroughly
familiar
with
with
its
physical and sanitary needs. as regards Bengal
its
vital conditions and His experience of vaccination is also
exceptional, and in 1892 he was specially deputed to other circles to instruct in the use of vaccine paste. With a thorough knowledge of Bengali, having passed the Higher Standard and with the
specialqualificationsmentioned,it is diffihow Dr. Waddell's strong: understand to cult claims should be passed over, and specially as he was
selected for the
sionership leave,
but
furlough
Officiating Sanitary CommisGregg took
two years ago when Dr.
unfortunately
at
that time
was compelled to owing to illness
take from
exposure on duty. The Government notices of Dr. Waddell's excellent sanitary work are numerous, and bestow on him the highest com-
[Oct
1895.
mendation ) and we are not aware that there lias been a single unfavourable comment on his services. When
officer with such strong claims to appointment is superseded by a junior, it is a blow to the encouragement of good work; and in the case of Dr. Waddell it is a grievous an
the
fined Rs. 4,000 to the increase Rs. 11,000 pay to which year, he would be entitled, and this to a married man, is a serious matter. It is to be hoped the
calamity
as
he is
practically
a
Government will be able to make
some
evidently
amends for the
their way to injustice which has see
been done to Dr. Waddell.
to
inspire
and who may differ from him; and he can successfully effect this unless special
scarcely knowledge, experience
and senioritj' give a prehis opinions. That this is ponderating weight to needed may be gathered from the fact, if we may from what appeared in a recent Govern-
judge
Jndiait jpiadiqal
resolution,
ment
p.
that there is
a
tendency
to dis-
parage and discredit the Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal. This cannot have been done with
OCTOBER 1895.
the
object
of
seriously effecting
an
improve-
ment in the sanitation of the Province, for the criticism did not emanate from one who had any special knowledge on the subject, and as such
THE SANITARY COMMISSIONERSHIP OF BENGAL.
The
appointment of Surgeon-Captain Dyson Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal has created considerable surprise among the members of the as
medical profession, firstly, because Surgeon-Captain Dyson is a junior officer; secondly, because as a medical officer of the North-West Provinces he has been selected in preference to a Bengal officer; and thirdly, because the special claims of Surgeon-Major Waddell have been overlooked.
was very properly taken sion at its exact value.
by
the medical
We
profes-
confess, however,
have not been able to approve of this regrettable attitude towards the chief sanitary we
adviser to the Government in the Province,
as
it
is liable to do more harm than good among those who are glad to get a handle against anj^ sanitary progress; nor have we been able to approve of any of the recent changes in the Sanitary
We have
Department of Bengal. The reduction in the number of the Deputy Sanitary Commissioners
a young medical man full of zeal, with certain amount of training in sanitary matters for which he has shown considerable aptitude, and probabty he has in him the making of a
and the transference of vaccination duties to Civil Surgeons, who are overburdened
nothing to say against Surgeon-Captain or professionally. We believe personally Dyson
him to be a
good Sanitary the
necessary
Commissioner when he has
experience.
But
even
gained should
prove ultimately Sanitary Commissioner, we
Surgeon-Captain Dyson excellent
an
to be
think
the
Bengal Government have made a mistake in appointment. They are departing from principles which it is their duty to maintain if this
it be their desire that sanitation in
When
progress.
Sanitary
Bengal
shall
Commissionerships
were established, it was laid down as one of the conditions that no medical officer under the rank
shall be eligible for such a of this was to secure men The object position. of mature experience and judgment, for it was rightly held that the Sanitary of
is
a
Surgeon-Major
one
of, if not, the
appointment
in the be held
requires
to
opinions
command
ence
and
position
most
Commissionership
important medical Province. Accordingly, it
by a strong man whose respect, and whose experi-
in the
profession
are
such
as
with State
duties,
have
been
already distinctly retro-
measures and not conducive to the best interests of the inhabitants over which the Government rules; and now that these changes have been followed by the appoint-
gressive
as Sanitary Comto lower the calculated missioner, which is status and curtail the powers of the Sanitary Commissioner, the retrogression has been accentuated. If this is the policy which the
ment
of
a
Surgeon-Captain
Bengal
Government intends to carry out, it must have been decided on without a due consideration of
great health-interests
the
only and in
be characterised
one
which it will be
preventive
stake; and it can extremely ill-advised the dut3r of all interested at
as
medicine to
use
their influence to
If the Government will turn proceedings of the Indian Medical reverse.
to the
Congress
they will there learn that it was the unanimous opinion of the medical profession that the sanitary organization of the country needs strengthening, and that a resolution cn the
INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
390
to the Government of of who believe that these those India. matters have merely to be represented in a proper light to the Government of Bengal for
subject
forwarded
was
We
are
carefully considered, with the result broader policy in sanitary matters will
them to be that
a
prevail. To turn to the
tion,
it
will
of the ques-
personal aspect
cause
inconvenience and
much
irritation for
junior giving orders to Civil Surgeons who are much his seniors; and there is a general feeling that there was no special necessity for leaving Bengal and going to the North-Western doubtless in
some
cases
a
officer to be
Provinces to every
select
suitable
a
Of
man. causes
important appointment
a
course
certain
those
who among and the run to having passed over, series a of criticisms is of the the gauntlet Our of success. sympathies, however, penalty amount
of
disappointment
have been
Surgeon-Major Waddell, who is a Surgeon-Major of over 15 years' service, the with
lie
best
of which
part
has been
of
spent
he acted
scientific
department; Chemistry at the Calcutta
as
in
the
Professor
Medical College for two j^ears and as Professor of Pathology for one year. His researches on the non-bacillar nature of abrus poisoning are well-known. He studied
bacteriology under Koch, and his scientific work has lately been acknowledged at home by the conferment of the LL.D. decree ? of Glasgow University. For over ten years he has been a Deputy Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal, and in that time has travelled nearly over every district in the Province, so that he is
thoroughly
familiar
with
with
its
physical and sanitary needs. as regards Bengal
its
vital conditions and His experience of vaccination is also
exceptional, and in 1892 he was specially deputed to other circles to instruct in the use of vaccine paste. With a thorough knowledge of Bengali, having passed the Higher Standard and with the
specialqualificationsmentioned,it is diffihow Dr. Waddell's strong: understand to cult claims should be passed over, and specially as he was
selected for the
sionership leave,
but
furlough
Officiating Sanitary CommisGregg took
two years ago when Dr.
unfortunately
at
that time
was compelled to owing to illness
take from
exposure on duty. The Government notices of Dr. Waddell's excellent sanitary work are numerous, and bestow on him the highest com-
[Oct
1895.
mendation ) and we are not aware that there lias been a single unfavourable comment on his services. When
officer with such strong claims to appointment is superseded by a junior, it is a blow to the encouragement of good work; and in the case of Dr. Waddell it is a grievous an
the
fined Rs. 4,000 to the increase Rs. 11,000 pay to which year, he would be entitled, and this to a married man, is a serious matter. It is to be hoped the
calamity
as
he is
practically
a
Government will be able to make
some
evidently
amends for the
their way to injustice which has see
been done to Dr. Waddell.
