University Medical College - Scalpel Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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sels also have tile lined operating rooms, equipped with the best modern furniture. The hospital is under the immediate care of a hospital steward and one or more apprentices. These men are selected not only for their knowledge and ability, but on account of their neatness and gentlemanly deportment as well, and a finer, more efficient corps of nurses would be hard to find. The surgeon's day commences with morning sick call. which the bugle sounds immediately after breakfast. As the little marine trumpeter swells out his chest and sends the doleful strains of Come and get your quinine, qui-nine, q-u-i-n-i-n-e meandering between decks, the sailors who desire medical attention go forward to the dispensary. Here they are ex- amined, admitted to the sickbay if necessary, or placed on the UBinnacle list,' a slip of paper bearing the names of those recommended to be excused from duty. Some re- ceive treatment and are sent back to work. Occasionally, though rarely, a malingerer is encountered. By 11 o'clock the doctor is generally free to do as he chooses. A micro- scope, with plenty of supplies, is always furnished, and the late edition of standard media cal works are supplied on requisition. The willing, conscientious student is given every encouragement to pursue special studies or do research work. Service at sea is alternated with shore duty in naval hospitals, at recruiting sta- tions or in universities, every two or three years. The life is a varied one, replete with interesting experiences. To the young prac- titioner who is willing and able to meet the not unreasonable requirements of the ex- amining board, the prospect is no more alluring than the realization is satisfactory.

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Flhr Nanal Svurgenn RICHARD LIGHTBURN SUTTON, Ass't Sur. U. S. N. fRetired.j O the recent graduate or to the medical man who is not so fortunate as to inherit a lucrative practice in a congenial field, the career of a surgeon in the United States Navy has much to offer. Aside from the matter of sentiment doctors as a class, are far from immune to wan-derlust, while few men find a pair of shoulder straps unbecoming to their particular style of beauty-the material rewards are much greater than those which fall to the lot of the average civil practitioner of medicine. Of the three public services, the navy alone allows the assistant surgeon his pro- motion, with increased rank and emoluments, at the en-d of three years. The course -of preliminary instruction at the Naval Medical School in Washington, to which all newly commissioned men are ordered shortly after appointment, serves, among other things, to give the beginner an excellent idea of the work he will be ex- pected to perform in future. One of the instructors is la lieutenant of the line whose duty it is to look after the education of the student officers in matters nautical. 'So well does he perform the task assigned that few men graduate from the school without a thorough knowledge of at least a portion of the salt water sailor's alphabet. Notwithstanding this pre-fatory training, however, the enthusiastic embryo admiral from the great Middle Welst, who has had little experience with the Bounding Deep and all that pertains thereto, will find his initial experiences on board a man-'o-war more or less disconcerting. The younger ele- ment in the wardroom will strive- to make matters interesting for the newcomer in a variety of ways, and their well directed efforts are usually crowned with success. But it is all for the good of the service and the less-ons learned from these youthful tutors are frequently beneficial and seldom forgotten. ' The quarters over which the doctor holds direct sway consist of his cabin in the wardroom, the term applied to the after portion of the gun-deck, which is divided into -compartments, or rooms, for the personal use of the commissioned force, and the hospital or sickbay, with its appended dispensary. The private cabin is rather a minute apartment, about -six by eight feet in size, eq-uipped with a metal folding bed which shuts up against the bulkhead when not in use, several chests of drawers, a combined writing -desk and bookcase with a plate mirror set in the upper portion, la metal rack containing wash bowl, pitcher and towels, and a swivel chair. Ventilation is secured by means of blowers and, in hot climates, an electric fan gives additional comfort. The sickbay is generally located forward, on the upper or lower gun deck, and is a model little hospital, especially on the newer and larger vessels. The beds are of the shelf pattern, with a surrounding rail for additi-onal safety in rough weather, and are of metal, finished in aluminum or enamel. The smaller boats carry from four to six, the flag ships a dozen or more. The deck beneath, of polished or shellaced hardwood, is kept spotlessly clean. Leading out from the bay is a bath room, with tile floor and enamel tub. The dispen- sary, which is an apothecary's shop, a bacteriologic laboratory and a hospital steward's boudoir, all in one, is a marvel of compact utility. Many of the recently completed ves-

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Ellie Armg Snrgenn ' BY A. W. NlcARTHUR, M. D., Lecturer on Minor Surgery and Surgical Dressings. Vi writing an article for the U. M. C. Year Book upon the subject of The Army 1 5 Surgeon, I hardly know where to begin nor where to leave off, for the subject is l-4 one so varied in its aspect that to cover the ground- thoroughly would make an article much too long for the purpose for which it is intended, however, briefly, I will endeavor to present a few facts and figures depicting the advantages and disvantages of a career in the medical department of the U. S. A., for the average young man who has but rcently come into possession of the much coveted D. degree. The medical department of the U. S. A. is probably more civic in character than that of any other branch of the service and to begin with will say, that any young man imbued with the spirit of a military career and whose enthusiasm is inspired by the God of War,'i would do well to pause and ponder e'er he enter upon the life of a sur- geon of the U. S. A. 'Tis true, there might come a time, once more when the clarion notes of the bugle call, to arms reverberates through the land and the fires of pa- triotism kindled in the breast of every true American, then the army surgeon's life would change from that of a hum-drum existence in some isolated post to an active one at the front, upon the field of battle, but this is an eventuality that should only be considered as a possibility and not by any means as a certainty. Entrance to the medi- cal service of the U. S. A. can be had in two ways, viz., by contract or by commission. A contract is made, as arule,for one year, unless sooner terminated by the Surgeon General, the pay under a contract is one hundred and fifty dollars per month, which never varies, as does that under a commission, the allowances are those of a First Lieu- tenant, these consist of mileage at seven cents per mile when traveling under orders, quarters, fuel and feed for horse, when mounted, everything else must be paid for by the Surgeon, such as expense of mess, uniforms, etc., bachelor officers usually mess together and thirty dollars per month would be a fair estimate of the expense to each man, uniforms probably would average twenty dollars more per month, leaving one hundred dollars to pay other expenses which vary, more or less, according to the char- acteristics of the particular individual, from the above figures it is seen that a thrifty young man could probably lay away nine hundred dollars per year at least. In times of peace the tour of service is ordinarily arranged so the surgeon spends from six to twelve months at a post, the intent being to transfer him from one post to until he has made the rounds, foreign service is the first to which the contract is usually assigned, this being a two years tour of our island possessions, the work is executive as well as professional in character, when stationed at a post, the has charge of the post hospital, is responsible for the efficiency of the service, the safe care of the property, every item of which is charged to him and must be ac- counted for, the hospital corps is also under his direct supervision, the member-sv of which he must instruct in drill, lectures, etc., professionally, he has charge of all enlisted men at the post, the officers, their families, civilian employes and their fami- lies, he is als-o permitted to answer calls outside of the confines of the post, when it does not conflict with his military duties, in this way he can pick up a few extra dol- lars. Some of the principal objections to a contract, in my mind, are: First, the holder, if disabled in line of duty has no pension rights, second, he can be discharged at any time with or without cause, and third, all desirable assignments are usually given to com- missioned officers. Application for a contract should be made to the Surgeon General, another surgeon surgeon