the volunteer medical association

1132 THE VOLUNTEER MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

and may be remunerated for any services performed in connexion withthe objects of the fund, on such conditions as the Executive Committee Imay determine.

THE VOLUNTEER MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

THE annual dinner of the above association was held at the I

Hotel Cecil on April 9th, Surgeon-General W. TAYLOR, C.B.,Director-General of the Army Medical Service, being in thechair. About 75 members and guests were present andamongst the latter were Surgeon-General Keogh, C. B., DeputyDirector-General, Lieutenant - Colonel W. Babtie, V.C.,R.A.M.C., Major W. G. Macpherson, R.A.M.C., and ColonelBV. L. Gubbins, R.A.M C., Principal Medical Officer of theHome District. Among the members supporting the chairmanof the association, Brigade-Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel A.Clark, were the following :—Brigade-Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonels Russell, Raglan, H. G. Thompson, G. DanfordThomas, H. W. Kiallmark, and C. Boyce; Surgeon-Lieu-tenant-Colonels M. Baines, F. W. Humphreys, A. Cooper,Adams, R. T. A. O’Caliaghan, A. T. Norton, C.B.,W. Gandy, and W. D. Waterhouse ; Surgeon-Majors C.Godson, Dundas Grant, W. Culver James, F. E. Fenton,A. H. Robinson, W. J. Harnett, and J. J. de Z. Marshall ;and Surgeon-Captains J. Cantlie, Macgregor, T. H. Openshaw,C. A. Goullet. and Sharpe.

After the usual loyal toasts had been proposed and heartilyresponded to Mr. HOWARD MARSH proposed " The ImperialForces." "

The CHAIRMAN then proposed the toast of the evening,Success to the Association, and in the course of his remarkshe alluded to the recent letters from the War Office sanction-ing certain changes in respect to the Volunteer MedicalService, stretcher-bearer companies, &c. All that had beenasked for had not been granted, but in future the bearercompanies were to be separate units and to become an

integral part of their respective brigades, the channel of com-munication being through the senior medical officer of the

brigade. These units would draw their own capitation grantsand other allowances, and a sergeant-instructor of the RoyalArmy Medical Corps would be attached to each company.An ambulance wagon would also be issued for drill purposesto each company. Should a bearer company find itconvenient to make its headquarters the same as thatof any particular battalion in the brigade and to becomeattachecl- to the same, and should satisfactory arrange-ments be made, it might do so, but the members thereofwould be supernumerary in every respect to the authorisedestablishment of the battalion. These arrangements wouldnot interfere with the regimental mediuat oiticers whowould continue to tram regimental stretcher-bearers in theproportion of two men per company. With the exceptionof the ltoyal Army Medical Corps Volunteers, the com-

poind titles would still continue to exist. With regard toincreasing the number of brigade stretcher-bearers to110 rank and file so as to provide for a tield hospital noorder had yet appeared, but, added Surgeon-General Taylor,anything that he could do to support this proposition hewould do gladly as he appreciated the necessity for,and advisability of, the increase suggested. He con-

cluded by expressing the opinion that the Volunteer MedicalAssociation was doing good service and had done much ineffecting the changes already mentioned ; and in proposingsuccess to the association he had much pleasure in couplingwith the toast the name of Brigade-Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel A. Clark, the chairman of the council, and in

expressing the hope that every volunteer medical officerwould become a member of the association.

Brigade-Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel CLARK replied, andin thanking the Director-General for his kind promises ofhelp so far as it lay in his power in perfecting the volun-teer medical organisation he referred to the work of thecouncil during the past year, which in a great measure hadresulted in the changes of which they had heard thatevening. They would be glad to have as members allthe volunteer medical officers, and he looked forward toan increase in numbers in the course of the present year.Classes of instruction were arranged for those officers whowished to present themselves for examination and therewas a very handsome challenge shield which was

competed for annually by regimental stretcher-bearers.

The council was always ready to receive and to con-

sider all communications,from members ah8 their experi-ences. and when occaion required to take active, stepstowards obtaining improvements or reforms, and this couldoften be done more effectually by an organised associationthan bv individual effort only. He thanked the Director-General for his presence that evening, and all those presentfor their hearty response to the toast.

Brigade-Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel DANFORD . THOMAS

proposed the toast of "The Visitors, which was respondedto by Colonel GUBBINS, R.A.M.C.The toast of " The Chairman " was then given by Surgeon-

Lieutenant-Colonel A. COOPER, and was received with musicalhonours.The DIRECTOR- GENERAL replied and then proposed the

health of Surgeon-Major Marshall, the honorary secretary,in doing which he thanked him for the able manner in whichhe had arranged all the details for their entertainment thatevening. This was warmly responded to.During the evening selections of vocal music were given by

the members and their friends.

THE ROYAL ORTHOPÆDIC HOSPITAL.

THE annual meeting of the Court of Governors of this

hospital was held on April 10th at 15, Hanover-square, W.,when Mr. H. Marks, the chairman of the Committee of

Management, presided.Dr. DAVID WALSH called attention to certain omissions

from the report, as did also Mr. REEVES. Considerable dis-cussion followed, but eventually the report was adopted.The report stated that the subscriptions amounted to £438,as compared with £452 in the previous year, and thedonations to ;&475, against £547 in 1891. The income,exclusive of legacies, had reached £1900. King Edward’sHospital Fund had given a grant of .E200. The total expen-diture for the year had been .&2881, being £65 less thanin the previous year. The in-patients admitted were 255.In the out-patient department there were 1060 new patientsand 4390 attendances. The total number of patients benefitedby the hospital since its foundation had been 84,452.Mr. Marks was then elected chairman of the Committee of

.

Management and the following gentlemen were appointedmembers of that committee : Mr. E. Flower, M. P., the Hon.Claude G. D. Hay, M.P., Mr. James Head, Major Hicarde-Seaver, Mr. H. A. Reeves, Mr. W. Gordon Campbell, Mr.Frank Mathews, and others. Mr. R. B. Martin, M.P.,was re-elected honorary treasurer. The honorary surgeonsand the auditors were also re-elected. Mr. Marcus Cuertonwas elected a vice-president in consequence of the largeamount of financial help which he had given to the hospital.Various officers were then reappointed. This concluded thebusiness of the court and a special court was constitutedto discuss the question of the hospital site and other matters.On the question of the hospital site Mr. MARKS moved :That the agreement made hy the Committee of Management for the

disposal of the existing site, having received the approval of the trusteesand the Charity Commissioners, he ratified, and the governors herebyauthorise the committee to take all necessary steps for the acquisitionof the. site and the erection thereon of a new hospital.He said that the work of the hospital had been frequentlyhampered and seriously interrupted on several occasions

owing to the unsatisfactory condition of the premises. Thetotal cost of repairs had been f:2160, an average of £432 perannum. In 1899 the committee of the hospital wished to sellthe site for .628,000. This led to the appointment of a newcommittee who subsequently received an offer for the

purchase of the site on a basis of 29 years’ purchase atE1300 per annum, or .E37, 700. Subsequently a proposal wasmade that the site should be leased for 99 years at an annualrental of f:1400 and that the lessees should have the optionduring three years to purchase at £40,000. The trusteesconsidered this offer favourable and they recommended itsacceptance. The Charity Commissioners considered the offerfavourable and so did the committee. The present site wasunsuitable for the reconstruction of a new hospital uponmodern plans and approved lines.

Dr. WALSH said he thought that the scheme put forwardwas unbusinesslike. He had been told by an expert valuerthat the present site of the hospital was worth E63,000. Thematter ought to be referred to a court of abitration or thevalue tested by putting the site up to public auction, and