Watson, a Doctor and a Soldier

[mightymads]

Thanks everyone who recommended books about WWI a while ago. It turned out that it’s not easy to get some of them in the part of the world where I live, but I did manage to lay my hands on a few. 

 

Doctors in the Great War by Ian R. Whitehead was an interesting read. It’s well-researched if a bit dry, and it helps to understand how the medical service was organised on the Western Front. 

 

The most insightful part for me was the chapter with an overview of the British army medical service before WWI. It gives context to Watson’s experiences during his service in Afghanistan. In many ways it was an eye-opener.

 

The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) did not exist before 1898. It means that medics in the army did not have any real authority and were not considered to be equals with the combatants. Hence the appalling situation of poor sanitary conditions and ineffective medical care which Florence Nightingale worked to improve during the Crimean War (1853-1856).

 

The lack of authority conferred on Medical Officers was an expression of prejudice against them which was spread in military circles. They were not regarded as fellow officers, but merely as ‘camp followers’; some regiments did not allow the Medical Officers to dine with other officers in the mess, whilst the Medical Officer, no matter how long he had served, was always subordinate to the most junior subaltern. In addition to social ostracism, the medical man often faced discrimination with regard to pay and distribution of honours. [...]

 

The lowly status of the Medical Officer was damaging in two respects. On the one hand, his lack of authority added to the inefficiency of the medical arrangements hampered any attempts he might make to improve the lot of the sick and wounded. On the other hand, it undermined the morale within the service, and further discouraged young medical men from joining the service which was considered by the profession at large to have been passed over by the improvements in medical knowledge and practice.

 

Things improved a bit by the time Watson served. In 1878 the pay was raised, but in terms of authority there was little change. It explains how bleak Watson’s perspectives were after the university if he chose to join the army. He must have been virtually penniless, without any hope to start a practice of his own and most likely had no other opportunities. In comparison, ACD worked as a ship’s surgeon and later scraped just marginally enough money with the help of his mother and sisters to practice in Southsea. 

 

A belief remained amongst combatant officers that the health of the men was beneath their interest. This insured that the necessity for good hygiene and sanitation continued to be ignored by the Army. [...]

 

The attitude of the Army that nothing could be done to prevent men from drinking contaminated water if they were thirsty, and the ignorance of the men on matters of hygiene clearly demonstrated the folly of not paying heed to the advice of the medical profession. [...]

 

The lack of authority vested in Medical Officers prevented them from making sanitary improvements, and their low status ensured that little notice was taken of their views.

 

As a result, typhoid and other contagious diseases caused by poor sanitation were rampant. It sheds some light as to why Watson was ‘struck down by enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions’.

 

With formation of RAMC and further acknowledgement of importance of medical care, the picture was quite different when Watson re-enlisted to serve during WWI. At last the medical men were regarded with due respect.