396 Staff. [CHAP. XIII.
Strain on the
Medical Service.
It will be seen from this statement that the staff included 64 Com-
missioned Medical Officers, 66 Assistant Surgeons, and 210 Hospital
Assistants. The strain on the medical services occasioned by the
withdrawal of so large a number of officers from their ordinary duties
was very great and was increased by the fact that some medical
officers and many medical subordinates were at the same time required
for famine duty. An endeavour was made to relieve the strain as
far as possible by the employment of volunteers from the Army
Medical Staff, retired subordinate officers, and private practitioners.
Private
practitioners.
In addition to the private practitioners shown in the statement as
employed exclusively on plague duty, a considerable number of
medical gentlemen in the Bombay Presidency rendered invaluable
assistance by supervising private hospitals, and in other ways.
Staff at the time
of the recru-
descence.
The statement refers to the staff employed during the first outbreak,
i.e., up to the month of July. On the occurrence of the recrudescence
matters were greatly complicated by the large demand for medical
officers and subordinates for the field hospitals on the North-West
Frontier. The difficulty was met as far as possible by economising
civil officers to the utmost degrees by employing more private
practitioners, and by procuring more officers from England.
Excellent work
of the Medical
Staff.
The zeal and devotion displayed by the medical staff in the per-
formance of their duties reflect high credit on the services to which
they belong.
Special
remuneration.
It was recognised that the specially arduous, and to some extent
hazardous, nature of the duties rendered it fitting that officers and
subordinates should be granted some extra remuneration, and that
volunteers could not reasonably be expected to come forward without
the offer of fairly liberal terms.
Account of the
orders granting
special
remuneration.
The following is a brief account of the orders passed with regard
to the remuneration of the different classes of medical officers and
subordinates:-
Commissioned Medical Officers of the Indian Medical Service.-
In Circular letter No. 7-sanitary/640 649, dated the 20th February, Local Gov-
ernments were informed that officers of the Indian Medical Service
deputed on plague duty might be permitted to draw allowances at
the rates laid down for officers deputed to famine work in Article
101 of the Civil Service Regulations. These rates are: (i) if the officer
is transferred from military duty, Rs. 300 a month if the officer's
service is more than five years, and Rs. 200 a month for
officers of less service; (ii) if the officer is withdrawn from civil
employ, Rs. 5 a day. Subsequently it was explained (Circular