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INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE.

WE cannot foretell how and to what extent theIndian Medical Service will be affected by the reportof the Royal Commission on the Superior Civil Ser-vices in India. The report is the outcome of theIndian reform scheme, the essence of which is an increasing participation by Indians in the govern- Iment of the country, and as far as the Indian MedicalService is concerned, the recommendations of the,Commission can be summarised almost in a sentence.Contrary to the recommendation of the Verney-Lovett Committee, the Commission has recognisedthat the medical needs of both the British and Indian.armies in India should be provided for in future bythe Royal Army Medical Corps (India) which should.absorb the Indian Medical Service, no attempt beingmade to perpetuate that service as at present con-stituted. This recommendation is in accordancewith the scheme elaborated by Sir Charles Burtchaellin 1919, and printed at length as an appendixto the Commission’s report. At the same time, anew civil medical service is to be constituted in eachprovince recruited by competitive examinationsheld both in England and India. To meet themedical needs of British officers in the Civil Serviceand their families a minimum number of British.officers is to be maintained in this civil medicalservice, the limit to be prescribed for each provinceby the Secretary of State, on whom in the last resortis to rest the responsibility for their maintenance.- Of this British element, one half, or the numberrequired for the military reserve (whichever is thelarger), is to be reserved for British officers secondedfrom the R.A.M.C., the remainder being those succeed-ing in competitive examination. It is further recom-mended that, subject to the existing rights of presentmembers of the Indian Medical Service, all scientificchairs in Government colleges and hospitals shallbe thrown open to all candidates, the clinical chairsalone being reserved for members of the civil medicalservices so far as suitable candidates are available.We set out last year in detail the conditions of

pay, leave and pension under which appointmentswere then being made to the Service. These condi-tions are no longer relevant to new appointments,for, if the recommendations of the Lee Commissionare accepted, no more appointments will be madeunder them, and meanwhile recruitment has beentemporarily suspended. It should be added, how-ever, for the information of those already in theService, that the basic pension rates there statedhave been made liable to a " cost of living " reduc-tion with effect from July 1st, 1924. The amount ofreduction has not yet been fixed, but will not exceed5 per cent.

Whatever the ultimate arrangements may be, thenecessity will remain to provide a European medicalservice in India so long as Europeans are employedin the various departments of the Civil Service. Thetime cannot be far distant when the Governmentwill again be obliged to call for applicants for thisService, the terms of which are presumably now under

Idiscussion.

WOMEN’S MEDICAL SERVICE FOR INDIA.

THIS service is open to fully qualified medicalwomen of British or Indian nationality who desire tocarry on work in India. With the present amountof Government subsidy the number of medical officersis limited to 40. Medical women proceeding toIndia to join the Women’s Medical Service receivea sufficient sum for a first-class passage to India. Onlanding they are posted to one of the larger women’shospitals to gain Indian experience and to learn thelanguage. During this period (from six months to twoyears) private practice is not allowed. For a further

period they are appointed to act temporarily formedical women on furlough, during which timeprivate practice is allowed. They are then definitelyappointed to the charge of hospitals. Private prac-tice is always allowe-d after the first two years, pro-vided it does not interfere with official duties. Theonly exception is in administrative or educationalposts, when an allowance in lieu of practice is given.The amount obtained from practice varies accordingto the station, but in most cases it forms a fair additionto the salary, varying from £150 to £1000 a year.

Excellent opportunities for surgery-especiallygyneecological—are found in the Women’s MedicalService. To those who are not keen surgeons oppor-tunities are likely to open in the future in connexionwith maternity and child welfare ; medical womenwith administrative ability are also needed for theinspection of women’s hospitals and other medicalinstitutions.

Rates of pay are as follows :—

Overseas Salary EnglishYears allowance per equivalent*

of service. per mensem. mensem. per annum.1 to 3 .... Rs.100 .... Rs.450 .... £4404 to 6 ........ Rs.500 .... £4807 to 9 ........ Rs.550 .... £520

10 to 12 ........ Rs.600 .... £56013 to 15 .... Rs.150 .... Rs.650 .... 60016 to 18 ........ Rs.700 .... £64019 to 21 ........ Rs.750 .... 968022 to 24 ........ Rs.800 .... £720over 24 ........ Rs.850 .... £760

*At rupee. value Is. 4d.

Furnished quarters are provided, representing anadditional Rs.150 per mensem.

The cost of living in India is much higher thanformerly, but it should be possible for a medicalwoman (with house provided) to meet actual householdexpenses for about Rs.200 per mensem, leaving theremainder of her salary for dress and personal expenses.To this must be added the necessary saving to meetadditional expense for furlough and leave spent inthe hills.

One month’s privilege leave on full pay is grantedeach year. Furlough on half-pay at the rate of twomonths for every year of service is granted after everythree years. Study-leave on two-thirds pay is grantedto the extent of 12 months in the total service. Thereis a provident fund to which members of the servicecontribute 10 per cent. of their pay. The servicecontributes another 10 per cent. which accumulates atinterest and is repaid on retirement.Admission to the service is made by selection. Can-

didates in the United Kingdom should apply to theHon. Secretary, United Kingdom Branch of theCountess of Dufferin’s Fund, care of Major-GeneralJ. B. Smith, India Office, Whitehall, London.

AIR FORCE MEDICAL SERVICE.

THE Royal Air Force Medical Service offers a

career for medical men which should prove bothattractive and interesting. The rates of pay andallowances are good, and a new field of scientificinterest is opened up by the manifold problems whichthe circumstances of aviation produce. The physicaland mental fitness for, and reaction to, the variedconditions under which the flying personnel performtheir functions provide much scope for research. Aspromotion to the higher ranks of the Service is byselection, and as a certain proportion of the higherranks will be reserved for purely scientific, as opposedto administrative, appointments, it will be seenthat there are excellent prospects for the youngmedical officer who exhibits ability and energy inscientific research, as well as for those who develop atalent for administration.