Calendar: 1868-1869 Page 255

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT 255 to make declaration that he is free from any mental or bodily disease defect or infirmity which could interfere with the efficient discharge of his duties as Medical Officer in the Navy Each Candidate will be required to produce Certificate of good moral character signed by the clergyman of the parish or by the magistrate of the district Certificate that he is not less than twenty nor more than twenty-eight years of age That he has received preliminary Classical Education That subsequently to the age of eighteen he has actually attended recog- nised Hospital for eighteen months in which the average number of patients is not less than one hundred That he has been engaged in actual dissection for twelve months and that he has performed the principal capital and minor operations on the dead body under qualified teacher The Certificate of Practical Anatomy must state the number of subjects or parts dissected by the Candidate On producing the above Certificates he will be examined before Board of Naval Medical Officers specially summoned by their Lordships on the fol- lowing subjects viz -Anatomy Surgery Physiology or Institutes of Medicine Practice of Medicine Chemistry Materia Medica Midwifery Botany Although the above are the only qualifications which are absolutely required in Candidates for the appointment of Assistant-Surgeon favourableconsidera- tion will be given to those who have obtained the degree of from any university in the United Kingdom or who by possessing knowledge of the Diseases of the Eye or of any branch of science connected with the profession such as Medical Jurisprudence Natural History and Natural Philosophy appear to be more peculiarly eligible for admission into the Service observing however that lectures on these or any other subjects cannot be admitted as compensating for any deficiency in those required by the Regulations 10 Such Candidates as shall have been found in all respects competent for the appointment of Assistant-Surgeon will be forthwith nominated to one of Her Majesty's Ships or to Naval Hospital at home or should their services not be immediately required their names will be duly registered for early appointments as vacancies may occur But it is distinctly to be observed that Candidates admitted into the Naval Medical Service must serve in whatever ship they may be appointed to and that in the event of their being unable to do so from sea-sickness their names cannot be continued on the Naval Medical List nor can they of course be allowed half-pay 11 By the rules of the Service no Assistant-Surgeon can be promoted to the rank of Surgeon until he shall have served five years two of which must have been in ship actually employed at sea after which he will be required to pass an examination before Board of Naval Medical Officers assembled at the Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy His physical fitness will be determined by the Board of Medical Officers who will be required to certify that his vision is sufficiently good to enable him to perform any surgical operation without the aid of glasses and that he is free from organic disease constitutional weakness or other disability likely to unfit him for the Naval Service in any climate