A ship with its complement of several hundred men is similar to a small town, having consideration for its water and food supply, its sewage disposal, lighting of its passageways and living apartments, heating and ventilation of its living quarters, protection against epidemic diseases, maintenance of the general health of the community, general hygienic and sanitary matters in fact, almost every question that arises in a small civilian community. Each one of these units Is a community in itself, with one department interdependent upon another. The Navy consists of its ships or floating force, its navy yards for the building, repair, and upkeep of these ships, its naval training stations for the training of men to man these ships and yards, its naval hospitals for the treatment of the sick. Let us now look upon what constitutes this field of medicine. He may specialize as a hygienist, a specialist in tropical medicine, eye, ear, etc. In conjunction with his duties the medical officer may also perfect himself in some branch of medicine foe which be has a particular bent or liking. The applicant must approach his decision to undertake this special work as he would the question of entering any other specialty. It, however, differs so essentially from civil practice that this training must be of a character peculiat to the problems of the naval service. and that the practitioner who takes up this line of work must likewise be specially trained as is the Specialist in another branch. It must be remembered, therefore, that the medical officer of the Navy is a specialist that Navy medical work is a special branch of medical and sanitary practice and must be viewed as one among the many other special fields of medicine, as eye, car, neurology, hygiene, etc. This is the age for specialization in medicine, and one when all persons of the medical profession are endeavoring to perfect themselves in some special branch of medicine upon which they have decided as their chosen life work.Īny military service is a special field of medical and sanitary practice, the conditions existing therein determining the essential differences between it and civil practice. The attention of medical practitioners, more particularly those who have recently graduated in medicine, is cordially and earnestly invited to the Navy for consideration as a special field for medical work. Excerpt from The Navy as a Special Field for Medical Work
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