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Show DR. PHI URGES OGBEI DOCTORS TO ENLIST "Base Hospital, Camp MacArthur, Tex., Aug. 10, 1918. "Editor of Standard: I suppose that every man in the military service thinks that his particular branch is the most important, and yet I am aure that thc people generally do not fully realize thc importance of having plenty plen-ty of doctors at a time liko this when tho government is using every resource re-source at its command to win the war. During past months numerous articlos have been written urging the people to buy Liberty bonds, thrift stamps and to donate to the Red Cross, and still others encouraging young men to enlist en-list in different branches of military service. Yet very little has been said outside of medical journals and meetings meet-ings urging medical men to enlist, or oven asking why so many young and ablebodled doctors are staying at home when there Is not a camp in this or any other country that is not short of medical help. "During my seven months here at this base hospital several hundred doctors have come and gone and in that time a few extra doctors could havo made thc whole place inoro efficient ef-ficient and each patient hero would have received more and better treatment treat-ment from a medical standpoint. Last month ten or fifteen doctors were sent from the hospital to bring v recruits from different parts of the U. S. simply sim-ply becauso roglmental doctors were not to be had, and yet If a doctor Is approached and asked when he Is going to join, the answer will always be 'When the government needs mc, 1 am .willing to go.' Tho saying sound3 patriotic but is misleading the people. Tho only way that any doctor can place his services at the disposal of the government is to take thc examination, exam-ination, accept his commission and then placo himself at the government's disposal. And not until then has he done his full duty. "At the present time there are 600 major operations here waiting to be taken care of and every service is crowded almost to full capacity; and these boys are from evcry state In the union and every camp is In tho same condition. Wo are demanding that every able-bodied man between certain cer-tain ages enlist or lake the alternative. Why not demand, the doctor to go and take care of them or point him out as a slacker? There are too many that ,feel like one remarked a short time ago in Ogden, 'When a fow" more doctors doc-tors enlist, the rest of us will have n good practice' "When it comes io dollars, nothing is being spared to take thc best of care of our men and all hospitals are equipped equip-ped with every instrument that will be required to give thc most export work. Every dopnrtmcnt's needs havo been looked after by a specialist. I have received my orders assigning me to Base hospital 87 which is mobilizing here for over-seas duty. The personnel comprises thirty-flvo doctors, 200 enlisted en-listed men and 100 nurses. When ready, will accommodate 2000 patients In McLennan county, Texas, out of sixty doctors, forty-five of them have enlisted At the last meeting or tho Oklahoma State Medical association sixty doctors joined the Medical Reserve Re-serve corps. Very respectfully yours, (Signed CAPT. LEROY PUGMIRE." |