Part 10 (1/2)
CHAPTER XI
JUSTICE
The D.M.S. had sent round a note to all A.D.M.S.'s reminding them that all officers and men were to be inoculated against typhoid fever. So the A.D.M.S. of the Scottish Division ordered the different units to send in a nominal roll of all those who had not been inoculated. Most of the negligent confessed their sin; many of them were believers, and those who were not, respected the customs of their times and piously submitted to the ceremony.
Only the 113th Battery, R.F.A., sent in the following roll:
| Names. | Condition. | Reason given for | | | | exemption. | | | | | | Capt. c.o.c.kell | | Do not believe in | | Lieut. Little | Not yet inoculated. | the efficacy of | | Lieut. M'Cracken | Refuse inoculation. | the operation. | | | | |
The A.D.M.S. in high dudgeon complained to the Staff and requested the temporal powers to deliver the heretics over to the lancet. The temporal powers, while paying due reverence to medical infallibility, requested the A.D.M.S. to attempt a conversion.
The 113th Battery was famous for its courage and its daring deeds.
Dr. O'Grady was entrusted with the mission of visiting Captain c.o.c.kell and bringing that erring soul back to the fold.
The gunners gave the doctor a warm welcome. Their dug-out was comfortable, their arm-chairs, made by the men out of the branches of fir-trees, were luxuriously low and deep. O'Grady dropped into one, and looked about him anxiously.
”It is a remarkable fact,” he said, ”that thirst and hunger should make themselves felt by sensations in the mouth and stomach only, and not in the rest of the body. At this very moment, when all my organs are quite dry for lack of decent whisky, I am only warned by the mucous membrane in my mouth----”
”Orderly! The whisky! Quick!” shouted Captain c.o.c.kell.
Whereupon the doctor, his mind set at rest, was able to explain the object of his mission.
”Doctor,” answered Captain c.o.c.kell, ”there is nothing I would not do for you. But I consider anti-typhoid inoculation, next to poison-gas, to be the most dangerous practice in this war.”
The doctor, who was a skilful reader of character, saw at once that only liberal doctrines would help him to success.
”Oh,” he exclaimed genially, ”you needn't think I share the usual medical superst.i.tions. But I do believe that inoculation has practically done away with deaths caused by typhoid. Statistics show----”
”Doctor, you know as well as I do that statistics may be made to say anything one likes. There are fewer cases of typhoid in this war than in former wars simply because the general sanitary conditions are much better. Besides, when a fellow who has been inoculated is silly enough to be ill--and that _has_ been known to occur--you simply say, 'It isn't typhoid--it's para-typhoid.'”
”Which is perfectly true,” said the doctor; ”the pseudo-bacillus----”
”Oh, that stunt about the pseudo-bacillus! Next time you're wounded, doctor, I'll say it was by a pseudo-sh.e.l.l!”
”Very well, very well,” said the doctor, somewhat nettled. ”I'll just wait till next time you're ill. Then we'll see whether you despise doctors or not.”
”That's a poor argument, doctor, very poor indeed. I'm quite ready to acknowledge that a sick man is in need of moral support and requires the illusion of a remedy, just like a woman in love. Therefore doctors are necessary, just like thought-readers. I simply submit it should be recognized that both professions are of a similar order.”
The energetic c.o.c.kell had inspired his two young lieutenants with respectful admiration. They remained as firm as he in their refusal; and after an excellent lunch Dr. O'Grady returned to H.Q. and informed his chief of the cynicism of the 113th Battery and the obstinacy of the heretical sect in those parts.
The A.D.M.S. sent the names of the three officers up to H.Q., and demanded the general's authority to put a stop to this scandal; and Colonel Parker promised to let the Corps know of the matter.
Some time before this, the French Government had placed at the disposal of the British authorities a certain number of ”Legion of Honour” decorations--to wit, two Grand Officer's badges, twelve Commander's cravats, twenty-four Officer's rosettes, and a considerable number of Knight's crosses.
The two Governments were in the habit of exchanging armfuls of ribbons at regular intervals in this way, and the apportioning of these trifles created a useful occupation for the numerous members of all staffs and their still more numerous clerks.