Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/29

 Senior Surgeons as Majors. Surgeons as Captains. Assistant Surgeons as Lieutenants.

Promotion from assistant to surgeon is regulated by seniority alone. All surgeons of thirty years' standing are promoted to be senior surgeons, but the offices of superintending surgeon and member of the Board were, in 1842, declared staff appointments, to which seniority gave no claim; however, with a few exceptions, these have been filled up by seniority. It is somewhat remarkable, that promotion to the rank of senior surgeon is but an empty name, for by G. O. it "confers no claim whatever to superior allowances, and will make no change whatever in the nature of their employment." They get the rank of major at thirty years' service, but no corresponding increase of pay. In my opinion, this restriction is calculated to injure the public service most materially. An increase of pay, after having served 16 years as surgeon, was urgently called for. No surgeon can calculate upon any future increase of emolument now;and large numbers discouraged by this invidious distinction, retire from the service in the prime of life, when their skill and experience are of the greatest value to the state, and the higher duties of the profession are carried on by the aged and the infirm, or by