Douglas Charles Abbott (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of National Defence)
Liberal
Mr. ABBOTT:
I cannot see the slightest objection to giving the information. I do not have it before me at the moment but I assume it is easily obtainable. I will get it and give it to the committee. On the question of casualties, my hon. friend has brought to my mind a point I had really intended to cover in my opening remarks. I do not wish to single out any particular branch of the service for special commendation, but one of the reasons why our casualties have been lower in this war than in the last has been, among
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War Appropriation-The Army
other things, the splendid work done by the medical corps. They are operating in the forward areas, doing major surgery at forward dressing stations; and incidentally the nursing sisters are operating well forward in this war under gunfire. With the use of aeroplane evacuation and the new drugs we have, and with prompt blood transfusions-and in this the civilian population has contributed largely in providing plasma-the result has been that deaths following wounds have been very much lower than in the last war. I am glad my hon. friend brought this up, because I did want to pay this special tribute to the work done by the medical services in the army. I will get the information asked for.