Title: War Surgery and Medicine

Author: Stout, T. Duncan M.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1954, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

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Pensions Experience

Medical examiners for war pensions in New Zealand saw several cases of active tuberculosis in men returned to New Zealand for nervous dyspepsia and in one diagnosed overseas as probably a gastric ulcer. Some of the nervous dyspepsia cases had developed duodenal ulcer, thus showing a neurotic predisposition to peptic ulcer. Many again were later proved to have chronic amoebiasis even when there had been no previous suspicion of this infection.

With the high incidence of peptic ulcer in the community the development of the disease in any overseas force was inevitable, however careful the initial medical examinations might be.

The importance of dyspepsia in returned service personnel is shown by the totals of disabilities recorded by the War Pensions Branch up to 31 March 1949: dyspepsia, 1655, duodenal ulcer, 1063; and gastric ulcer, 49.