Changes

The word 'Service' is not quite accurate in the definition above and should be replaced by 'Department'. Surgeons trained in Great Britain, held covenanted positions in the Medical Departments of the Presidencies and later in the Indian Medical Service and were of officer rank in the Army. The European establishment of the Subordinate Medical Departments of the [[presidencies]] (with abbreviations such as Sub Medical Dept, Sub-Med Dept, S-Med Dept, SMD.) and of the later Indian Subordinate Medical Department (ISMD) consisted of the uncovenanted positions of Apothecaries and [[Steward (Medical)|Stewards]], Assistant Apothecaries and Assistant Stewards, together with those in training for these roles called [[Hospital or Medical Apprentice]]s. The first four positions were of [[Warrant Officer]] rank (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=LBq1AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA255 ''Madras Quarterly Journal of Medical Science'' 1863 v. 7]), but this rank did not apply to Hospital or Medical Apprentices. The members of the SMD were almost always locally born and recruited, although there were the odd exceptions.

==The Early Years==