Furthermore, the reasons he was criticized on the beriberi issue are that he punished those who violated the ban of barley rice when he became the Director of the Medical Office in the Ministry of War, that he published his opinion on 'Can a decrease in beriberi be brought about by using barley rice instead of polished rice' in seven magazines related to hygiene, thus leaving no room for his competitors ('MORI Ogai Zenshu (the Complete Works of Ogai MORI),' Vol. 34, page 165 to 168), and that military men tended to be evaluated only on results, regardless of circumstances, as shown in the phrase 'Winning is what makes the Imperial army.'
なお、脚気問題で批判される根拠としては、日露戦争後に鴎外がトップの陸軍省医務局長になったとき、麦飯を禁止して違反者を取り締まった事実や「脚気減少は果して麦を以て米に代へたるに因する乎」という論説を衛生関連の7雑誌に掲載したことで牽制する結果を招いた事（『鴎外全集』第34巻、165-168頁）、｢勝てば官軍」等に表されるように軍人は特に経過を問われずに結果だけで評価されやすい事などがあげられる。