328 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Minor to Moderate 



Per Cent. 



Functional circulatory — rapid, slow or intermittent pulse 11.37 



Urinary (high and low specific gravity, crystals, indican, etc.) . . . 21.62 



Digestive organs 6.12 



Constipation 14.70 



Nose and throat 34.53 



Ears 16.96 



Decayed teeth and infected gums 22.22 



Anemia 2.72 



Skin 6.38 



Errors in diet (pronounced) 13.70 



Errors in personal hygiene 31.60 



Physical Defects 



Per Cent. 



Faulty vision, uncorrected 16.03 



Flat foot -. 3.19 



Faulty posture 7.38 



Eupture — no truss 1.79 



Overweight — important 5.45 



Underweight — important 19.16 



Unclassified 7.38 



The above statement shows the percentages that the various impairments are 

 of the whole number of employees examined. Many employees, of course, show 

 several combined impairments. Average age 30. 



The first group is composed of individuals who apply voluntarily 

 for this service. It has heen assumed that many of these people had at 

 least a subconsciousness of impairment. jSTevertheless, 93 per cent, of 

 those found impaired vs^ere, according to their statements, unaware of 

 any impairment. 



Although the second group were not compulsorily examined, a prac- 

 tically unanimous consent to the examination removed any element of 

 self-selection, and the group may be regarded as fairly representative 

 of the average condition obtaining among the employees of such busi- 

 ness institutions in large cities. 



In studying these figures, it should be borne in mind that the par- 

 ticular purpose back of this system of examining is to secure a complete 

 picture of the individual, and thus all impairments or imperfections 

 found have been carefully recorded without regard to the present state 

 of knowledge as to their significance. Examination for life insurance, 

 for tuberculosis, for eligibility for employment, for ascertaining the 

 influence of particular occupations or hazards, etc., and other physical 

 examination for special purposes might produce a different record. In 

 the institute's work, however, information is sought for the sole pur- 

 pose of assisting the individual to raise himself to a higher standard 

 of health and efficiency; hence, any departure from the normal is re- 



