no. 2.] PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. 



479 



It should not be understood that all cases referred to psychiatrists were thereby designated 

 as suitable cases for discharge. For example, of the 414 men referred from Camp Lee, 154, or 

 37.2 per cent, were considered by the psychologists as unfit for the Army; the remaining 260 

 were referred as unfit for regular military duty but useful for service battalions. Since there 

 was no service battalion at Camp Lee at this time, it was impossible for the psychiatrists to 

 follow the latter recommendation. 



The extreme differences among the four camps are due chiefly to local conditions. Thus in 

 Camp Taylor the examinations were made relatively late in 1917 and there was almost no oppor- 

 tunity for conducting individual examinations. Otherwise five or possibly 10 times as many 

 men would have been examined. In Camp Dix, on the other hand, although examining was late, 

 a large number of the men was given individual examination by means of a special procedure 

 which was devised in that station. 



With reference to the number of men rejected because of mental deficiency as indicated by 

 psychological examination, it should be stated that the figures are misleading. They show 

 only the cases known to have been rejected on medical recommendations. In many cases men 

 designated as referred to psychiatrists failed actually to be examined by them because of transfer 

 or other reasons. Thus at Camp Lee, at the time the statistics of the table were compiled, only 

 154 of the cases referred had been examined by the psychiatrists. Undoubtedly certain addi- 

 tional cases, possibly a considerable number, were ultimately rejected from the various camps, 

 but even allowing for this addition the rejections on account of intellectual deficiency would not 

 exceed 0.5 per cent. 



In this work psychological examiners had nothing whatever to do with the discharge of 

 mentally deficient men or even of recommendations concerning the same. They were instructed 

 through the office of the Surgeon General merely to report to the chief medical officer or to the 

 psychiatric officer all cases of low-grade mentality or suspected mental peculiarities. 



Camp Devens reports a total of 243 cases referred to medical officers for special considera- 

 tion either in connection with assignment or recommendation for discharge. Of this number 

 36 had previously been referred by the psychiatrist to the psychologist. This leaves a total of 

 207 men discovered by the psychological survey of the men of the camp, who proved to be of 

 such mental level as to demand special study, special assignment, or rejection. 



Reports of commanding officers indicated that in 83.5 per cent of these cases (163 reported 

 on), the judgment of the company commander with respect to the military value of the indi- 

 vidual agreed with that of the psychological staff. Of cases especially recommended by the psy- 

 chologists to the psychiatrists for examination, 55 per cent of 180 reported were accepted for 

 service. This indicates that the psychologists' findings corresponded more closely with the 

 judgment of company commanders than with the action of the medical officers especially 

 responsible for mental problems. 



Of 193 cases on which definite report of action was received at Camp Lee, 56 per cent were 

 accepted for service by the psychiatrists. Lee also checked results of individual examining by 

 visits to the drill grounds and conferences with company commanders. Officers were asked 

 to pick out men who were doing poorly in drill and these cases were called back for individual 

 examination. The distribution of 101 of these men is as follows: 



Mental age 



Number of cases. 



5 to 5.9 

 3 



6 to 6.9 



7 to 7. 9 

 23 



! to 8. 9 

 21 



9 to 9. 9 

 21 



10 to 10. 9 



7 



11 to 11.9 

 5 



12 to 12. 9 

 5 



13 to 13.9 

 5 



14 to 14.9 

 1 



These visits to drill grounds also enabled the examiners to check their mental age scores. 

 It was found that rejection could safely be recommended for practically all cases testing 7 

 years or lower. Men scoring between 7 and 9 years mental age were usually of questionable 

 use to regular military organizations. The Lee staff recommended the organization of service 

 battalions so that these men might be utdized at work suited to their abilities. One psycholog- 

 ical staff sent all men of a mental age of 10 or below to the psychiatrist. It is probable that 

 had this level been maintained for rejection or at least for assignment to special service bat- 



