CAUSES OF REJECTION IN THE ITALIAN ARMY 



The following table for Italy is for the period 1905-09: 



PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF REJECTION IN. THE ITALIAN ARMY 



1905-1909 



Per Cent. 

 Examined 



1. General Weakness 5.1 



2. Deficient Development of Chest 4.1 



3. Diseases of the Eye, including Errors of Refraction 2.1 



4. Scrofula, Anemia, Weakness, etc 2.0 



5. Diseases of Bones, Extremities, etc 1.9 



6. Hernia 1.5 



In Italy, Austria and Germany general bodily weakness is the pre- 

 dominating cause of army rejections. For medical and recruiting pur- 

 poses this term is neither conclusive nor practically useful. Com- 

 bining general bodily weakness with deficient chest development and 

 scrofula, anemia, convalescence, etc., the three causes account for 11.2 

 per cent, of the rejections of the examined in the Italian experience, 

 against 19.3 per cent, in the German army and 43.0 per cent, in the 

 Austrian army. It is exceedingly doubtful whether on the basis of 

 a thorough medical examination, with a due regard to the necessity 

 for the ascertainment of all existing impairments, defects and defi- 

 ciencies and not merely the predominating one sufficient for military 

 disqualification, the Italian recruits would still hold a position of 

 superiority in physical development over the recruits of the German 

 or the Austrian Empire. 



CAUSES OF REJECTION IN THE BELGIAN ARMY 

 The Belgian statistics are for the period 1902-04. 



PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF REJECTION IN THE BELGIAN ARMY 



1902-1904 



Per Cent. 

 Examined 



1. Bodily Weakness 8.0 



2. Diseases of the Bones and Extremities 5.0 



3. Diseases of Eyes, including Blindness and Ophthalmia 4.4 



4. Below Minimum Stature 2.3 



5. Varicose Veins 1.9 



6. Hernia 1.6 



In all of the recruiting statistics specific rejections for tuberculosis 

 hold a comparatively unimportant position. In the Belgian army the 

 rejection rate was only 0.15 per cent., but in addition thereto the rejec- 

 tions for diseases of the respiratory organs were 0.8 per cent. The 

 fact, of course, must not be overlooked that the examinations concern 

 almost exclusively the recruiting material between 20 and 22 years of 

 age, at which tuberculosis has rarely developed to a point of sufficient 

 seriousness to permit of its ascertainment except by thorough methods 



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