76 THE CHARTS NERVOUS SYSTEM PARALYSIS. 



IV, XXVII, and XXXVII, it is believed, cover the statistical ground quite thoroughly. 

 Owing, however, to a want of care or cai^acity, many examining surgeons reported all 

 cases of phthisis pulmonalis as chronic disease of the lung. This was particularly the 

 case under the first draft, and even under subsequent ones in certain localities. For 

 instance, from the State of Rhode Island, there was not reported a single case of phthisis 

 among all the drafted men, but a ratio of over twenty-five in a thousand were rejected 

 on account of chronic disease of the lung. As very nearly, if not quite all, such cases 

 were in fact phthisis, they have been included in the charts. 



It will be noticed that the general rules in regard to social condition, complexion, 

 age, and height hold good, except that the oldest men furnished a smaller ratio of 

 rejection than did those of the next preceding age, (thirty-five to forty;) owing, it may 

 be supposed, to the elimination of consumptives from their class by death. 



If phthisis be regarded as almost exclusively hereditary, the increased number of 

 cases occurring with increase of age would indicate that it is inherited in a potential 

 form, the predisposition being developed into actual disease, or kept in abeyance by 

 the environment or conditions of life, such as occupation and the physical surroundings, 

 which latter may be expressed by the teiTu locality ; that is, the place of residence. In 

 the comments on the remaining charts devoted to this disease, the conditions of this 

 environment are more fully discussed. 



CHART V. 



DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



Nervous diseases, taken together as a class, are treated of in this chart ; and, in the 

 next two, particular diseases belonging to the same class are shown in their relations 

 separately. Although, in thus groiiping diseases, many peculiarities of certain ones are 

 lost or are counterbalanced by others, still the general tendency is shown. Charts of 

 this kind demand very few comments ; but attention, in this case, is called to the 

 decrease of the ratio at an advanced age, while its increase is constant up to that point. 

 This diminution is probably owing, as in the case of phthisis pulmonalis, to the fatal 

 termination of cases, or to the removal of diseased persons to asylums. The indications 

 of that division of the chart headed " Height " are worthy of attention. 



CHART VI. 



PARALYSIS. 



In relation to social condition, complexion, age, and height, paralysis shows no 

 great deviation tVom the rule; but some irregularities do occur. With increase of age, 

 the ratio rapidly increases throughout, except in the case of men between the ages of 

 thirty jind thirty -five, in which case there is actually a recession of the lines; but this 

 may Ijc owing to that element of chance which, as has been remarked, should always 

 be duly weighed in the consideration of diseases on account of which so few were 

 rejected. The number examined under each division of age, although sufiiciently large 

 to give reliable indications in all but extreme cases, might allow as small a recession 



