172 surgeons' reports MAINE SECOND DISTRICT. 



tioiis as were easily disposeil of, the uuiiiber would again be large. Upon the whole, I think fifty 

 men per day is as hirge a number as could be i)roper]y examined, as a general rule. 



The frauds which enrolled and drafted men most frequently attempted to practice ui)on us were 

 not very complicated or strange. The most common deceptions were the afl'ectatiou of " kidney- 

 complaint," "heart-disease," "lung-troubles," "deafness," "rheumatism," &c. Fre(]nently, just 

 before examination, they would run violently, and then feign heart-disease. In all cases of assei ted 

 heart-disease, we made it a rule to make the subjects sit still for half an hour, and then they were 

 re examined. Sometimes an irritant had been rubbed on the anus, and exemption would be claimed 

 for haemorrhoids. 



I do not know of any better protection against these attempts than extreme vigilance in exam- 

 ination: avoiding leading questions during the investigation of the case; carelul analysis of the 

 symptoms, noting the order of their recurrence; and observing the general condition of the system 

 at the time as compared with the patient's statements. 



The greatest amount of direct lying was in regard to age and liability to fits. Among recruits 

 and substitutes, more were underage than over. A great many boys presented themselves, many 

 of whom were rejected at sight. In doubtful cases, they were sworu as to their age before a justice 

 of the peace, the penalty of taking a false oath being first explained lo them. This test caused a 

 great many to confess tiie falsehood, who had been stubborn in their assertions until then. The 

 same proved true in regard to liability to fits. One day, a mau presented himself as a sub.stitute, 

 who came very near outwitting us. He passed a satisfactory examination, and had a fine physique. 

 Still, I was strongly impressed with the idea that I had seen him before, and that I had then 

 rejected him. I questioned and re-questioned him, but he persisted in denying that lie had ever 

 been before me. Finally, I referred to my private book, in which I had been in the constant habit 

 of noting down the name of every man who was examined, and found that he was exempted from 

 the draft, months before, for heart-disease. I showed him the record, and he finally confessed that 

 he had suffered from this disease for years, and had, iu consequence, been obliged to give up work. 

 Ee had been taking digitalis for some days, and in this case it had entirely masked the symptoms. 



I may refer most properly, perhaps, in this connection, to a trick which the substitute-brokers 

 attempted to play upon us in the earlier part of our service, when the men were not always mus- 

 tered in as soon as examined. After a man had been rejected, they would attempt to muster him 

 iu under the name of a sound man who had been accepted, changing the papers between our ofiice 

 and the marshal's. As a safeguard against this, as well as for other purposes, which will probably 

 be specified in the marshal's report, we adopted the plan of employing printed slips, containing the 

 personal description of the man, with a margin for remarks. * * * 



The natioindity which presented the greatest iihysical aptitude for military service iu our dis- 

 trict was the American. 



My experience'of the physical qualifications of the colored race for military service is not large, 

 as the number examined was small ; but, as a general thing, their physical qualifications were very 

 good. * * * 



CHAS. W. THOMAS, M. D., 

 Late Surgeon Board of Enrollment First District State of Maine. 



Portland, Me., October 31, 1865. 



MAINE— SECOND DISTRICT. 

 Uxtracts from report of Dr. Alex. Burbank. 



The precise number of men examined cannot now be ascertained. It is a matter of regret that 

 a record of all examinations was not made ; but, until recently, it was thought unnecessary to make 

 a record of the examination of enrolled men, unless sufficient cause was found for striking their 

 names from the list. The importance of such a measure not having been appreciated, we are com- 

 pelled now to approximate, where we might have been accurate. There have been examined, how- 



* * « 



ever, by myself and assistants, in the neighborhood of 4,()()(» men. 



The second district of Maine comprises four counties: Franklin, Androscoggin, Oxford, anil 

 Sagadahoc. Like other portions of New England, the country is somewhat hilly and broken, and 

 in some portions of the district it is even mountainous. The climate, like the country, is rugged 



