222 surg'eons' eepoets — massachdsett^ — tenth district. 



erally nsed by the surgeon if it is expected be will comply with an order like tbe following, which 

 was received at tbisoflice: "You (the surgeon) are expected to examine at least 120 men daily 

 until tbe draft is comi)leted." I know of but one addition to paragraph 85, as amended in circular 

 100, which I would suggest: I would restore "excessive myopia" to section 10, and then approve 

 tbe paragraph as a whole. 



From my experience as surgeon in this ofBce, I have no hesitation in saying that not a single 

 section of that circular (100) can be omitted without detriment to tbe service. 



* * * Tbe good of the service should be tlie highest ambition of the surgeon in the exam- 

 ination of men; but neither this, nor the impending threat to take from the scanty pittance which 

 Government allows for his service, the expense of recruiting Kichard Eoe can save him from the 

 imputation of carelessness, if others, as incompetent or negligent as himself, should happen to 

 differ from him in oi)iniou as to his titness for military service. A case in point, and the only one 

 of volunteer or substitute examined by me personally, in which 1 have been called upon to report, 

 is cited in proof. A volunteer was examined and accepted by me at this office and delivered at 

 the rendezvons on Galonp's Island; shortly thereafter I was called upon to re])ort " why be was 

 accepted," as it was alleged that be "had hernia at the time of bis examination, which might have 

 been easily detected with proper care on part of the surgeon." The whereabouts of tbe volunteer 

 being discovered, be was brought before tbe board for re-examination. I carefully examined the 

 man in presence of the board, with the assistance of two eminent surgeons, and it was most con- 

 clusively shown that hernia did not exist. The volunteer had followed before bis enlistment and 

 since bis discbarge a laborious occupation, and had never worn a truss or suspected a hernia. Had 

 tbe man not been found, I might have suffered mortification and loss of pay without an oiiportunity 

 of vindication. 



* * * I think seventy about tbe number of men wbicb I should fix upon that could be 

 " physically examined with accuracy in a day." I have often examined more than one hundred; 

 but this requires an amount of labor wbicb, if continued day after day, would soon render most 

 sui-geons unfit for duty. * * * 



In the examination of drafted men, it might as well be taken for granted at tbe outset that 

 they have all the diseases and disabilities mentioned in paragraph 85, and more, if possible. 



These simple claims for exemption cannot be considered " frauds;" they are mere pretensions 

 and the surgeon can judge of their truth or falsity with little hesitation. 



The attempts at actual fraud by drafted men to escape service were for the most part weak 

 inventions and hardly in keei)ing with tbe proverbial shrewdness of the people. They generally 

 consisted in tbe application of blisters and plasters to the surface; in irritating the rectum to sun- 

 ulate hemorrhoids; exciting conjunctival inflammation; and occasionally in the application of 

 trusses. These were the principal devices, the acute and recent appearance of which rendered 

 them harmless for the purpose of deception, and tbe most common result was to plague the inven- 

 tor. When it was claimed that there was "total loss of sight of right eye," or "partial loss of 

 sight of both eyes," if they gave no very positive indication of it on inspection, such cases were 

 continued till evening, and then examined with the ophthalmoscope. 



The provost-marshal's office was a very Pool of tSiloam for drafted men : the blind have been 

 made to see, tbe deaf to hear, and.the lame lo walk. I have known men too lame to run if threat- 

 ened by Mosby's guerrilbis to improve at once when told that the attenipt at deception was well 

 understood and appreciated. 



Occasionally a drafted man would mutilate himself to escape service by cutting off his fingers, 

 or having his teeth extracted. What would be the value of such men to the service ? All substi- 

 tutes were required to wash their persons perfectly clean before presenting themselves for examina- 

 tion, and to be absolutely sober; these rules were never departed Irom at this office. 



There might have been an occasional fraud practiced upon this otfice, (indeed, it would have 

 been strange bad none succeeded;) but no system would long escape detection by a thorough, care- 

 ful, miuute insi)eotion. Certain liabilities and tendencies, which would unfit a man for service when 

 developed, might not always be detected, nay, sometimes could not be, however careful the exami- 

 nation ; as, for example, the liability to ei)ilepsy, and the tendency to certain forms of rheumatism, 

 when the <liseuse had left no visible trace of a former attack. 



