surgeons' reports— CONNECTICUT— second DISTRICT. 231 



There is a lar-e class of nuMi from this district and from the sea-coast of New Englaud 



.n-.redTu scr.fa? no- occupations. These are the best i.. sinew an.l .nuscle, and are possessed ot 



e "mme t and most^■obust constitutions. Many of these men, in their wanderings, fiually become 



tie in dmtrent parts of tho country, and, indeed, of the world, and, being thus permanently 



Lit to the i' rent community, subtract so much from the average health and longevity ot the 



^^^1tr:ndrS,r:?;hange: ihpariraphi, section ..:He.«.«no^ 

 ^s a cause of exenu-tton, whether it be incipient, and tiot easily detected, or otherwise; .. a I ca es 

 o hem a' the subject must, at present, be exempted. The change I won d »-«---f ^ J^^ ; 

 That the section, as far as rdates to hernia, be qualified ; and that mc.pient her.ua =^'hI case. ^ «. c 

 Sie i^or s as ly reducible a.td kept i,i position by the use of a truss, and tha do not, and prob- 

 ablv won d not uterfere with the individual's perfornnng any ordinary hard labor, should be 

 xepTedlom the causes of exemption. Men aiSicted with hernia in i^-'-^'V 1"" h.?t£v 

 ^ve . ese ed then.selves at this office as volunteers, and were rejected, notwithstanding that the 

 had ,om personal knowledge, performed good service in the army upon ^1^'^/'' ^^ -d were lu y 

 competent o do so aaain. These men were veterans in the present war, who had enlisted m its 

 Tar r aU" of less stringent enlistment, with little or no bounty •, had served out their pei-ioc s of 

 en tme't to the acceptance of their officers; been honorably discharged; and now were desirous 

 of eSg agai!., witl the bounties others were receiving, but could not be received under the 



""s^iuon^i^'This section excepts incontinence of urine, of itself, from the causes of exemption 

 Such ex e,"t;n, in my opinion, is wrong, and I would recommend that this section be changed o 

 tas^ -"continence of 'urine in the list of exemptions. I cannot well ^-^ ^^ '.-J- 

 nfirmity more depressing to the feelings and pride of a man, and one more calculated to make him 

 loatT on he society of friends and comrades, than incontinence of urine in any ot i s stag s ; 



and Chsome even to himself, unless by the use of appliances and care not practicable in the 



army 



My examinations of men for the military service took place in a large, ^^'l^^f**^^ ;««•"' "J^"* 

 twenty feet long by fifteen feet wide. The recruit presented for examination was pu under oath, then 

 q« stfonSl aTt' his history, his birth, age, and occupation ; if he ev^^ had any sickness, it so, when 

 S where and of how long continuance, and how severe; if he had fits, of what nature, and «hen , 

 if Lwlslver insane ; if he ever had any bones broken, dislocations, or sprains causing lameness; 

 rv^^ha; Le!:ori.hage, and whether he knew of anything about him, -t-md or interna to 

 unfit him for hard labor or military duty. Then I proceeded to examine strictlj, in each pa. 

 ti^u Hi hi accor lane; with paragraphs 93, 94, and 95, Kevised Regulations Provost-Marshal-Gen- 

 S; Bu eau m uired the recru/t to hop the length of the room in three hops, first on one foot 

 Sen on thTother; then to hop across the room on tiptoe, first on one foot, then on the oth r and 

 men on rue ot e , f directed hi.n to rotate one arm around his shoulde. as 



:: •!r T^^^t^^^X^^^^^^ ^^- ^-ard ., then to rotate the other arm in like 

 manner- h'n to exteid his arms both at once, straight above his head with open palms; then 

 Txn in^- on tb.toe to leap up as high as he could, and the.i come down on tiptoe, ar.ns sti 1 extended 

 tJa'^t « mel the e L reLn to suspect hernia, the subject was required to old dmnb- 

 ben with extended arms, and to cough while holding them. Then he was made to stai d at the 

 Seme end o the room, and, with one eye covered, to give the number of the surgeon's finger 

 h^^ht te he d up ; s vera trials being made, each eye being tested separately, and afterward 



'"^In'Lard to the time required to examine men with accuracy, there is a marked difference 

 physically, with accuracy, at the rate of about four per hour. 



