surgeons' reports NEW YORK — SIXTH DISTRICT. 243 



tlioir (li-stricts citlier before or iunnediately after being drafted, leaving the honest, industrious, and 

 loyal (and, in too many instances, heads of dependent families) to bear the brunt. 



In large cities, it is impossible, under the present system, to get anything like acorrect enroll- 

 ment of the inhabitants. The honest, well-meaning man is sure of being correctly enrolled, while 

 the vagabond and disloyal are almost as sure to be represented by some false name or to evade it 

 altogether. 



I am of opinion that the only way to get a correct enrollment or census is to have it done in 

 time of peace by district-boards, similar to boards of enrollment. Such boards inigiit be so consti- 

 tuted as to make district pension-examinations. All this could be easily done with a tithe of the 

 expense now incurred by the Government for similar services. 



JOSEPH HILTON, 

 Surgeon Board of Enrollment Fifth District of New Yorlc. 



New York City, June 15, 1SG5. 



NEW YORK— SIXTH DISTRICT. 

 Extracts from report of Dr. A. L. LooMis. 



My experience in the examination of men for military service commenced on the 17tli of 

 November, 1SG3, with my appointment as surgeon of the sixth district. The number of men exam- 

 ined, as near as can be ascertained, is 3,GG0. 



The sixth district comprises the Ninth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth wards of the city of New York. 

 It is bounded on the south by Houston street, on the east by Bowei-y and Fourth avenue, on the 

 north by Twenty-sixth street, and on the west by the North River. 



There are but few vacant lots in the district, and there are no endemic causes of disease except 

 the over-crowding of badly-ventilated tenement-houses, the filthy streets, and the abundance of low 

 groggeries. The main portion of the district is occupied by dwelling-houses, the inhabitants' of 

 which comprise all classes of society. The Fifteenth ward is mostly inhabited by merchants; the 

 Sixteenth, by mechanics; and the Ninth, by both merchants and mechanics. 



I have no change's to recommend in paragraph 85, except that sections 20 and 23 (it seems to 

 me) exempt too large a number of able-bodied men. # * * 



The number of men that I can examine with accuracy in a day is, fifty . 



The claims for exemption which were most frequently made by enrolled men were founded on 

 general debility and thoracic disease. The frauds most frequently practiced by recruits and substi- 

 tutes were in relation to age. Old men, from fifty to sixty, were rejuvenated, and came forward 

 willing to make their afHdavit that they were between the ages of eighteen and forty-five; while 

 mere boys of fourteen and fifteen were as ready to swear that they were over eighteen years of age. 



The nationality that presented the greatest aptitude for military service was the American. 

 My examination of the colored race is limited. Among the few examined, however, I found the 

 most perfect specimens of muscular development. 



As to the operation of the present enrollment-law, in my district it was a failure. It is impos- 

 sible in a city district to make a perfect enrollment during a time of war, for a change of residence 

 is easily made, and fictitious names were in very many instances given to the enrolling-ofTicer. It is 

 impossible to arrive at the number of able-bodied members of a family, or even at the number of 

 families occupying a house, unless the information is a free-will offering on the part of the inhab- 

 itants. The only way to obviate this would be to make an enrollment every year or two during a 

 time of peace ; and it seems to me it would be wise on the part of the Government to establish 

 a bureau, similar to the Provost-Marshal's, to keep up a perfect enrollment of all the inhabitants 

 of each congressional district. By such means, frauds on the ballot-box could be prevented, and, 

 at the same time, we should in a " time of i)eace be i)repared for war." 



ALFRED L. LOOMIS, 

 Siirgeon Board of Enrollment Sixth District of Neio Yorh. 



New York City, June 15, 1865. 



