272 surgeons' RfePORTS— new YORK— twentieth DISTRICT. 



The frauds practiced by recruits and substitutes to enter the service most couiinonly relate to 

 age, according to my observation. Men are presented, claiming to be under forty-flve years old, 

 wbo, on a close examination, will be found to have their hair and whiskers colored ; and boys claim- 

 ing to be eighteen, but whose youthful appearance makes their statements incredible. It is difli- 

 oult, if not quite impossible, when a recruit is bent on deception, if his age is not more than two 

 or three years above forty-five, and he is of good physical constitution and appearance, to detect 

 tlie fraud; or, if he be within one or two years of eighteen, and is fully developed, as some boys 

 become at this early age, it is also dififlcult to prove the deception. But when they are informed 

 that they will be required to make aflfldavit to their ages, and the consequences of swearing talsely 

 are explained to them, with but few exceptions they own the intended fraud, and acknowledge their 

 true ages; this applies more especially to joung men. 



The nationality that presents the greatest physical aptitude for the service, of those examined 

 by me, is in my opinion the native-born citizen of the United States. The tbliowiug are the average 

 measurements of height, and capacity of chest in inspiration and expiration, of twenty-five men of 

 each of the principal nationalities examined during the past sis months: 



25 Germans. 



Height - C4|A inches. 



Girth of chest at inspiration SQ^j inches. 



Girth of chest at expiration 33il inches. 



25 Canadians. 



Height 65ii inches. 



Girth of chest at inspiration : SCfi inches. 



Girth of chest at expiration 34^^ inches. 



25 Englishmen. 



Height -662^5 inches. 



Girth of chest at inspiration 36^^ inches. 



Girth of chest at exi)iration 33ii inches. 



25 Irishmen. 



Height 66^ inches. 



Girth of chest at inspiration 3Gi-| inches. 



Girth of chest at expiration 34|| inches. 



25 Native Americans. 



Height 60^ inches. 



Girth of chest at inspiration 3G^| inches. 



Girth of chest at expiration 33J| inches. 



From these measurements, it will be seen that the Canadians possess the greatest apparent 

 physical capacity of chest, which may be .accounted for from the fact that those examined of that 

 nationality were almost universally laboring men, accustomed during their whole lives to active 

 out-of door pursuits ; which i-easoning also applies with considerable force to other foreigners exam- 

 ined,- while many of those examined of our own citizens were clerks, students, and men of this 

 class of occupations, unused to labor or active physical exercise ; so that, notwithstanding the appar- 

 ent superiority of the other nationalities in this particular, the general physical appearance of cit- 

 izens of the United States is the best. 



My experience as to the physical qualifications of the colored race for military service is too 

 limited to be of any particular value; but, so far as I have had an opportunity of judging, I think 

 them well qualified. 



My views as to the operation of the enrollment-law as it now- exists are that there is a defi- 

 ciency in the law relating to the corrections of the enrollment, or the duties of enrolling ofQcers. 

 Experience has shown that to depend upon the jiublic to correct the enrollment iu the respective 

 sub-districts, is a very uncertain reliance; and, when sutticieut interest is felt to attempt the cor- 



