284 suKGEONs' KKPOUxe — m:\v jkrbey — first distkict. 



wLio coiuplaiii i)f li-equeut attiu-ks of pain in tlie cardiac resiou, ami of palpitation and dyspnoea 

 upon taking severe or long continued exercise, but wiio otherwise seein to enjoy good health. The 

 cause of tliis condition is not obvious, bnt it may possibly be due to several sources, among wliich 

 the mode of living, tlie restless activity of the American, and the excessive us.e of tobacco are 

 entitled to some consideration. 



Of diseases of the pulmonary organs, a.sthma and chronic bronchitis were the most common ; 

 the former being qnite frequently met with. It may wot be out of place to mention here that my 

 experience in auscultalion during these examinations convinced mv that, contrary to tlie opinion of 

 some writers, the res[iiratory murmur is, in a state of health, louder on the left side of tlie tlioiax 

 than on the right. 



Poor teeth seem to be a national characteristic of the Americans; the number coming under 

 the instructions for exemption being large in proportion to other causes. The majority of those 

 who were over twenty-tive years of age were more or less deficient iu them, although they might 

 not attain the prescribed degree for disqualification. Good teeth are the exception and not tlie 

 rule. The Europeans and Africans, on the contrary, who were examined, were found to be highly 

 favored in tliis respect, although they were of a cjass of wlioni it is not to be expected that much 

 care had ever been taken of their teeth. 



The disqualifying diseases and infirmities set down in paragraph 85, Revised Eegulatioiis, seem 

 to have been admirably adapted to the wants of the examining-surgeon. Under them, authority 

 was found to exempt all men in this district who, according to the diagnosis and prognosis made, 

 were believed to be really unfit for military duty. What proved of equal advantage to the surgeon 

 was, that the specified directions contained in them were an unanswerable argument to querulous 

 disputants — men who were disposed to set up their own opinions, or those of some favorite quack, 

 in opposition to the surgeon's decision. 



A change in the character of the jiroof re<inired in section 3 might be well. Experience 

 proves that in three-fourths of the cases of epile[)tics " the affidavit of a i)hysician in good standing, 

 who has attended him in the disease within the six mouths immediately preceding his examina- 

 tion by the board," cannot be obtained, for the reason that the most inveterate and confirmed 

 cases are not likely, for a long time, to have liad a i)hysician in attendance during an attack, having 

 become satisfied of the nselessness of his presence. The rule adopted by the board of enrollment, 

 under the last sentence of that section, "was to require the affidavit of the physician as to how often 

 he had attended the claimant in the disease — when first and when last; also the affidavits of two 

 res[)ectable witnesses, who might be acquainted with the fact of his having had recent convulsions. 

 If these satisfacitorily proved that the man was an epileptic, he was exempted. * * * 



During the examinations under the draft fiist made in this district, duly-attested certificates 

 of resi)ectable ph\sicians were I'eceived from drafted men. The consequence was .that a majority 

 of those presenting themselves brought a document of greater or less length, which consumed 

 mu(;h time to read, and frequently was of no value. It is a matter of regret that some of these 

 bore evidence of having been given from interested motives. 



The fraud most frequently attempted by those seeking exemption was that of lameness from 

 some real or pretended injury to the inferior extremities. It was amusing to see a man hobble into 

 the room and point to a small scar created twenty years ago, the existence of which he had 

 probably entirely forgotten until fear of the draft had recalled it to memory. Deafness was at times 

 feigned ; but the rule of the board, which required proof of it where no disease could be detected, 

 was a barrier against this deception. Impaired vision was occasionally pretended. Sometimes a 

 violent cougU was extemporized to support a claim to pulmonary weakness; and simulation of 

 exceeding sensitiveness of the thoracic and abdominal walls to the touch was a very common 

 accomi)aninient to asseverations of organic di.sease in those regions. The great citadel of refuge 

 taken by those anxious for exemption, when all other resources failed, was that of " a weak back." 



The most frequent attempts of recruits and substitutes to deceive were in disguising unsuit- 

 ableness of age. Half-grown boys tried to pass themselves off for mature adults ; while old men, 

 with one loot in the grave, pretended to great youthfulness of carriage. Trusses for hernia were 

 left out of sight, and the intestine carefully tucked up into the abdominal cavity. Impaired limbs 

 from wounds or fiactures were kept in cojistant niotion, to show otf their activity; while the 



