294 SUKGEONS' RKPOETS NEW JEESEY FIFTH DISTRICT. 



for by the large number of persous uecessarily exposed to accideuts from macbiuery, and to tbe 

 large number of railroad-employes in this district. 



The table shows that 50 per cent, of laborers were esemi)t, for which rate it may be thought 

 my theory of occupation will not account, as this class of persous is believed to be generally healthy ; 

 and I have no doubt that they are iu the rural districts, where their labor is agricultural ; but the 

 laborer of the city is the assistant of the mechanic, mostly doing the worst woik about a nianufac- 

 turiug establishment; they also do the seweriug and scavengering ; in short, they perform the 

 labor that is required to nudie a city habitable, which constantly exposes them to what is delete- 

 rious to health or dangerous to limb. Such men abide also, for tbe most part, in the most unhealthy 

 parts of the city. 



The number of exemptions for organic disease of internal organs, and especially for disease of 

 the heart, under section 5, paragraph 85, were actually surprising to myself, and early induced the 

 greatest care in the examination of such cases. More care could not indeed have been used, and 

 for the prevalence of that disease I refer to the reasons already dwelt upon. Kheumatism, both 

 acute and chronic, is a prevalent disease in this district. We have four incorporated cities in this 

 district, with an organized tire department in each, giving to the district a very unusual luimber of 

 firemen. We have also an enormous amount of porterage in our manufacturing establishujcnts, in 

 which heavy burdens are carried to the second, third, and fourth stories of those large buildings. 

 Thus we have prevailing to a very great extent fruitful sources of organic disease — causes that have 

 bean long since chargeable with producing disease of the heart. 



My views on the difl'erent sections of paragraph 85 may be expressed in few words. * » * 

 Justice to the Government and justice to the people demand rigor of law. It is true that the sec- 

 tion will hold to service many men worth but little as soldiers; but less rigor "would exempt men 

 capable of doiug the Government good service. 



One of the most perplexing duties of the surgeon of a board of enrollment, as the law now 

 stands, with the minute specifications of what shall exe^npt and of what shall not exempt, is to 

 determine how near the apparent disqualification is the real one. Men constantly urge their claims 

 for exemption from service, who uiuler other circumstances would have resented as an offense the 

 charge of unsonnduess. Men receiving average wages at their respective callings, though it were 

 even a laborious one, strongly urge claims of disability, for which, if their employer had sought to 

 lessen their compensation, they would have been highly incensed, and have considered themselves 

 greatly wronged. As the law now stands, few competent to perform it can escape duty at the 

 hands of an intelligent surgeon; true, some may be held who are of no value, or who would even 

 burden the service, but it is much easier to get men out of the service th-an into it, and when expe- 

 rience demonstrates that a man is inefficient he can be honorably discharged. 



In the main, I believe the difl'erent sections to have been well devised. There are two, however, 

 sections 20 and 23, neither of which, in my opinion, states a proper cause of exemption for drafted 

 men, but such as should be considered only in so iar as they relate to permanent physical disability. 

 That a toothless man with a icell-nourishvd body is disqualified from service is a contradiction of 

 fact. The regulation objects to him because he cannot masticate his food — because he cannot eat; 

 but his physique, his strong arm, his powerful frame, demonstrates the fact that he does eat, and 

 that his food is well assimilated. But it is again 'urged, he has the home conveniences to prepare 

 his food. Can he not have these conveniences in garrison ? I admit the force of the argument that 

 preparation of food is necessary to the toothless ; but the Government does not put all its men on 

 long marches, and in places where food cannot be prepared. 



That a man with hernia is disqualified from perlbrming the laborious duties of the soldier is 

 contradicted in the everyday labor of life. A very large percentage of carpenters are ruptured, 

 but continue their vocation, notwithstanding, through life. 1 )o soldiers often perform more laborious 

 duties than carpenters ? In all the vocations of life, from the most sedentary to the most laborious, 

 we find men continuing their occupations as before the occurrence of the hernia. The argument 

 that such men cannot be depended u[)on when most needed, that their trusses will break at a sea- 

 son most convenient for them to shirk duty, does not hold good with men doing garrison-duty ; 

 there they could be efiQcieutly employed. My opinion on the section above discussed is the result 

 of contrast in the examinations of drafted men. Often have I had men come before me in quick 



