srilfJEONS KKrORTS PENNSYLVANIA I'OUK I'EKN III JilSTUlCT. 



;538 



(liaracter, art! a sober, thrifty, aud industrious iit'opli', their modi's of life plain and liiij;al, and 

 tbcir occupations chieliy agricultural. 



The following renuuks apply only to native Pennsyh auians, the cases of loieign nativity being 

 toofew to aft'ord any valuable statistical intoiination. The most prominent disability reniarl<ed in the 

 men coming under my owu observation was loss of teeth ; the disability being applird to those cases 

 in which there was entire loss of teeth of one or both jaws, or loss of front, eye, and tirst molars, 

 according to section liOofi)ara graph 85. Of SOT men stricken from the rolls, L'40 were rejected for this 

 cause alone. This gives the large ratio per thousand exemi)tions for all aiti-scs of ;50.S.5. Tiie ratio 

 per thousand men in the district (basing the calculation upon the whole nunjber of men remaining 

 upon the rolls liable to military duty after their correction) would be 21.'-', and this will be found 

 very nearly the true proportion of this disability per thousand men in the district, since there 

 were very lew entitled to exemption for loss of teeth who were not at one time or another before 

 (he board for examination during its sittings for the correction of the lists. This disability occurs 

 mostly in persons from rural districts, and is due to want of care in keeping the teeth clean, inat- 

 tention to incipient caries, accumulation of tartar in great amount, general ill-health, and, in some 

 cases, to some obscure cause inherited in the system jjredisposing to rapid decay and early loss of 

 teeth. Quite a noticeable feature is the frequency with which thisdisability is fouud toexist in certain 

 families. 



Again, of the above number of cases of permanent physical disability, (807,) there were 15;{ 

 cases of hernia, as follows: right inguinal, 75 ; left inguinal, 62 ; double inguiual, 12 ; umbilical, '.i ; 

 right femoral, 1. 



The ratio per thousand exemptions is : 



Hernia, all kinds 189.5 



Eight inguinal - 'J'*- 1 



Lett inguinal • 70. 7 



Double inguinal ■ li.d 



Umbilical '-•■ 3. G 



Femoral 1-2 



The ratio per thousand of cases of hernia, basing the calculation on the whole number remain- 

 ing on the enrollment-lists after correction, is 13.07. The occupations of those having hernia are as 

 follows: 



Farmers 59 House-painters 1 



Laborers .'50 Clerks 1 



Gari)enters . ; U Cigar-makers 1 



Blacksmiths 5 Millwriglits 1 



Shoemakers 5 Landlords 1 



Merchants --■ 5 Limners 1 



Boatmen 4 Plasterers . . 1 



Stone-masons' 3 Potters 1 



Teachers - . • 2 Grocers 1 



Tinners 2 Agents 1 



Saddlers 2 Machinists 1 



Wagon-makers 2 Physicians 1 



Millers 2 Engineers 1 



Unknown 2 



Hernia is actually a much more comuiun disability in the district, and the ratio per thousand 

 is therefore greater, than is shown by the above statistics. Many persons sutfering from this dis- 

 ability did not present themselves to be stricken from the enrollment-lists, feeling secure in the 

 conviction that their exem[)tion was certain incase they were drafted ; others were unwilling to 

 undergo the exposure necessary to an examination. The statistics exhibit its much greater fre- 

 quency among farmers and laborers than in any other class of men, which can only be accounted for 

 upon the supposition that laborious and active pursuits, requiring much muscular efl'ort, are its 

 principal exciting causes. * ♦ » 



