surgeons' reports KENTUCKY SECOND DISTRICT. 36? 



Fractures and diseases of bones and irreducible dislocations of large joints disqualify a greater 

 ratio per thousand than the diseases embraced in any other one section in paragraph 85. This is 

 owing to the life-long permanence and intractable character of this class of disabilities, which do 

 not yield to remedies as other diseases do. 



Hernia may next be enumerated, and the same reasons are applicable. These disabilities pre- 

 vail in the district because of the laborious occupations of the inhabitants in clearing away the 

 immense forests of heavy timber, the erection of numerous log-hoiises and tobacco-baiiis, and the 

 management of wild and vicious horses, and working of various coal-mines. The discxualifying 

 character of the above disabilities is apparent. 



My experience would recommend the following changes in paragraph 85 : 



Section 3, epilepsy ; the restrictions requiring " the duly-attested afiidavit of a physician in good 

 standing who has attended him (the man) in the disease within the six months immediately preceding 

 his examination by the board" should be changed. This disease is permanent, and generally incura- 

 ble, and the man subject to the horribly affliction, after exhausting the catalogue of remedies and 

 employing many physicians, completely despairs of ever being cured ; his family and friends take pre- 

 cautions to ward off the danger of violent injury during the paroxysms, and a physician does not see 

 him perhaps for many years preceding his examination. Other competent evidence should suflBce. 



Section 20 will put into the service a man totally unfit for military service. He may have lost 

 all his molar teeth and be entirely incapable of masticating his food, and indigestion and diarrhoea 

 will soon make him an inmate of the hospital, just because he is unfortunate enough to have a 

 snag of a front or eye tooth left, though it is of no service to him. In the hands of honest and 

 competent surgeons, the old form of " loss of a sufQcieut number of teeth to prevent mastication 

 of food " is best. 



Section 29. Varicocele should be disqualifying where the veins are large, numerous, and pen- 

 dent. 



Not more than one hundred drafted or enrolled men can be carefully and accurately examined 

 per day, where the proof offered is considered. 



The frauds most to be guarded against in the examination of drafted and enrolled men are 

 feigned diseases; principally general physical disability, deafness, impaired vision, hernia, lum- 

 bago, and inability to use well some one or more of the large joints. 



Prominent and prolific among the frauds and obstacles with which the surgeon had to contend 

 was the rebellious character of many of the inhabitants of this district, and its occupation much 

 of the time by the enemy's guerrilla-bands. More than one-half of those remaining at home were 

 rebels at heart, and bitterly opposed to rendering to the Government the least amount of aid or 

 loyalty. Demoralized regarding the sanctity of an oath, and presenting themselves with the most 

 urgent appeals and protestations, saying at the same time that they were "law-abiding men, and 

 willing to do anything the Government saw lit to put upon them if they were able-bodied;" backed 

 by lengthy aflUdavits of their entire inability to perform military duty — that "one night's ex- 

 posure would send them to hospital or kill them outright" — if it was found that regulations did 

 not apply to their case, and exemption was refused them, they would soon after desert to the 

 rebel army, and, report says, make very efficient soldiers. 



To overcome the difiiculties arising from feigned diseases, I would suggest a rigul and careful 

 examination. If the subject be a laboring-man, examine his hands, and if found to be hard, and 

 the skin much thickened in the palms, and his muscular development to be good, he will do for serv- 

 ice. For the frauds and obstacles of disloyalty, the law furnishes a better remedy than medicine. 



As my former reports will show, my exijerience is quite limited as to the greatest physical ap- 

 titude of the different nations of men for militarj' service ; but I am decided in the belief that the 

 intelligent, hard-fisted yeomanry, the laboring-classes of the Western States of the Union, excel all 

 others in enduring difficult campaigns, and in performing feats of heroism in battle, of either small 

 or great magnitude. Their occui)ation in first treeing these States from the warlike savage, 

 and afterward in clearing and preparing the dense forest for cultivation, has developed a race 

 of athletic and muscular men, who, having been educated with the rifle in their hands, are ex- 

 cellent marksmen, and, being good horsemen, they have the physical ability to do, the bravery 

 to dare, and the intelligence to accomplish the greatest military triumphs. Without speaking 



