370 SUKGEONS' REPORTS ICENTUCKY FOURTH DISTRICT. 



KENTUCKY— FOUllTH DISTRICT.^ 



Extracts from report o/Dr. John C. Maxwell. 



* * * My appointment to the position of examiuiug-surgeou for the Fourth Dis- 



trict of Kentucliy date.s 23d of April, 1SG4, a little upward of one year ago. From that time, 

 wholly abandoning civil practice, I have been devoted to the work assigned me in this department. 

 It would be an approximation to the number of recruits, substitutes, and drafted men physically 

 examined by me to put it at five thousand. 



I entered upon this duty not without some previous experience, having been examiuing-surgeon 

 of the Thirty-seventh Kentucky Mounted Infantry. This describes the field of my operations as 

 nearly as can be ascertained. 



The Fourth District comprises fourteen counties, with a territorial area of four thousand three 

 hundred and forty-three and one-fourth square miles. The district is, geographically, middle or 

 central in Kentucky, on the line dividing the limestone, or what is called the blue-grass region 

 from the sandstone or barrens of Kentucky. It may for the most part be styled the hill district, 

 diversified, however, with rich alluvial lands upon the water-courses, and fair uplands for purposes 

 of agriculture. 



The inhabitants, including quite a large jiopulation of colored laborers, are (excepting a small 

 population in the towns) devoted to agriculture. They are emphatically a farming people, and 

 have furnished the Government material which for physical aptitude for military service will com- 

 pare favorably with any other. I would state here that my opportunities for a comparison of men 

 of different States and nationalities have been very limited ; only as between the white and black 

 races composing this district am I able to give an intelligent opinion. But few men of other States 

 and nationalities have been before this board. From a limited number of examinations, however, 

 I am prepared to award equal merit to the Canadian and western soldier from Indiana, and pro- 

 nounce them unsurpassed by any in point of physical aptitude. 



The quota of this district has been mainly filled by colored recruits and substitutes. I have, 

 therefore, examined physically a large number of negroes. Even of drafted men, a larger proportion 

 of them have been held to service, showing a smaller percentage of disqualifying conditions of body 

 with the black race. I think I may state, without the fear of contradiction, that the colored man 

 in this locality, if bone and sinew, muscle, chest measurement, and general physique, are the 

 criteria, presents the greatest physical aptitude for military service ; and, in making this statement, 

 I would add another, that the white men in this district, in physical aptitude, are equal to any in 

 the State for the same occupation. The negro in this latitude, partly by reason of his contact with 

 a higher civilization, has lost much of the grosser peculiarities which characteinze the race in more 

 tropical latitudes; and, now that the present crisis of our country has made the demand, he enters 

 upon the military arena fully endowed, physically, as a man, with good promise, in my judgment, 

 to run the race in successful competition with the soldiers of the most favored nationality. 



In regard to prevalent diseases, or any particular disease or disabilities contributing to dis- 

 qualify a greater ratio per thousand for military service, I would simply state that nothing special 

 has been observed. The ordinary diseases incident to any people prevail in this district. The 

 medical history of the locality is that it has always been comparatively Iree from epidemics or 

 endemics. This portion of the State escaped in a great measure a visitation from cholera in 1833 

 and 1834, and where it did prevail it was not so malignant as in the northern or southern districts. 

 Upon an examination of my final reports of drafted men, it will be seen that a proportion of 

 those exempted for ])hysical disability were classed under section 9, paragrajih 8.'5, which goes to 

 show the operation of general deteriorating influence, viz, enervating habits of life, hereditary taints, 

 &c., entailing a condition of body fitly styled " permanent physical disability." 



* * * To be accurate, sere«/^;/(rc examinations is the highest number which any 



surgeon should undertake to conduct in a day. I have no changes to recommend in paragraph 85, 

 Revised Regulations Provost-MarshalGeneral's Bureau. It is an improvement upon the preceding 



' Norei)oit was received from the third district. 



