372 surgeons' reports — Kentucky — sixth district. 



There is but one disability which disqualifies a greater ratio per thonsaud for military service, 

 which is veutral hernia iu negroes, probably superinduced by neglect during infancy; they being 

 allowed to cry excessively before the abdominal parietes become perfected. 



In view of the pecuniary and professional responsibility and nice accuracy required, neither 

 Dr. Bell, the former surgeon of the board, nor myself, think that more than seventy-Jive men can be 

 examined by day -light in winter, and perhaps ten more in summer. 



The principal deceptions to be guarded against in examination of substitutes are iu regard to 

 age : if too old, there are always convenient witnesses to swear to their being less than forty-five 

 years of age ; if too young, to swear to their being past eighteen years. The converse obtains iu 

 examination of drafted men; there being parties who are always ready to devise testimony to show 

 unsuitableness of age " by reason of being over forty-five or less than twenty." The board caused 

 several parties to be indicted for perjury for testifying to the good moral character of reprobates, 

 and thus getting them passed as substitutes. In one instance, a complete set of npper teeth was 

 inserted in a negro's mouth, and he was passed as a substitute. The deception was discovered, and 

 the parties forced to put in another substitute, and the money obtained by the first one was handed 

 over to the United States. A detailed account of the same was submitted to you at the time. 



The county of Owen was so infested with guerrillas that it was impossible to get the notices 

 properly served, and, when served, to compel the attendance of the parties ; thus rendering all 

 attempts to bring them before the board abortive. Unless these men had some physical disqualifi- 

 cation,' they almost invariably failed to report; and, when in a few cases our special ofiBcers suc- 

 ceeded iu making arrests, they always brought forward the plea that " they did not know of their 

 having been drafted." I am of the opinion that there are not a score of men in the whole district 

 who were drafted that were not cognizant of the fact. Still, as the law stands, no man can be con- 

 sidered or treated as a deserter from the draft until he shall have been legally notified by having a 

 notice left at his last place of residence. 



I do not think that any nationality has a greater physical aptitude, and none so great a com- 

 bined physical and mental fitness, for military service as the Anjerican. 



From a tolerably-extended experience in the examination of the colored race, I do not at all 

 think them equal to the whites, physically, in vitality and endurance ; yet I believe that they have 

 the capacity to be made very cfQcient troops. Wounds and diseases from which white troops 

 readily recover often prove fatal to the colored. 



I think that the enrollment-law as it now stands works as well as any that can be devised, and 

 I have no suggestions or alterations to recommend. 



J. GAEDNEE, 

 Surgeon Board of Enrollment Fifth District of Kentuclcy. 



Louisville, Ky., June 15, 1865. 



KENTUCKY— SIXTH DISTEICT. 

 Extracts from report of Dr. E. P. Buckner. 



* * * My experience is, that the examination of men for military service is the 



most responsible, laborious, trying, sometimes perplexing, and often most thankless, work that a 

 surgeon is ever called upon to perform. 



Recruits, under the stimulus of a good local bounty, will, if need be, try every possible means 

 to get into the service, by attempting to deceive in reference to the disabling effects of such dis- 

 eases and disqualificatio:;s as they may actually and mauifestly have and cannot conceal. Men 

 with large and knotty varicose veins, of one or both legs, will walk, run, and jump with the activity 

 of a racer, declaring in the most solemn manner that their disabilities do not injure them iu the 

 slightest degree. Others, with the most abominable hremorrhoids, will do the same thing. An 

 obscun^ hip-disease, trouble about the knee-joints, partial stiffness of the ankle or ankles, are all 

 carefully concealed, and iu many cases even denied when attention is called to tliem. A man with a 

 hernia will declare it nothing but a bubo, and perhaps show real signs of syphilis to prove the truth 

 of this declaration. Others with organic disease of the heart, manifest, clear beyond all doubt, 



