X 



386 SUBGEONS' REPORTS KENTUCKY — NINTH DISTRICT. 



led to any suspicion, he was taken into a room by bimself, talked to as thongli we knew all about 

 him, knew be was a deserter, &c. It almost invariably turned out as we suspected, and in most 

 instances the man confessed it bimself. As has already been stated, the tendency in this district 

 was to magnily or exaggerate the effect of some diseases or injury which really existed or bad 

 recently existed, but did uot at the time seriously impair the man's usefulness for the service. Proof 

 was often presented to corroborate the statements. It is hardly worth while to repeat the various 

 methods that have been practiced to detect certain conditions, such as stiffness of joints, deafness, 

 &c. The surgeon must in reality depend upon his own judgment, and, having made an honest, care- 

 ful examiuation' he will, in almost every instance, be able to get at the facts of the case, so as to do 

 justice both to the Government and the man. 



The men who were examined at this office were nearly all native-born citizens of the United 

 States. So few of other nativities presented themselves here, that no valuable opinion could be 

 formed as to what nationality presents the greatest physical aptitude for military service. 



If we were to confine ourselves entirely to the. 2)hysical qualifications of the colored man for the 

 military service, we might say, so far as the examinations went here, that he compared very favor- 

 ably with the white man. 



The colored men who were sent from this office, it is believed, were among the very best that were 

 obtained, from the fact that there are very few towns of any considerable size in the district, and 

 consequently very few blacks who bad been employed as house-servants and confined exclusively to 

 indoor work. Most of them were what are termed farm-hands, always employed at outdoor work. 

 Many of them had been accustomed to work about the iron-furnaces, shantying out, and chopping 

 wood during the winter, making charcoal, driving teams, and doing such other work as was 

 required about the furnaces in the summer. The negro, from his great powers of imitation and the 

 discii)line to which he has been subjected while in servitude, easily adapts bimself to a soldier's life. 

 At the present day, negroes of purely African descent are rarely met with here. The race has 

 become essentially a mixed one, and from this cause it is believed his health and jihysical efficiency 

 have been impaired, and that he is far more predisposed to scrofula. This has certainly been true; 

 but, i4i the mixed race as it now exists, may it uot also possibly be true that where the parties were 

 both sound, of healthy, robust constitutions, one white and the other colored, the ofi'spring both physi- 

 cally and intellectually may be as likely to possess the requisite qualifications for the military service 

 as where the parents are both colored ? The opportunities for observation were not great here, but 

 some of the best colored men examined were known to be the children of white fathers and col- 

 ored mothers. There was one instance where the father was a mulatto and the mother a white 

 woman. He was a substitute, and is said to have made a good soldier, always having been healthy 

 and able to perform any duty required of him while in the service, which, however, was only for 

 one year. A few of the colored men examined here could read and write, and were able to sign 

 their own names. I regret that T did not keep a record of the exact number. Those who came from 

 the rough, mountainous parts of the districts seemed to possess the highest physical qualifications; 

 and this was also the case with the white men. * * « 



The following is the result of the examination of the chest in 1,007 men : 



Inches. 



Average circumference of chest at inspiration 35. 44 



Average circumference of chest at expiration . . 32. 93 



Greatest circumference of chest at insi)iration - — 44. 00 



Least circumference of chest at inspiration 28. 5 



Greatest circumference of chest at expiration 41.00 



Least circumference of chest at expiration 20. 00 



Total number of men examined, 1,007. 



Heights : 



luches. 



Average height - - . 08. 9 



Greatest height of any examined 72. 5 



Least height of any examined 58. 5 



Total number examined, 752. 



The greatest and least heigh tr would api)Iy to 1,734 men. 



