SrRGEONs' REPORTS ILLINOIS SECOND DISTRICT. 435 



As to frauds to be guarded against, I have had some few attempts at fraud on the part of men 

 who wished to be exempt, and also those who wished to get into the service. 



1 remember one medical man who came before me to get exemption ; he had a sore on his leg 

 below the knee on the inner side or aspect; he called it a fever-sore; said it had been there for three 

 years, and that he was not able to attend to his i)rofession. I could not see that he was scrofulous ; 

 his appearance and manner, as well as the appearance of the limb, caused me to doubt his 

 statement. I told him my opinion of his case, and I proposed to swear him ; he did not consent to 

 take the oath, and 1 did not exempt him. Many who wish to get exempted go to their physicians 

 and get afUdavits testifying to some chronic disease, and stating that they have attended such 

 a patient or i)atients for one, two, or three years, and that they are satisfied that tliey would do the 

 Government no good. I have but little respect for those affidavits unless I know the physicians, 

 and even then it would be better that the law required such medical men to be present at the exam^ 

 ination. J could not undertake to direct the best manner of detecting frauds of this sort. There 

 have been many attempts made to deceive me, and no doubt successfully in some few 

 instances. Men have appeared to be very lame and crippled, and have bi'ought witnesses to prove 

 their condition, but on close and rigid examination have proven to be sonud. Others have been 

 reduced fi-om chronic diarrhcea produced by taking drastic medicines ; on the other hand, 1 have 

 found some men who wished to enlist and get the bounty who really hail chronic diarrhtea, and 

 knew that after getting the bounty they would not be able to do duty. 1 hare had men try 

 to enlist who had constitutional syphilis, and when I rejected them they have told me that they 

 wished to enlist in order to get cured 



The best manner to detect fraud is to be careful and have as examiners men who have received 

 a thorough medical education and have i)racticed many years, who are firm and have a knowledge 

 of faces, and can judge of the actions of men as well as of diseases. A medical education does not 

 alone qualify a man for an examiniiig-surgeon, any more than it makes a preacher of the gospel to 

 educate a pet baud-box boy for the profession. 



As to what nationality presents the greatest physical aptitude for military service, my experi- 

 ence ia this district shows that men whose parents emigrated from the Easteru States into this 

 district when the country was first settled, and have grown up as laboring men, and whose habits 

 of life have been temperate, have the best muscular development,,and I thiuk more vitality and 

 firmness of character, than any other class of men, and I am disposed to think that our national 

 character, both physically and mentally, is better adapted also to endure the hardships of war, and has 

 more of the will-power and combative force to propel it on, and at the same time our people have 

 by education a continuous pride in being free and living as part of a republic, as every man is a 

 part of this Government; they seem to be propelled by their natural desires to the battle-field. I 

 have examined many Germans, and believe them to be well adapted to perform military duty ; they 

 also average well as regards development, and but few have been exempted or rejected in pi-opor- 

 tion to the number examined. 



My experience with regard to the colored race for military duty is so limited that 1 could not 

 give an opinion, as I have not examined over fifteen or twenty men. 



My rieirs of the enrollment lair as it noiv exists. — In this district, its whole machinery has worked 

 well. The people seem to understand it, and from what I understand of the law I am quite satis- 

 fied with it as it is, and have no suggestions to make in relation to it. My doctrine in regard to 

 treating disease is and has lieen for many years, while a prescription does well never to change. I 

 am therefore satisfied with the enrollment-law. 



My experience in the examination of men for military service has been confined to this office 

 as surgeon of the board of enrollment. 



The number of meu examined is as follows : substitutes and recruits, 2,700; drafted men, 250; 

 for exemption, 2,200. 



AAEON LEWIS, 

 Surgeon Board of Enrollment Second District of Illinois. 



Marengo, III., June 2, 1865. 



