442 surgeons' reports — Illinois — seventh district. 



show the great diflerence that is foinul in this respect in ditlfereiit individuals, which I thiidi, when 

 taken in connection with the eleven cases above, shows that no indication is to be drawn from the 

 sxteut of vital capacity. These last ten men were endowed with the power of volition in the [)er- 

 formance of the respiratory muscular movements in a high degree, while the eleven men tirst cited 

 were almost entirely destitute of volition in these movements. 



It is my purpose to give these facts without entering into further physiological discussion as 

 to the cause. 



I have already stated the total number of recruits, substitutes, and drafted men examined by 

 me, before and during the late draft, to be 1,593. Of these, 1,374 were accepted, and 210 rejected, 

 which gives 137. 47 as the ratio per thousand of exemptions. * * * 



1 am requested to give a geographical descrii)tioii of my district, with the prevailing diseases, 

 and the causes conducive thereto; the general character of its inhabitants, their modes of life and 

 occupation. 



This Seventh Congressional District of Illinois is tomposed of the counties of Cumberland, 

 Coles. Edgar, INIonltrie, Macon, Douglas, Piatt, Champaign, Vermilion, Ford, and Iroquois, and lies 

 between 39° and 41° north latitude. Its geography and history are so well known that but little 

 need be said. The fitce of the country is level or moderately undulating, and is drained by a num- 

 ber of rivulets, or sni;dl streams. At the verge of the alluvial soil, on the margins of these streams, 

 are ranges of bluffs, intersected with ravines. The bluffs are usually (roin twenty to one hundred 

 feet and over in height, where an extended surface of tableland commences, covered with grass, 

 mid groves of timber of \arions shapes and sizes. The groves of timber, which are very fine, are 

 luo.'.tly found in belts on the streams and watercouises, extending from the water's edge up the 

 bluff, and often to a considerable distance out on the table-land; they are consequently on lower 

 land than the prairies, which lie lietwecn these belts of timber, and are drained by these streams. 



The soil of both the prairie and timbered land is extremely fertile, and has all the appearance 

 of being an alluvial dejjosit, which I have no doubt it really is, though deposited many ages or cen- 

 turies ago. It is a dark loam in both the prairie and timbered land. There is but little stone found 

 in this district, except the rock scattered over the face of the prairies, which is of granitic forma- 

 tion, rounded in form, and frequently called by the people " lost rock," though properly denomi- 

 nated bowlders. They are of various sizes and forms, weighing from a few j)ouuds to many tons. 

 They are generally on the surface, or embedded partly in it, are tar removed from any rocks 

 of similar formation, and have most certainly, :it some remote i)eriod of time, been dej)0sited on the 

 surface, probably by icebergs. I have in my possession a ])iece of wood taken out of the earth in 

 this neighborhood (Champaign County) twenty feet below the surface. The superimposed bowlder 

 must unquestionably have been deposited long after the piece of wood was embedded. Such in- 

 stances are not infrequent in this county. But I am digressing from my subject. Upon a rough 

 calculation, I should say that there are from seven to ten acres of prairie to one of timbered land in 

 this district; both jjiairie and timbered land abound in sloughs, ponds, and small lakes. These 

 lands remain inundated for something like one-half of the year. The fall and winter rains fill 

 them, and they do not generally dry up until near the end of June following. Some of the larger 

 [londs or lakes contain water all the year, and answer a very good pnrjiose for stock- water; but the 

 most of them dry up at latest by the first i)art of July, when the sickly season, as we call it, sets in. 



The winters are long, cold, and very windy, especially on the [irairies, where there is nothing 

 to break the force of the wind. The mean tem|)erature in the middle of winter is about 30° F.; but 

 very sudden changes occur, the thermometer frequently indicating changes within a few hours from 

 above the freezing-])oint to ISOor 20° below zero, and sometimes even lower. When thespringseason 

 sets in, the change from cold winter to warm summer weather is quite rapid, so that we have tolerably 

 ]ong and quite hot summers, as well as long, cold winters. From November until April, or even the 

 first of May, the weather is generally cloudy ; there being very little fair weather during this long 

 period, but a cool and very humid atmosphere. The fall of snow is much lighter here than it is 

 farther east in the same latitude ; and we do not have as much fair weather during the late fall, 

 winter, and early spring months as farther south. The medium tenqierature of nddsummer is 

 about .SOO F.; Mic tliermoineter often rising as high as l()()o F. and upward in the shade. The dews 

 are quite heavy, consccpicnfly the atmosphere is found to be tolerably humid in the summer season. 



