444 surgeons' reports — Illinois — seventh district. 



is comparatively a uewly-settled couutry, a large portion of the population having moved in within 

 the last six or eight years from other States as well as from Europe. Many of them have not been 

 here long enough to become acclimated, and to provide themselves with comfortable buildings and 

 other uecessary means of protection against the cold and frequent climatic changes, and hence arise 

 two additional causes of disease, such as pneumonia and rheumatism, as well as malarious fever. 

 This last is generally blended with the two former, often acting as cause thereof, and, reciprocally, 

 as cause and effect. The malarious poison being in the system of many settlers during all seasons of 

 the year, it is olten mused into action by slight causes, and particularly by other diseases. 

 Although I have not exempted or rejected any for rheumatism, it is nevertheless a very prevalent 

 disease here, and, I am certain, disqualifies a large number for military service in its various chronic 

 forms. 



In the examination of enrolled men applying for exemption, a great number were examined 

 claiming exemption becau.se of chronic rheumatism of the back or some other part, wliichnot being 

 manifested by any positive change of structure, I did not feel justified, iiccording to the regulations, 

 in exempting them. Notwithstanding this, 1 think that many of them were disqualified for military 

 service, and I think that the regulations should allow the introduction of testimony in such obscure 

 cases. Organic disease of the heart, which I do not doubt has been most commonly brought on by 

 rheumatism, is a disease often met with here. I see we rejected only five men under section 5 of 

 paragraph 85, for disease of internal organs, and these 1 believe were nearly all cases of organic 

 disease of the heart. But in the cases of enrolled men a number were exempted for this disease ; 

 and a much greater number were believed to be disqualified for military service from the same 

 cause, but by a rule of the board enrolled men were exempted only in extremely well-marked cases. 

 1 will here remark that, acting as assistant surgeon for some time before I was appointed surgeon 

 of the board, I exainined a great number of enrolled men applying for exemption of wlnan no record 

 was made. 1 had also acted as assistant surgeon in the preceding draft, and in both instances 1 

 had an opportunitj of observing the frequency of organic disease of the heart, and, from what could 

 be learned in these examinations, I believe it to have been generally caused by rheumatism. 

 These facts will account for my surgeon's books not showing more exem[)tions for this disease. 

 Men so affected rarely present themselves as recruits or substitutes. I believe that the great pre- 

 valence of rheumatism is princii)ally owing to malarious influence. I am sure, from a^ twenty-two 

 years' residence in this county, that it is constantly becoming more healthy as it is settled, brought 

 under cultivation, and draiued ; and 1 believe that it will eventually become a healthy country from 

 the destruction of malarial sources. While less prevalent, fevers appear to assume a more contin- 

 uous form or type. # * * 



The greatest number rejected under any one section of paragraph 85 was under section 9, for 

 permanent physical disability ; 76 men were rejected under this section. Of these, 12 were rejected 

 for permanent i>hysi('al disability, and although they were not rejected under section 6 for developed 

 tuberculosis, yet I considered the most of them, if not all, as tending to that condition. The 

 remaining 04 were rejected on accountof undersize and immaturity ; and although they were willing 

 to make oath that they were eighteen years of age, the board had doubts, in many cases, of the 

 truth of the assertion, as we knew they were anxious to enlist for the bounty. I believe I have not 

 as yet answered one question that should have been attended to before, to wit: "The number of 

 men that can be physically examined per day with iiccuracy." 



We did examine in one day over one hundred, as I now recollect, but I think that not more 

 than from sixty to xerenty-Jive can be examined with sutticient care and accuracy in a day. 



Ouly eight men were rejected under section 8 for inveterate and extensive skin-disease, but a 

 great many were examined and accepted who were suffering so seriously with skin-disease of 

 various kinds as to leave doubts whether they should not have been rejected. Diseases of the skin 

 are quite prevalent in this district ; I think considerably more so than in uon-malarions districts. 

 I have long thought that they were in some way connected with the malarious influences of the 

 country, as I am sure 1 have more frequently seen them in persons who had suffered from malarial 

 fever than in tiiose who had not. It may be remarkcnl that nothing is more common than a kind 

 of herpetic ernption about the mouth and liiis of those who have become convalescent fiom inter- 



