450 surgeons' reports — Illinois — eighth district. 



Surgeon Whitmire rejected previous to January G, 1SG5 : 



Eecruits 387 



Substitutes ''^ 



Surgeon Babcock rejected since January G, 1865 : 



Eecruits 3^3 



Substitutes - 32 



Total rejected since organization of board : 



Eecruits ' ''^ 



Substitutes 1^*8 



Total S08 



The Eighth Congressional District of Illinois is situated in the central portion of the State, 

 and includes the following counties, viz : Sangamon, Logan, McLean, De Witt, Woodford, Tazewell, 

 and Livingston ; containing in all live thousand one hundred and ninety square miles of territory, 

 and a population of one hundred and ninety thousand. 



The most prevalent diseases are of miasmatic origin, including intermittent fever, bilious 

 remittent, and other varieties of that class, caused by the detritus deposited from stiinding pools 

 of water and the decay of vegetable matter on the margin of sluggish streams, which latter are 

 quite numerous. 



A large majority of the inhabitants are vigorous, industrious, intelligent farmers, many of them 

 being emigrants from other States. Agriculture in this district is carried to a high degree of per- 

 fection, and comprises tiie great element of wealth, as the facilities for commerce are meager, there 

 being no natural channel to the great rivers and lakes. The only cities or towns receiving much 

 benefit from exchange are Springfield, Bloomington, and Pekin. The former, being the capital of 

 the State and located in a very fertile portion, affords better facilities for trade and manufacturing 

 than any other inland town. It has immense beds of coal, affording a cheap fuel, which greatly 

 enhances the material wealth of the district in the absence of an adequate amount of wood for that 

 purpose. 



My reports show a large number of men rejected for hernia, ulcerated varicose veins, and 

 orf-auic disease of internal organs. I can furnish no reason from local influences which would 

 account for hernia and varicose veins, but am of opinion that organic diseases of internal organs 

 are chiefly due to the local causes which have already been mentioned as very common in this part 

 of Illinois, namely, the prevalence of malaria producing diseases which continue from one year to 

 another, aggravated, perhaps, by the heroic treatment of western physicians, which leaves in many 

 instances unpleasant sequels. Prominently among these diseases may be mentioned hypertrophy 

 of the liver and spleen, chronic inflamiui^tion of the stomach and bowels, and, in rare cases, albumi- 

 nuria and other diseases of the kidneys. 



My views of paragraph 85, Eevised Eegulations, are that the instructions contained are hardly 

 susceptible of improvement by alteration. I would respectfully suggest, however, in relation to 

 clause 20, that the words closing the sentence "even if only of one jaw," be omitted or stricken off; 

 also, the word •' total," at the beginning, leaving the surgeon to judge whether decaying fangs of the 

 front teeth, eye teeth, or first molars are really an apology for teeth which the word " total" cer- 

 tainly indicates, and thereby prevents the use of any discretion on his part. In clause 23, 1 think 

 there should be exception made in case of umbilical hernia, unless quite aggravated, as I have 

 never seen a case that impaired the ethciency of a soldier, or constituted a real physical dis- 

 ability. * # * 



The maximum number of men that can be physically examined with accuracy during ordinary 

 business-hours, I place at one hundred per d;iy. 



According to my experience, valvular disease of the heart, disease of the kidneys, ])hthisis pul- 

 monalis, and deafness are very frequently feigned by enrolled men for the purpose of obtaining 

 exemption, and can only be gunrded against by a rigid examination, with colhiteral evidence from 



