4G0 surgeons' reports — iowa — second district. 



our civilization, and a standing insult to the medical profession. The establishment of these boards 

 was useful, however; it demonstrated the fact that the "best talent of the medical corps" was not 

 a whit better than the quiet, unpretending effort of obscure surgeons of boards of enrollment. 



J. M. SHAFFER, 

 Surgeon Board of Enrollment First Congressional District of Iowa. 

 Fairfield, Iowa, October 24, 18G5. 



IOWA— SECOND DISTRICT. 

 Extracts from rejwrt of Dr. E. S. Barrows. 



• * * The whole number of men examined for exemption, conscripts and 

 recruits, was four thousand. 



* * * The Second Congressional District of Iowa embraces seven counties, viz: 

 Scott, Muscatine, Clinton, Jackson, Cedar, Lynn, and Jones. It is situated on or near the Missis- 

 sippi River, between latitudes 31 and 3o ; a prairie country, wooded only along the margin of 

 streams. The prevailing winds are from the northwest in winter, and from the southwest iu 

 summer. 



The principal towns are Davenport, in Scott County, (the military capital of the district, 

 and disbursing capital of the State;) Muscatine, in Muscatine County; Clinton, De Witt, and 

 Lyons, in Clinton County; Auamosa, in Jones County; Maquoketa and Bellevue, in Jackson 

 County ; and Tipton, in Cedar County. The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, with its Muscatine 

 branch, and the Iowa and Nebraska Railroad penetrate and pass through the district from east to 

 west, giving abundant facilities for exportation of agricultural products, the raising of whicii 

 demands and receives the best energies of nine-tenths of all those whose names comprise the 

 enrolbnent-lists. The occupation, therefore, of those examined may be considered mostly 

 agricultural. 



Nearly one-half of the inhabitants of both town and country iu the river counties are Germans, 

 and valuable citizens, if such may be defined as those the results of whose labor and perseverance 

 greatly tend to elevate the figures of the assessment-roll. Good farmers never seem to be weary, 

 and no financial or other crisis can prevent their accumulation of profits. Considering the inhab- 

 itants of this district without reference to their nationality, they should be regarded as hardy, 

 sober, and industrious. 



There are no diseases which are particularly incident to this district. We seldom suffer from epi- 

 demics. Bilious fever in autumn and bilious pnenmonia in winter, sometimes assuming the typhoid 

 character, are the most common forms of sickness. Tuberculous developments are much less fre- 

 quent than ill the Eastern States. Consumption seldom originates iu the Mississippi Valley, and 

 yet we are not wholly exempt. * » * 



If hernia exempts or disqualifies a greater ratio per thousand, it may be attributed to great 

 muscular exertion in a climate which tends, duiingthe warm seasons, to produce relaxation. 



As regards that i)ortion of paragraph 85 which reads '"for which only drafted men are to be 

 rejected," I would say that I have never been able to comprehend why there should be a distinction 

 made between drafted men and volunteers or substitutes. 



Section 3. Epilepsy. — In a large majority of cases, with country epileptics, a physician is never 

 called, and therefore cannot have seen him within the six months preceding. 



Section 6. '^Developed tuberculosis.^^ — 1 understand this to mean after softening or ulceration. 

 There are many cases quite as disqualifying for military duty before this takes place as after. 



Section 11. Chronic rheumatism, unless evinced by wasting of the affected limb, or pufliness or 

 distortion of the parts, does not exempt. Being governed by the instructions thus given, I have 

 been compelled to accept of several conscripts who were rejected and discharged at rendezvous, 

 and I thought very properly, as Ihey were unfit for military duty. 



Section 23. I have exempted many on account of hernia, when it did not amount even to an 

 inconvenience, but I was not jicrmitted to discriminate. 



