156 to 155 in 1883. The law of 1889 changed the chest measurements, 

 and a chest circumference of 75 cm. or less made rejection permanent 

 and from 75 to 80 cm. temporarily effective. The minimum of 75 cm. 

 was changed in 1896 to 77 cm. It is held that the increase in the rejection 

 rate cannot be considered conclusive evidence regarding the physical 

 deterioration of the Italian recruiting element. The increase is largely 

 explained by changes in the rules and regulations and more rigid 

 methods of examination. The rejection rate has varied widely from 

 an average of 39.6 per cent, for the country as a whole during the 

 period 1906-08 ; a minimum of 29 per cent, in the Province of Lazio 

 and a maximum of 62.9 per cent, in the Province of Sardinia. In a 

 general way the highest proportion of acceptance was in the middle 

 and northeast of Italy, and the lowest proportion in southern Italy and 

 in the northwest Province of Lombardy. The rejections on ac- 

 count of minimum stature were lowest in the Province of Venetia, or 

 2.5 per cent., and highest in the Province of Sardinia, or 20.4 per 

 cent. For all Italy the rejection rate on account of minimum stature 

 during 1906-08 was 6.7 per cent, of the total number examined. 



MEDICAL CAUSES OF REJECTION IN THE ITALIAN ARMY 



The medical causes of rejection were as follows: General physical 

 debility accounted for 5.14 per cent, of examined recruits; deficiency 

 of chest formation, respiratory function, etc., 4.05 per cent. ; and 

 scrofula, anemia, weakness, etc., 1.96 per cent., a combined aggregate 

 of 11.15 per cent. Following these general causes, diseases of the eye, 

 including errors of refraction, accounted for 2.07 per cent., diseases of 

 the extremities and of the bones, for 1.94 per cent., hernia, for 1.53 per 

 cent., goitre for 1.23 per cent., and spinal curvature and physical 

 defects of the chest, for 1.21 per cent. 



During the period 1878-1909 there were important changes in 

 the rejection rates of Italian recruits for specified causes, but the data 

 require to be interpreted with extreme caution. Thus, for illustration, 

 the rejections for general physical deficiency were 6.07 per cent, in 

 1895, 12.57 per cent, in 1896, and 8.61 per cent, in 1897. In 1906 the 

 rate was 13.2 per cent.; in 1907, 11.4 per cent.; in 1908, 10.6 per cent., 

 and in 1909, 9.0 per cent. These rates evidently have no direct bearing 

 upon a tendency towards physical deterioration or advance, as the case 

 may be. Goitre, however, shows a distinct rate of increase, from a 

 minimum of 0.56 per cent, in 1883 to a maximum of 1.42 per cent, in 

 1905. Subsequently to that year the rate is shown to have gradually 

 declined to 0.89 per cent, in 1909. Lung diseases show a perceptible 

 decline, but heart diseases show a decided increase. This, however, 

 may be largely in response to the more thorough examination of 

 recruits. Hernia has shown a slight increase from 1.46 per cent, in 

 1878 to 1.64 per cent, in 1909. The conclusion is advanced that the 



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