increase in rejections on account of heart affections from a minimum of 

 0.08 per cent, in 1881 to a maximum of 0.4 per cent, in 1908 cannot be 

 evidence ^>f an actual increase, but is more likely the result of more 

 rigid methods of examination. As regards goitre it appears that the 

 disease was practically limited to the most northern provinces of Italy, 

 adjoining those of Switzerland and Austria in which the disease is cor- 

 respondingly frequent. 



RECRUITING STATISTICS OF SWITZERLAND 



The recruiting statistics of Switzerland are available only for the 

 period 1875-1904. The general rejection rate on account of unfitness 

 for military service has varied between a maximum of 46.6 per cent, 

 during 1879 and a minimum of 31 per cent, in 1876. For the year 

 1904 the rate was 40.1 per cent. The opinion is advanced that the 

 changes are largely in consequence of more rigid methods of examina- 

 tion and not directly related to material alterations in the physique of 

 the Swiss population. Comparing the returns by quinquennial periods for 

 the last twenty-five years, it appears that there have been changes in the 

 rejection rate for specified causes, but the data require to be considered 

 or interpreted with extreme care. General weakness, anemia or 

 convalescence was the cause of rejection of 6.1 per cent, of those exam- 

 ined in 1875-84, the rate having gradually declined to 3.3 per cent, in 

 1901-05. Rejection on account of deficiency in stature decreased from 

 6.5 per cent, in 1886-90 to 3.7 per cent, in 1901-05. Rejections on 

 account of tuberculosis of the lungs, however, increased from 0.3 

 per cent, during 1886-90 to 0.6 per cent, in 1901-05. Rejections on 

 account of diseases of the heart and circulatory organs increased 

 gradually from 0.7 per cent, during 1875-84 to 1.7 per cent, during 

 1901-05. Rejections on account of goitre increased from 5.8 per cent, 

 during 1875-84 to 7.1 per cent, during 1886-90, subsequently de- 

 clining to 6.1 per cent, during 1901-05. The rejection rate for her- 

 nia remained practically stationary, having been 2.7 per cent, during 

 the last five years of the period under observation, while re- 

 jections on account of flatfoot increased from a minimum of 2.3 

 per cent, during 1886-90 to 4.1 per cent, during 1901-05. The significant 

 facts about the Swiss recruiting statistics are the high rejection rates 

 for general weakness, anemia, etc., minimum stature, diseases of the 

 heart and circulatory organs and, most of all, goitre, which continues 

 as the leading cause of rejection in Swiss recruiting at the present time. 

 Errors of refraction accounted for rejections of 5.6 per cent, of the ex- 

 amined during 1901-05, against a minimum of 1.9 per cent, during 1874- 

 84. The increase was probably more the result of improvement in 

 methods of eye examination than an actual increase, although there are 

 some reasons for believing that errors of refraction are progressively 

 on the increase in practically all the leading European countries as a 

 cause of rejection in recruiting statistics. 



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