tion of the recruiting age. During 1910 the rejection rate was 30.9 per 

 cent., the rate since 1891 having been as high as 42.35 per cent, in 

 1896 and as low as 28.1 per cent, in 1900. The rates show throughout 

 the strong influence of recruiting necessities, as, for illustration, during 

 the years 1900-01, on account of the South African War. During 

 1906-10 the principal causes of rejection on initial examination were as 

 follows: Deficiency in chest measurement accounted for 5.3 per cent, 

 of those examined ; dental defects and deficiencies, 5.2 per cent. ; 

 visual defects and deficiencies, 2.8 per cent.; diseases of the 

 heart, 2.8 per cent.; deficiency in stature, 1.18 per cent.; deficiency in 

 weight, 1.16 per cent.; flatfoot, 0.88 per cent.; hernia, 0.8 per cent; 

 spinal curvature, 0.53 per cent, (for Holland the corresponding propor- 

 tion of rejection was 1.48 per cent.). 



In the English statistics forty specific causes of rejection are enumer- 

 ated, some of which, apparently, are not recognized in the recruit- 

 ing statistics of the Continent. Of special significance is the high rejec- 

 tion rate on account of deficient chest development or chest measure- 

 ment, which to a certain extent is explained by the class of recruits 

 accepted on a basis of voluntary enlistments. There have been pro- 

 found changes in this respect, however, during recent years, and the 

 proportion rejected on account of deficiency in chest measurement or 

 chest proportion was as high as 13.98 per cent, in 1896, and as low as 

 4.96 per cent, during 1906. Equally important changes have occurred 

 in the rejection on account of underweight, the fate on this account 

 having been as high as 4.56 per cent, in 1897, and as low as 0.41 per 

 cent, during 1908. The misleading character of these returns as 

 evidence of physical deterioration is best illustrated by the fact that the 

 rate of rejections on account of underweight was 2.33 per cent, of 

 those examined in 1907, only 0.4 per cent, during 1908, 0.46 per cent, 

 during 1909, but 1.47 per cent, during 1910. In further contrast the 

 rate was as high as 4.0 per cent, during the year 1893, but during the 

 preceding year it was only 2.8 per cent. The rejection rate on account 

 of tuberculosis has also varied considerably, or between a maximum of 

 0.26 per cent, during 1894 and 0.07 per cent, during the preceding year. 

 Rejections on account of hernia have remained fairly stationary, the 

 fluctuation being limited between a maximum of 0.95 per cent, during 

 1908 and a minimum of 0.71 per cent, during 1895. Of special signifi- 

 cance is the decline in the rejections on account of syphilis, which 

 reached a maximum rate of 0.51 per cent, in 1894 and a minimum of 

 0.18 per cent, during 1908-09. 



RECRUITING STATISTICS OF JAPAN 



The only other available statistics for foreign countries are those of 

 Japan, limited to the period 1903-09. As far as it is possible to judge, the 

 ratio of rejections was 10.8 per cent, of those examined during the 



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