3.5; skin diseases, Prudential, 0.1, U. S. Army, 2.3; curvature of the 

 spine, Prudential, none, U. S. Army, 1.1; flatfoot, Prudential, none, 

 U. S. Army, 6.2; other diseases of organs of locomotion, Prudential, 

 none, U. S. Army, 3.1 ; defective teeth, Prudential, none, U. S. Army, 

 2.4; defects of development, Prudential, none, U. S. Army, 2.5; dis- 

 eases of the ear, including defective hearing, Prudential, 0.7, U. S. 

 Army, 9.6; diseases of the eye, including defects of vision, Prudential, 

 0.01, U. S. Army, 8.0; injuries, Prudential, none, U. S. Army, 3.7; 

 abnormal height, Prudential, none, U. S. Army, 0.4. This formidable 

 group of impairments accounts in the aggregate for 46.1 per 1,000 of 

 the rejections in the U. S. Army, against only 1.4 in the experience of 

 The Prudential. But aside therefrom 22.9 per 1,000 were rejected for 

 causes not physical in the Army for which there are no corresponding 

 rejections in the experience of The Prudential. Among the physical 

 causes, however, overweight accounted for only 0.4 per 1,000 of the 

 rejections in the Army, against 5.1 in the experience of The Prudential. 

 This difference illustrates precisely the effect of rigid army standards 

 which practically preclude the application of men obviously over- 

 weight. The standards of examination are probably more restricted 

 in life insurance experience, but the examination itself in cases of 

 obesity is more thorough, in view of the fact that the mortality of 

 persons overweight is invariably in excess of those of normal weight. 

 On account of underweight the rejections in the Army accounted 

 for 2.7 per 1,000, against 2.1 in the experience of The Prudential. 

 The pathological significance of underweight is considered of less 

 serious significance at the present time than in former years, especially 

 in its relation to a predisposition to tuberculosis. It is probably of 

 more immediate importance in its relation to physical endurance in 

 active military service. 



IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE REJECTION RULES UNDER 

 THE SELECTIVE DRAFT 

 As stated elsewhere, the ratio of rejections is primarily a question ot 

 the precise army regulations governing the physical examination. The 

 regulations were materially changed under date of January 28, 1918, 

 and in a preliminary statement with reference thereto it is said that, 

 "Physicians on the Local Board are not required to make a complete 

 examination of every registrant." The moment the physician on the 

 Local Board finds a mental or physical defect placing the registrant 

 within the standards of unconditional rejection the physician on the 

 Board is required to indicate the fact on the blank and refer the regis- 

 trant to the Medical Advisory Board. It is explained, however, that 

 "Registrants cannot be declared physically qualified for general military 

 service until the complete examination has been made by the physician 

 on the Local Board, with the finding that the candidate comes in every 



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