The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-08-12
Healthy Recruits.

We learn that those recruits who have been
rejected by the medical examiners oflate, COM
plain that the parties making the examination
are too rigid; we do not pretend to judge of
the present standard, but all accounts concur
In stating, that heretofore this examination of
recruits has not been sufficiently rigid. The
Sanitary Commission have lately addressed an
able communication to the President in this
Datter, from which we make the following ex-
traciss
The csrcless and superficial medical inspec-
ton of recruits made at least twenty-five per
cent. OF the volunteer army raised last year not
only utterly useless, but positive incumbrance
and embarrassment filling our hospitals with
inyalids and the whole, country with exagger-
ated notions of the dangers of war that now
seriouslyretard the recruiting OF the new levies
we SO urgently need. The wise and humane
regulations Of the United States army, that re-
quire minute and searching invesugation OF
the physical condition of every recruit, were
during the spring and summer of 1861 crimi-
nally disregarded by inspecting officers. In
twenty-nine per cent. Of the regiments muster.
ed into service during that period there had
haan No larntance even Of thorough insDec
ton. Few regiments -L--- ssrt's Iar taken tne
field that did not include among their rank and
ME many Doys oi lroh ioufseeh W siAteeh-
men with hernia, varicose veins, consumption,
and other diseases, wholly uniting them for
duty, and which could not have escaped the
eve of competent medical officer-and 9TH
ers with constitutions broken by intemper-
ance or disease, or long past the age Of militia
ry service. Each of these men cost the nation
certain amount OF money, amounting In the
aggregate to millions oi dollars Not one OF
them was able, however well disposed, to en-
dure weeks hardship or render the nation , a
dollars worm oi enecuve service IN the nau.
some regiments ieit zen per cent. Oh theif ineI
IN hospitais on tne road, before tney r@eneo
tne sea. oi war. NO na.lonai criss ca ncrsasas
the recruiting OF such material. 1t Increases
lor time the strength Oh the army 'n paper,
out diminisnes its actuai eincienc. ~
mere source Oh WEAKNESS, demora'ra;.ot; ';not; anu u
Wasteiui expense, anu Oh ihahHo'u TN slns sei "
the army ana the nationai causs liz ne ne9uei'
spectacie OF immature youth 2'a ra,,,r m ~ u,s-
eased or enieeoied constiIutJt utnte, da,,1,, II. W
lnelr nones sna,.erea ana 70 ,ha,a....a a,s.
montn ol camp,iiie destr has dorrnl1.J s,s
.,.. usc'ess -. ~ i1 ,idence of the ,,ao.la
mihtary spirit anu ccranot;t;on - a.: Poop'..'
HOW can we escape more n;sv;,.,. :, ','ls nlanl-
Iest esli eAcep. W your. new ieyies And .o ho,,
ougn inspectlon On be securedo 'u "o"
can sucn lnspeffvs suh,,;, H., =,
we respec.! .!nted unt;i tha,ha, -. ~ ui'S
shouid pe siical officers Of ,h.' I1,.ed III eA S.
lnea py Irelv without narsonai ;,,ose. o.a'es
army, ,,eeg M of anv rep;ment Aud gu ~
tne MIN men should have had sn,,o nu ;nose
.heo,s hardshins and exnosnras ~ y',;i;,n..
~ ITNo one IL short shr,,sS =. ,,y An,ay
ht a : read;caI ;rs,oato. smoa.u ~ ps aioweo 70
e NOT uassed regular ar,,v h,ard s9 mn9
ov fl,e s. vaon-c -canarei h;,,,~lIr - D.u na'ieu
81 scrna ,sa ~ IN. .s.... auu .one eeneu
scienca e1' Se"Ae' Vi hieoicai