The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1863-01-17

ARMY MEDICAL ExAMINATIosa-A physician
who has succeeded in passing the severe ordealre-
quiste before admission into the medical corps of
the army, furnishes to Pennsylvania journal the
following interesting statements:
Besides the Surgeons and Assistants of Regi-
ments, and the Contract Surgeons, there is body
of Surgeons and Assistants employed in hospitals
styled the corps Of GO Surgeons of Volunteers"
They sign their names with the title &C Surgeon U.
S.V." Last year the Brigade Surgeons were ap-
pointed mainly through influence and with scarce
" any examination When, IN June last, their
Office was abolished by Congress, there was such
demand for Surgeons that they were all turned
over to this corpsof Surgeons OF US Volunteers.
But none have this year been commissioned in that
corps without thorough evidence Of their CONF
petenee.
The Board Of Examiners consists Of three Army
Surgeons. One or more Of them sit in q roon COM
municating with that wherein sit the candidates,
and observes that they have no help from books or
from each other.
The ordeal requires four hours daily for six days,
three devoted to written AMI three to oral ques-
tions Lest the candidate may hare posted up for
the occasion on more important points, they test
his knowledge Of the whole subject by questions,
ouless prominent and practical matters. The first
day Anatomy is taken up, and such questions as,
tsGiye the anatomy of the brain" 8. Describe thu
triangies Of the neck, their boundaries and con-
tents" sGiye the origin, relations, and branches,
and distribution Of the blachial plexus," torment
the anxious aspirant.
Next day on Practice Of Medicine he Is made to
show on paper his thorough knowledge or quali-
fed ignorance Of many diseased conditions Of the
system, with their treatment. -.
The third day he must tell the mode In which
nature repairs wounds Of various structures, the
mode Of distinguishing from each other particular
fractures and diso ations with their mode of treat
ment. Fortunate is he II within the allotted four
hours he can write clearly his answers to all the
intricate queries propOunded. s.l
During the three following days be Is questioned
at tgreat length, and INFINITELY in Physiology, them
istry, Materia Medica, Hygiene and again on the
subjects upon which he has written. Finally
comes the Experiment Crrcis Of his knowledge.
he is taken 10 the Dissecting room OF the George
town College, and there has to perform various
difficult operations upon the dead, then to the
Douglas Hospital, where Number ofpatients are
presented, and he must examine them, and give
their disease in the minptest point treatment, and
probable result. IF after this he has not vanished
in cloud Of perspiratiGn he win learn whether
or no he may sign himself as Assistant Surgeon,
U.s.. v. This is now as high q rank as iscon-
ferred except by promotion after entering service.
If succesful, the candidate returns to his ordinary
duties. Within month his name Is sent In to the
Senate, and in course of time, If confirmed by
them, he receives notice and . commission from
the Surgeon General. is sresards the number who
pass: one week. eight essayed the trial, Of whom
two only succeeded. frightened by this slaugh-
ter, number who werel waiting their turn, fed,
leaving for the next week Only Eve OF the best quail
ifed Of these, but ond was rejected.
The pay Ola Surgeonlis now 81, coo per annum,
and Of Assistant Surgeon, 81 400 Besides this
the SURGEON may keep tko horses, and the Assis-
tant, one, At the expense Of Government. Aeon
tract Surgeon gets 81 90 year, and must sup
port his own horse.