The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-01-04

to government, | would mention number
SIX.
This section gives developed tubercu
losls alone as sufficient cause for exemn-
ton, and has been to me, in some cases.
cause of embarrassment Drafted men
iaboring under evident symptoms of in
cipient tuberculosis, with no complica-
ton, Were so manifestly unfit for military
duty, that it would be absolute loss to
government, and cruel to the men to hold
them to service, and yet section requires
that tuberculosis must be developed TO
authorize the surgeon to exempt NV
| experience has been that in ccnsionino
men thus situated to the army, in most
cases they have broken down, and gone
into the hospital before they were accli-
mated to their new location or accustomed
to camp life.
In carrying out instructions in this
section, We must either violate occasion
ally our own convictions of duty to the
Government and the men, bv holding such
| to service, or violate instructions in this
section by exempting.
In section Is, Chronic Purulent Otor-
rh9a Is given as cause for exemption.
During the progress of examinations, since
our organization as Board, | have seen
many cases of this infrmity, aud, although
the disease undoubtedly untitled some for
military duty, by the ofensiveness and
abundance of the discharge, majority of
well marked cases were by no means dis
| qualified from this cause. I would sug-
! gest that Chronic Purulent Otorrhoea be
regarded as cause for exemption o7,ly when
the purulent discharge is very ofeasiUe
and abundant and the disease inUeterate.
In section 33, Loss of Ungual Phalanx
of Right Thumb is given as cause for ex-
emption. This, in my opinion, should not
be regarded as of sufficient importance TO
| exempt a man otherwise able bodied In
our lumber districts, several men were
drafted who had lost this phalanx by the
accidental cutting of the circular saw in
saw-mills, get the full use of the thumb
was not in any appreciable manner i'm
paired, and there Is no duty of the soldier
that could not be readily performed by
! them.
The mode Of examining, as practised by
myself, is, In the main, as follows
The man being stripped and presented
before me, L take hasty glance over his
person, to see if any disqualifying-co
uion presents itself which would make
further examination unnecessary, such as
loss of right eye, large hernia, uureduced
dislocation of large joint, or other infrmi-
ty readily detected # a rapid survey
| does not reveal cause for exemption, | or
deHzt him to stand erect, facing me; |
measure his inspiration and expiration :;
L examine his lungs, by auscultation and
percussion if respiration is healthy al
over the chest, apply my ear over the
region of the heart, and ascertain if any
disease exists there La ordinary eases |
apply the car to the chest, having a clean
napkin thrown over the skin to protect my
senses from the filth of his person, but If
any obscurity exists use the stethoscope
to the axilie and other parts of the chest
inaccessible to the ear by immediate aus
cultation then examine his fingers,
hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders |
direct him to extend his arms at full
length, horizontally, with palms Of hands
| together; then separate the hands, ma
nipulate all the fingers, closing the fist
and extending ali the fingers alternative
ly, shake the hands up and down, so as to
ascertain the mobility of the wrist then
supinate and prouatc the hands alterna-
lively, giving to each motion as free la:i-
tude as the joints are capable of making
then order him to fex the forearm Of
the arm, extend the arm again to full
length, circumduct the arm to test the
motion of shoulder Joint [ then direct
him to place the back Of his hands togeth-
er above his head while he is in this
attitude, [ place my fin gers over the in
guinal and femoral regions respectively,
and direct him to cough again and again,
until | ascertain whether any hernia ex-
lists [ then examine his teeth and eyes.
Finding him all sound thus far, and seeing
no biemish on his person IN front view, l
order him to turn his back 10 me- [ then
examine him oy general survey of his
person In this attitude; then order him
TO walk fast up and down the room, then
hop first on right foot, then on left, then
to kneel first right and then left, and f.
nally to stand with his back towards the
window, to place his hands On the floor,
with rump elevated, while [ examine for
hemorrhoi6s, fistula, assures, or other dis
eases of the anus demanding exemption.
, II [ detect no good cause for exemption,
} | ask him If he has any reason why he
! should not be passed into the service; il
: he presents any claim worthy of re-exam-
nation, | turn my attention to the disa-
bility he may designate, and then decide
whether I accept or reject him.
In examinations of drafted men with q
full days work on hand, there is necessa
rily considerable noise by walking through
!, the room, promiscuous talking, and by ex
!, animation of aliens and others who claim
G exemption on causes independent of phys
= ical disability. This produced difficulty