The Portland daily press., 1873-06-14
Our Fighting Man.


The forthcoming report of the medical
branch of the Provost Marshal Generals
bureau will present some very interesting
facts about the average physical American,
and his ability to cope with the average ply
sical man of other nations, derived from the
reports Of the medical inspection of sos, 900
men subject to draft during the late war.
Fifty different nationalities united to up
hold the unity of the nation and the average
ratio of unfitness was 257 in every 1000. In
examining nationalities and races, it would
appear that superior culture or civilization
has hot done much to improve the average
physical man, for the American born negro
has the highest physical record. The Cana
dians stand next and then the Scandipavians.
1t may be that the hardships of early life
have thinned out of these races the more
feeble. The Irish and Germans stand lowest
in the ratio Of fitness-a fact that is really
surprising. One point in our favor is that
the general ratio of fitness for military SER
vice is higher than in England and Germany.
The fewest rejections for disability were
found among those between the ages of
twenty and twenty-five years, the number
being 245 in 1000. From this the ratio rises
until above forty years when it reaches 607
in 1000. 7f.i. et a.
The native born American soldier was the
tallest, averaging five feet seven and half
inches. The Canadian was the shortest be-
ing tw o inches less. The man of average
hoip fxxha ha aalc sra1 20 %ha
commanding figure of his six feet neighbor,
should find compensation in the fact that the
nearest physically perfect man--on the aver
age, is but five feet seven inches high in his
stockings. The Germans have the largest
measure about the chest at respiration, the
avera re being 1856 inches. But as the Ia
bles Of races show that the percentage of mn
fitness is greater among the Germans, than
any other nationality, with one exception, it
proves that large chest measure, is not, as
commonly believed, the sure indication of
sound health. The lung troubles are gener-
ally thought to be the besetting disease of ma
tives of Il is country; but this report shows
that the average American soldier finds his
most fatal foe in dyspepsia. Sixty in every
one thousand between the ages of Is and As,
are disqualified by that disease that the wise
are wont to attribute to our pie and sweet
meat eating propensities. At any rate it was
sweet way of avoiding the terrible draft of
1865
The people who work out of doors were
found to be better qualified for fighting men
than those employed in doors by late of
$40 to 400. Fifty-two per cent of the pro-
fessional men were unfit to Ego to be. SOL
diers" while orly 35 per cent of unskilled la
borers were rejected. Another fact of inter-
est is that physicians rank above ministers in
disability, sixty ty-seven per cent of the former
being rejected to sixty-fve of the latter. The
largest proportional number of fighting men
are found among the workers of iron and
leather.
From these facts it may be assumed that
should the nation get involved in war and
thus forget its new method of settling dis
putes as exemplifed in the Geneva arbitra-
tion, it has little to fear from other nations
in physical point of view. He is the out
growth of fifty nationalities but in the blend
ing. arrives at a higher average Of physical
health than all Others together .,