The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-30
INSPECTION OF RECRUITS.
Rigid System OF Medical Examination
and Record of Identity.


Rigid System Of Medical Examination
and Record OF Identity.
One of the strongest evidences of the
recent reform in the system of enlistment
for the army is to be found in the rigid
examination to which applicants are sub
jected. The government is even more
particular as to the physical soundness Of
the men it receives into the army than
life insurance company is as to the men it
insures.
The impression formerly prevailed and
still prevails in many minds that the gov
eminent considers any riff-raff good
| enough for soldiers. Hence enlistment
was considered the last resort of a man out
of work, and the long term of seven years
caused many, who had soon wearied of
military life, to desert. Inadequate pre-
cautions made assertions very common,
and insufficient means of identification
bred class of professional deserters.
Now all this is changed. The term Of
service has been materially shortened, the
service has been made more attractive,
great care is taken to secure means Of
identification when each recruit is enlisted
and an effort is being made to secure a
much higher class of men, to whom the
opportunity of securing commissions is
held out as an incentive. This change has
already brought about great improve
ment in the class of men in the ranks and
great decrease in the percentage of de-
sertions.
When a man offers himself for enlist
ment, the recruiting officer subjects him
to a rigid examination as to his
occupation, habits and objects in
nr,fn = t.<n
| tory, he must answer number of
questions as to his nationality, height,
| weight, what diseases he has had and
| what diseases any members of his family
| have died of. If he is then found accept
| able he is instructed to return on a certain
| day for examination by the surgeon.
The would-be recruit is first required by
| the surgeon to stripnaked. His height is
| then accurately measured he is weighed
and the measurement of his chest is taken
| at inspiration and expiration. The ply
stefan then sounds his heart, lungs
and other internal organs. He is
| required to stoop backward on
one leg, stretching the other out,
so that his whole weight rests on one
| ankle Joint. Then he must swing each
| leg to and fro and sideways to test the
| joints and muscles, and must kick as high
| as he can. He must hop across the room
| on the toes of one foot and back again on
| those of the other, feat which, though
seemingly simple, is not easy to perfom at
| the first attempt. He must bend forward
and have his back prodded with the doc
| tors knuckles to ascertain that there is no
tendency to curvature or other spinal dis
| ease His mouth is examined fer signs of
disease, the teeth and throat being critic.
| ally eyed.
| Then diagram of his body is made.
| On card is printed an outline of the
| human form, both front and back, and
the surgeon, looking carefully over every
part of his body, notes on the card the
exact location of every scar, mole, birth
mark and vaccination scar. The exact
shade of his hair and eyes is notod far
more definitely than is usual. For in
| stance, in the case of recruit examined
last Thursday, DIR. Il. r. Ball. the surgeon
| from Fort Townsend, and two non-com-
| missioned officers spent several minutes
| in determining the color of the hair To
insure accuracy in recording the color of
a recruits eyes, card is given as a guide
| on which eyes of ever known shade of
| color are painted.
The diagrams showing all marks on a
recruits body have been brought into use
within the last two years, and have proved
! invaluable in the detection of deserters
| who have re-enlisted. They are sent to
| Washington City. and kept in the surgeon
| generals Office, being classified SO care
| fully that among the thousands received,
there are rarely more than twenty-five in
one class. y copy of each card is kept at
the post where the man to whom it refers
| is stationed. When a man has been alb
sent from his post for more than ten days
! without leave he is declared deserter,
and his absence is telegraphed to head
| quarters At Washington City. Thence his
| description from the diagram is
| telegraphed to every army post in
| the United States. If that man
attempts to re-enl;st. the examining sur
geon will have the diagram before him,
and on finding the marks on his body to
agree with it will accuse him of being a
| deserter, and as he finds one point after
another to agree will gradually draw the
| chain of evidence around him so tightly
| as, IN q majority of cases, TO extort a con-
| fession. As in the course of several years
scars sometimes disappear man is re-
| examined and new diagram Is made of
| him on re-eullstment.
In the face Of the rigid process of selec-
ton adopted, the army is securing a num-
Der ct good men in this city, and Lleuten-
| ant W. 7. Goodwin. who ha, charge of
the recruiting station, pronounces this
one OF the best fields in the county.