The National tribune., 1894-03-22
A PHYSICIANS OPINION.
No Casual Glance May Determine Pension
Disability

Disability.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: During the
recent debate In the House Of Representatives
on the pension appropriation bill, representa-
tive Meredith, OF Virginia. asserted his ability
10 determine whether CT no person was enti-
tied to pension by his appearance, or by every
day observation Of the pensioner. Is there
any foundation for the assertion?
1t is 4 well-known fact that q man may be
suffering with severe single or double hernia;
be may have an aggravated form of varicose
veins, varicose ulcers. hemorrhoids, even false
opening of the bladder as a result Of a wound,
and several other conditions the result OF
wounds or disease. and yet appear healthy
From an experience of nearly 30 years in the
practice of medicine, and several wears as a
member of u. s. Pension Examining Boards
L have no hesitancy in saying that il is utterly
impossible for a neighbOr, with lost intimate
relations. where everyday observation may be
had over the actions and the appearance Of a
person, TO determine whether or the person
IS suffering with n minor, or even many of the
more serious disabilities. OF course there are
cases, such as the loss of an arm, leg an eye,
deafness, paralysis, and other disabilities the
results OF disease or wounds which cripple the
movements of the person to an extent OBJ
servable to every body coming in contact. In
fact there Is large per cent, If not largo
majority, OF the pensioners of to-day whose
disabilities are not observable and require care
fui surgical examination TO determine and 1t is
absurd to claim that a neighbOr can determine
whether or no person is suffering with dis
ability in a pensionabie degree through COM
mon or everyday observation.
One of the Generals, in high rank of the
United States Army, a few months ago. in
an open letter on the pension question, sug-
gested that the Government adopt "a system of
local espionage, by having Postmasters, petty
officers and neighbOrs report all cases in their
neighborhood who, in their estimation, were
not entitled to a pension. The result of the
adoption OF such espionage would be TO invite
dishonesty, the venting of spite and a system
damnabIe III unfriendly espionage. Referring
to the publishing of disabilities, our old COM
rades are too proud, too Jealous of appearances
to make known to every Tom, Dick and Harry
their disabilities. There are many disabilities
patent to every observer; but watch the old
veteran, the victim of serious wounds or de-
crepitude when he enters the ranks of his old
comrades on Memorial Day, and the parades of
Reunions, and see him assume the position Of
soldier, or as nearly il is possible. Re-
ferrng to the proposed local espionage over
pensioners, how are neighbOrs to determine the
disability of neigh5or pensioner? Is it ex-
pected that the pensOner on meeting neigh
Dor, his Postmaster, or any of the local petty
officers, is to doff his clothing and call attention
to his secret disabilities.
What casual observer can tell anything about
diabetic gangrene, abnormal conditions of the
heart, diseases of which organ have claimed
thousands of victims. and yet are all obscure to
the local observer and diseoverable only by the
experienced Medical Examiner after careful,
painstaking examination Why, if local espion-
age would serve the purpose is it that the Gov
ernment employs the best medical talent of the
country as Boards of Medical Referees and
hundreds of Medical Examining Boards?
The proposition set forth by such as Repre-
sentative Meredith that local espionage can
serve to detect fraud is damnabe in its every
phaZe. In my own experience | have known
many deserving pensioners. among the brayest
of the brave, from the reticence natural to a
brave man, to sui fer the harsh and cruel char
acterization of pension frauds by neighbors.
To illustrate this | will mention one such
case, a Captain of Pennsylvania regiment,
and wounded at the battle of Antietam, 1852.
The bullet passed through his canteen as it
hung to his side, taking piece of the tin with
and lodging it on one of the lumbar vertebrs.
The bullet carried away piece of the spinous
process of the vertebra, passed into the deep
muscles and out through the wing of the hip
bone, or illium, so injuring the spine that ever
after to the present the man can only move
about in an erect position, at all times being
obliged to sit down in a high chair or seat,
keeping the upright position at all times.
This man had received good education, was q
civil engineer prior to the war, and had expert
ence in mining, and after coming to this then
young Territory in the early days succeeding
the employed Superintendent of q
mine, and because he could discharge the duties
of that position, and being man of reserve. his
neighbors, or some of them jealous of his posi-
tiOn, characterized him pension fraud. So
it is with thousands of our bravest and most
deserving comrades. Yours. in F., C. and L.
M. D., I'd Regiment, U. S. Sharpshooters.