The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-13
EXAMINING THE SOLDIERS.
DOCTORS INSPECT THE MEN PRE-
PARATORY To MASTERING OUT.
The Process Through Which They
Are Put-Stripping In Cold Room
No Fun-Henrt. Lungs. Teeth. All
Tested-Examinati Are strict.

The physical examination OF the men Of
the Fifth regiment. the last step before
the Hnai mastering out, began yesterday
afternoon with Company Is, ToGay tar
doctors expect 10 finish with Companies
X and l. 1 ne physical eXa.niaa ti0n VIII
probably end next Tuesday The Third
regiment viii begin the physical exanlir-
atIon OF it's men this afternoon.
Through door. guarded by a sentinel
arEne,l wIth a club. the men u The Fifth
regiment passed four at a TINE into a
rough. dlngy room on the north side Of
ne old Priests OF Paltas den. now d.snilie1
by the name OF Camp Compton. The
room is divided by al officers tent, hung
from the ceiling, which serves as a partf-
ton On one side OF this the men I'M
dress. on the other. which Is heated ~
a redhot stove. they are examined by the
surgeons.
The first four men called yesterday
stood around for few minutes II they
knew not what 10 do one OF the sur
geons pulled the canvas aside TO learn the
cause of the delay.
why don't you take your clothes OFF,
ne said
They Had to strip.
DO We have 10 strip asked one. As
he spoke thin stream OF vapor came
from between ms lips The wind
from the north and the windows in the
den are NOT closely fitted. II was cold
place lace IN WIN ,el, 10 Adam re ones self.
to the skin they stripped
Wow" howied the first one who
danced into the examining room: as he
fairly Rugged the red stove. His body
was blue and he shivered. Then one Of
the three surgeons of the Third regiment
who are assisting Major Wilson, chief
placed his right ear against one Side OF
the mans chest
Take a long breath" were the instruc-
tons They We're carried out with sol
dierly punctuality, and the ear was
placed against the other side. Another
ionS oreath-pernaps two, ii there WAS
Inc least suspicion OF anything wrong.
That is the lung test.
Then the teeth are examined, the neck
felt and the shoulders. The man is asked
70 extend his arms and work his fingers,
While he does this the surgeon runs q
hand down each arm. II is all very much
IKE an expert examining horse.
When Claims Are Made.
The rest OF the body is treated In the
same manner. A slap there pinch here
ana punch in the other place and it is
all over: that is, unless the subject
claims he was in some way disabled wl,ii,.
In the service. Then the examination is
much stricter and many notes are made
on the condition OF the soldier and his APP
pearaDce
As each surgeon finishes with Il man. he
signs the tripiicate blank and II is ready
Tor the must ring out officer, who viii for
ward II to the war department. There IL
will be flied away, with thousands of 9th
ers Just the same shape and size and ten
years from now when John Y Ohntaer
appil.s Tor pension on the grounds tina,
his disability is the result Of camp life
or the thousand and one conditions Incl
dent upon II, this sheet of paper, with
ms own affidavit ana the surgeons as 10
his condition when mustered out. Will
nave a great deal TO do with deciding the
case. The government Is put to an
enormous expense by this system. but
the amount it is now expenting is n lid
bit when compared with the millions or
dollars that may be saved in future
years.
Several complaints Of injuries were
touno among the soldiers both yesterday
ana To-Day, but none Of them was con-
s'dered serious. Seventeen men in Corn
pahy Is Claimed to have contracted rheu-
ma ism OF ayseHtery during their service
kansas city Star