El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-07-19
Flat Foot and Hammer
Toe Bane of Officers;
263 Applications Made
Army Medico, Examining Is to 20 a Day, Weeds
Out Detectives From Those Aspiring to Reserve
Corps; List of Applicants Received

a few from Arizona, California, Texas
and Illinois, and one from Mlassachu-
sets, applied for admission to the
second series officers reserve corps
which is soon to- go into training at
Fort Leon Springs, San Antonio, Tex,
to provide officers for the army
America is raising to fight Germany
OF these 1853 men, a number failed
to complete their applications; that is
to say, they did not supply informa-
ton requested by the government Of
ficers here. Some Of them withdrew;
n man, for instance, stated he had
been stricken with acute indigestion.
He did not show up here for exami-
nation.
A few applicants seemed to content
themselves with applying for the
commission Of an officer, taking no
further interest in the matter.
But the great majority have re-
sponded to the call to arms as the
hotel registers will show, and they
are now receiving a medical examine
ton by Major Artaud, of the U. s.
army, who is wedding out detectives.
He examines from IS to 20 a day.
Each applicant was notified somo
time ago the day of his examination.
Major Artaud seemed pleased with
tie men The has examined so far. 1t
is rumored that he had to reject only
thu e or four yesterday and two this
morning.
It takes DR.. Artaud about 20 min
.utes to make a thorough examination,
which is the time most of the eminent
physicians in this country require to
determine whether or not q man has
sound heart and lungs, good eyes and
teeth, and is free from various dis
eases.
The record kept by Captain Owe e.
diversion at the armory shows that
the majority of reflections SO far have
yeloped chest, and underweight. 1t is
noticed that the men from attitudes
of 5000 feet and over, show up we'll
on the chest examination, the rari-
fled atmosphere compelling them to
breathe deeply. The government re-
quires a chest that can expand a
couple of inches or more and the men
from the mountainous district seem
to have no trouble to expand as high
as A 12 to 5 IL inches. d
Value of Education
A few men have been rejected for
lack of education, which is easily de-
termined by the list of the schools
they state they have attended and
tbs. information given by sponsors.
When a man Is found to be deficient
in education he is not required to go
any farther in the process of deter
mining his fitness, as Uncle Sam
wants men of brains as well as of
Drawn to lead his soldiers into the
French or Russian trenches. For this
reason it was announced that gradu-
ates of colleges and universities are
particularly in demand.
Flat Foot and Hammer Toe
The trouble, flat f~ootedness, which
played havoc with many men exam
ined last year for service in the
guard, is again bobbing up. How is
flat fo~otedness determined? This is
a question that has been repeatedly
asked. Some tests are by rubbing the
foot with oil and placing the bottom
of the foot on paper. A flat foot
leaves its full impression. But this
does not tell the important part or
the story: the condition of the arch.
If a man has a broken arch he is UNI
fit for hikes and mountain or hill
climbing. If he has merely a flat
foot, he may get by. Major Artaud,
it is said, is rejecting no man for
mere flatfootedness, but where the
arches are involved, a prompt re1ec-
tion is made. He makes the men,
taking the test, jump several feet on
their toes and also stand on them. II
the arches are broken or weak, the
men suffer pain and they quickly
show it. 1t is the old test OF ballet
dancing and the mar who a hot go
through the first PAGES of the ballet
has defective feet.
The hammer toe is more serious. A
man was rejected for that trouble
this morning, although he had passed
successfully three previous examina-
tons. This toe is indicated by the
name and is such a serious incon-
vcnience in. climbing hills and in hik-
ing that Uncle Sam will reject a man
for it.
The test for defective hearing is
given by a low whisper which must
be heard at a distance of 20 feet, it
is said.
The vision test is also made, and the
men who have only a small amount
of astigmatism, or who are merely a
tri1e ne~ar-sighted, can get by. But a
man who is helpless without his
glasses is considered unfit. He might
get lost.
U~nderweight Is a defect which is fig
uring prominently in the reflections.
This trouble reveals probably more
than assimilatiye powers of the indi-
vidual; it is often coupled with defect
i've chests. Mere dyspepsia is not con-
sideredla sufficient cause for rejection
but serious trouble of the stomach,
such as ulcer, can be determined
promptly by the X-ray, and when these
cases come under observation, the
X-ray test may be made.
After the medical examination, the
for commissions as officers
will be put through a mental examina-
ton by Col. Lockett, of the u. s.. army,
who also has an Office at the armory.
From present indications it is
thought that New Mexico will have a
full quota of a~ble-bodied men and we'll
men TO seud TO Texas to he-