The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-02-07
NOT EASY TO ESCAPE
CHANGES MADE IN
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS.
Flat Feet No Longer Barrier to Mill
tary Service.-Weight Mini
mum Reduced to 100 Lbs.


the national army, by which thous-
ands have been or will be rejected
under the first regulations, can now
be accepted for service were announc-
ed today by Provost Marshal General
Crowder
The notifications indicate the war
department is determined to hold for
service, in their general military or
special service, all men registered ex-
cpt thos whose physical defects can
never be remedied to make them fit
for any kind of service.
Physical defects that can be rem
edied and make them fit for service
will be remedied or the men put into
some spcial work, not so glorious as
trench fighting, Gen. Crowder says.
Reject No Feet Cases.
Height and weight requirements
were both lowered and increased. Flat
foot or club and claw foot and sew
Ieral foot trou bles no longer are causes
for rejection, an dlocal boards are Or,
dered to reject no foot cases. Any
rejection for those troubles must be
by the medical advisory board. The
chances for rejection for eve and ear
defects were greatly lessened and the
dental requirements were modified.
Hernia and similar troubles, the cause
of many reflections under the first
draft, must be very serious to win
rejection. Only complete nasal OBJ
struction will reject, which means
that adenoids and enlarged tonsils
are no cause for rejection.
The minimum height for men of the
new army is lowered from 81 to So
inches by the new regulations, al
though all the cases of men between
SO and so inches must be referred to
the medical advisory board by the
local physicians.
Practically all the maximum height
restrictions were removed indicating
that Uncle Sam sees no reason why
the giants should not fight. The old
regulations placed the limit at 6 feet
8 inches but the new regulations pro-
vide that men above feet inches
may be accepted if they are well pro-
portioned.
The weight minimum was lowered
from 10 pounds to 100 pounds, al
though those whose weight is less
than 100 pounds because of ill health
are to be held for service pending bet
ter health. Only extreme cases of
obesity are to cause rejection. Regis
|trants in good physical condition but
under the weight requirements for
certain heights are to be accepted.
With the exception of those hope
lessly crippled of foot troubles, such
as hammer toes, bunions, and the va
rious types of fiat feet do not inter-
fere with the wearing of an ordinary
shoe, the registrant is to be accepted.
All doubtful cases go to the medical
advisory board. Spinal troubles must
interfere with weight bearing power
to reject, and the wearing of a plaster
Jacket will not of itself disqualify
the registrant.
Those who can hear with one ear
spoken words at distance of ten feet
will be accepted, only complete deaf
ness being a ground for rejection by
local physicians. Deafness in one ear
is refrred to the advisory board.
Color blindness no longer will be a
cause for rejection and those whose
eye troubles can be well corrected
with proper glasses will be accepted.
If a man has six good teeth on each
jaw he will be taken. Formerly if
three were missing the man would be
rejected.
Only irreducible cases of hernia
will keep a man out of the service,
under the new regulations. Local ply
sicians are not allowed to reject abb
dominal cases.
Veneral diseases will be rejected
only when they make man perma-
nently unfit for service. Other reg
istrants with these defects will be ad-
vised to accept treatment pending re-
ceipt of orders to report for duty. A
strict and careful examination of the
lungs is ordered, with view of keep
ing to minimum the number of pneu-
monia and tuberculosis cases in the
camps. Conditions at camps now in
dicate that physicians should be most
careful in this respect, Crowder says.
Extreme cases of chronic alcohol
ism will be rejected.
Under the new regulations the pow
er of the local examining physicians