Statistics, medical and anthropological, of the provost-marshal-general's bureau derived from records of the examination for military service in the armies of the United States during the late war of the rebellion of over a million recruits, drafted men, substitutes, and enrolled men. Compiled under the direction of the secretary of war. Vol. I / by J. H. Baxter.
- Baxter, J. H.
- Date:
- 1875
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Statistics, medical and anthropological, of the provost-marshal-general's bureau derived from records of the examination for military service in the armies of the United States during the late war of the rebellion of over a million recruits, drafted men, substitutes, and enrolled men. Compiled under the direction of the secretary of war. Vol. I / by J. H. Baxter. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![latter, 21,125, or a ratio of 2(54.17 per thousand, were rejected. The total number, then, of examinations, (exclusive of enrolled men who came up for exemption from the draft, or rather to have their names stricken from the enrollment-lists,) that were made under the authority of the Provost-Marshal-General’s Bureau, and of which records more or less complete were made and preserved, is !H0,G52. March 17, 18GG, Maj. Gen. Janies B. Fry, Provost-Marshal-General of the United States,' submitted to the Secretary of AYar a final report of the 0])erations of his Bureau, including “a historical report of the o]ierations of the medical branch,” and “a inarj) report of the medical statistics on tile.” Before the Bureau Avas discontinued, (August 28, 18G(i,) it Avas evident that A'ery Auilualde statistical! matter existed, in the form of disconnected records, Avhicli, if compiled in a shape to be readily consulted, and so arranged as to jire.sent comparatiAm results, Avould be of great Auilue, but Avhich must necessarily be lost to the world unless some action Avere taken by Congress to jirovide for its c.omjiilation and publication. To this end, resolutions Avere passed Iia’^ the Senate and the 1 louse of PepresentatiA^es on July D, 18GG, directing the Secretaiy of War “to communicate * * * a report of the medical statistics collected during the Avar in the Bureau of the Provost-i\[arshal-General by Surgeon J. II. Baxter as soon as such rejiort can be coinjiiled and prepared by him;” and in accordance Avith this resolution the Avork Avas commenced on August 28, 18GG, and has steadily jirogressed up to the ])resent time, (1875,) the necessary appro})riation of money having been made by Congress July 28, 18GG. ()f the recairds, covei’iug the examination of over a million men, a little OA^er one- half have been used, OAviiig to iiicom[)leteness iu the remainder, ddiis incompleteness AA’as found largely among those of an earlier date—those made prior to the establish- ment of the medical branch ; but as those aa'IucIi could be used seemed to be fair repre- sentatives of all, the omission abridged the Avork rather than detracted from its Auilue. J believe; the data from Avhich these statistics are compiled Axastly exceed in extent any of a similar nature eA’er before collected and publislied; and the exclusion of all incom- ])lete records from the statistics, Avhile it does not reduce the number of examinations actually made use of to a. Ioav number, renders them free from the objection that, in many instances, statisticians resort to the calculus of ])robabilities to eke out the meager I’ouudation on Avhich their conclusions are based. The examinations, the records of Avhich form the groundwork of these statistics, Avere conducted in the manner folloAving: A large room, haA'ing abundance of light, Avas chosen as the exainiuing-room, upon entering Avhich the recruit Avas required to divest himself of all his clothing; and as this Avas done in the presence of the examining surgeon, any defect, as a stiff joint, Ac., Avhich the volunteer or sulistitute Avould Avish to couc.eal'Avould often be detected, especially as he Avould lie throAvu off Ids guard, not supposing the examination had commenced. Similarly, a feigned defect could be detected. 1 la ving divested himself of his clothing, he Avas asked his name, age, nativity, and occaqiatiou, and (piestioned in regaial to his general health and that of his family, AA’h(!ther any heredilary taints existed, and if he had CA'er suffered from any disease or accident, thus endeavoring to obta.iu all the information ])Ossible (*onceruing him, his conversation at the same time enabling the surgeon to judge of his mental as Avell as of ' Mcfs^ngi' iiiid Dcu'iiiiiriits, War ])('i !ii(nicnt, I’liil H, 1](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24996361_0011.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
