deception in every case than to permit a genial view of human nature to modify the necessary severity of his judgment. His suspicions, confined to himself, should not interfere with the kindness of his manner, his patience, or the thorough performance of his duty.

For the more convenient treatment of the special disqualifications for military service, I propose to arrange them in eight classes,―viz.:

1. Organs of special sense, and accessory appa

atus.

2. Head and spinal column, and cerebro-spinal nervous system.

3. Neck and contained organs

4. Chest and thoracic organs.

5. Abdomen and digestive apparatus. 6. Genito-urinary apparatus.

7. Upper and lower extremities.

8. Skin and appendages.

A different arrangement is followed in the latest French authority on this subject.* Vices of conformation, maladies or infirmities which unfit for the military service, are enumerated in Tableau No. 4 des Comptes rendus du Recrutement, the nomenclature of which is founded

upon the ministerial instructions of the 14th of June, 1862. The disqualifications for military service are included in three great divisions,-1st, General maladies; 2d, Maladies of the tissues; and 3d, Maladies of regions,—all of which are subdivided into classes. The first division corresponds to the general disqualifications already discussed in this work; but mental infirmities are included in class second of the affections of regions; whilst the affections of tissues, contained in a separate class, are here treated of in connection with the locality in which they occur.

Without expressing an opinion as to the comparative merits of the two systems of classification, it will suffice to say that the system followed in this work has the sanction of long usage in our service, and is, therefore, more convenient to the purpose in view.

Deafness, if real, constitutes a ground of exemption from the draft, and is a cause for rejection or discharge. A distinction must be made between deafness the result of disease of auditory nervous apparatus and the labyrinth, which is permanent and incurable, and a temporary and partial deafness from accumulation of cerumen, acute inflammation of the tonsils, and the affection of the throat not uncommon in habitual smokers (follicular pharyngitis). The latter is not a sufficient cause for exemption unless associated with well-marked strumous diathesis. A modified degree of deafness, sequela of the exanthematæ due to thickening of the membrana tympani or closure of the Eustachian tube, but unaccompanied by any cachexia or of the evidence of ill health, should not be considered a reason for exemption under

the enrolment act, but is a cause for rejection under the recruiting regulations.

Malignant disease, caries of tympanum, mastoid cells, or labyrinth, inveterate chronic purulent otorrhoea, strumous or syphilitic, are absolute causes for exemption, rejection, and discharge. Otorrhoea dependent upon simple acute inflammation should not be considered a ground for exemption or discharge.*

Perforated membrana tympani, if considerable in extent and greatly impairing hearing, is a positive disqualification; but a slight perforation is not incompatible with a sufficient use of the organ.

Imperforate auditory canal, obliterate auditory canal, produced by a tumor, polypus, or syphilitic vegetations, positively disqualify; but a temporary closure due to acute abscess, not connected with caries or necrosis, and closure from the tumefaction of acute inflammation of the meatus, are not causes for exemption, rejection, or discharge.

Malformations, loss or defect of the external ear, sufficient in degree to seriously impair the hearing, are disqualifications for the military service. The most frequent malformation is an imperfect development of the meatus and

* Aide-Mémoire, op. cit. p. 51.

auricle, the former being reduced to a narrow slit in the temporal bone, and the latter existing only as a slight fold of the integument. The labyrinth in these cases is most frequently normal, and a certain amount of hearing is present: often it is so considerable as to enable the man to perform useful duties. In the case of the latter the malformation would not constitute a cause for exemption or discharge, but would be sufficient for rejection in recruiting for the regular army or an organized volunteer regiment.

Loss of external ear by violence, or sentence of a court, in so far as it is evidence of bad character, would be a ground for rejection under the recruiting regulations, but would not constitute a case for exemption or discharge.

B. AFFECTIONS OF THE EYE AND ITS APPENDAGES.

13. Total loss of sight; loss of sight of right eye; cataract; loss of crystalline lens of right eye.

14. Other serious diseases of the eye affecting its integrity and use: e.g. chronic ophthalmia, fistula lachrymalis, ptosis (if real), ectropion, entropion, &c. Myopia, unless very decided or depending upon some structural change in the eye, is not a cause for exemption.

* Article on Diseases of the Ear, by Hinton, in Holmes's System of Surgery. See also Toynbee, Diseases of the Ear.