The
following is a dictated translation of the hand-written application to
the U. S. Navy Examination Board during the Civil War by a civilian
physician/surgeon for a position as a medical officer in the Federal
Navy or for promotion to Assistant Surgeon by an Acting Assistant
Surgeon. The actual
applications are in the possession of the author and presented to
enlighten the general public and other researchers as to the education
process before and during the Civil War, the personal history of the
applicants, as well as to show their personal level of medical knowledge
in answering the questions asked by the Navy Board of Examiners.
(Some applicants failed to pass and did not serve or served in the Union
Army.)
This written presentation was first of a part of a two-part exam consisting of a written
exam and an oral exam.
Many of these applications are rich
with highly detailed medical content offering an interesting perspective
on the medical knowledge and practices of the period.
A broad sampling of these exams is presented to
give you a 'picture' of the type of applicant being examined and
admitted to or rejected by the Federal Navy in 1863. Much more detail
on the individuals and their personal and naval history will be
presented in a forth-coming book by Dr. Herman.
(The actual written exam photos are available, but not presented on
these pages due to the size of the files. An
example of a hand-written exam is on the List of all Applicants
page)
If you have additional information or images for any of these
doctors, please
contact us.
A list with links to
all applicants in this survey of U.S. Navy Applicants for 1863
Example of a handwritten exam given by the Navy Examination Board
Applicant: William H. Bates, M.D.
I was born on the 25th
day of December, 1841, at a place called Fourth Neck, Suffolk County,
Long Island, and state of New York.
I was educated in the city of
Brooklyn at a private institution. I have studied the classics some,
but have not advanced very far. I have studied the Latin grammar,
reader and read of the part of Ceaser [sic, correction marks in
pencil]. In Greek I have only studied the grammar. I have studied most
of the English branches.
I have been engaged in the
study of medicine for the past three years and a half, in the City of
New York, with Dr. P. A. Aylette and am a graduate of the University of
New York.
I’ve spent the past year in
the Brooklyn City Hospital, and it had a good opportunity of witnessing
the practice of Medicine and Surgery. I’ve been in the habit of
compounding prescriptions but I have not had much of an opportunity of
becoming acquainted with the various drugs; most of our medicines being
obtained already prepared. I’ve never studied natural
history. I’ve studied the French language. I can read and
translate it some. I can also speak it a little.
My address in Philadelphia is
Girard House Chestnut Cor 9th Street. and in Brooklyn, 55
Presidents St.
W. H. Bates
Questions by the Board:
Questions to be answered in writing,
by Dr. Wm. H. Bates.
What are the symptoms and causes of
Fistula Lacrymalis?
What are the symptoms and causes of
Chlorosis?
What are the symptoms of
inflammation?
What is the difference between bone
and the teeth?
The blood what is composed of [sic]?
What difference between human blood
and that of the lower animals [sic]?
What is Prussic Acid?
State the causes, symptoms in
treatment of hæmoptysis.
What is trismus?
Answers by Bates:
1. The chief symptoms of Fistula
Lacrymalis is an overflowing of the tears and dryness of the mucous
membrane of the corresponding side of the nose, there is also more or
less irritation about the eye; if it has existed for any great length of
time it may cause more or less impairment of vision. The causes of
Fistula Lacrymalis are any obstructions of the Lachrymal duct, it may be
stricture; which is the most common cause produced by inflammation; or
by the lodgement of any foreign substance such as calculi which
sometimes formed in the lachrymal sac.
2. Chlorosis is a disease
characterized by an increase of white corpuscles in the blood, and a
diminution of the red corpuscles. It is characterized by an anemic
condition of the patient. The countenance is very frail approaching to
whiteness in colour. The patient is gently weak, unable to make any
great exertion either of mind or body. It is supposed to be due to
deficiency of iron in the blood which gives to it, its red colour. It
generally occurs in patience of a strenous [sic] diathesis; or in
children of parents whose constitutions have been broken down by disease
or want.
3. Inflammation may be defined to be
in an altered state of nutrition, attended by an increased vascularity
and sensibility with a tendency to morbid secretion and change of
structure. The four great signs of inflammation are Pain, Heat, Redness
and tumefaction.
Inflammation is always attended by
more or less constitutional disturbance, by increased frequency and
force of the circulation, more or less febrile [sic] movement, and a
general impairment of the function of animal life.
4. Bone is composed of Animal and
earthly matter. According to the latest analysis by Lehmann, it
contains in 100 parts, 33 of animal and 67 of earthly matters. The
earthly matter of bone is chiefly Phosphate of lime. The T differ from
bone the containing a substance called dentine which exists in the
enamel.
5. The Blood is composed of two
parts the plasma and blood globules. The former is composed of water
chiefly containing Fibrine [sic]. Albumin, fatty matter and saline
substances, of the latter the chlorides of sodium and protoplasm,
phosphates of ammonia, soda and potassa are among the principal
ingredients of the plasma of the blood. The blood globules are composed
of a substance called globulin, Haematin, water, and saline substances,
these latter being the same as the plasma.
6. The difference between human
blood and that of the lower animals is, that human blood contains more
fibrine [sic], and is also richer in iron.
7. Prussic Acid is a substance which
exists in certain plants, it is the most poisonous substance known, when
in its concentrated form, producing death instantly if a drop touches
the tongue. It exists in the bark of the Wild Cherry Tree and also to a
slight extent in peach blossoms.
It may be made by acting on the
cyanide of mercury with Hydrochloric acid, and apply heat.
8. Haemoptysis may be defined to be
a flow of blood from the lungs, bronchial tubes, or from any part of the
air passages below the Larynx. The most common cause of Hæmoptysis is
Phthysis [sic]. When the tubercular matter deposited in any part of the
lung tissue begins to soften, all of the tissues with which it is in
immediate contact ulcerate, at the same time, when this softening and
ulceration takes place all of the structures give way and any arterial
branch which lies in the immediate contact after a while ulcerates, and
thus hemorrhage takes place from the ulcerated extremity of the blood
vessel. Hæmoptysis occurs to a slight extent in Pneumonia, Bronchitis
and also as a physiological result in vicarious menstruation. The
symptoms in the first variety are usually very limited the hemorrhage
occurring very suddenly and the patient not feeling any great uneasiness
until the hemorrhage takes place. In the vicarious menstruation there
is congestion of the air vesicles and these rupture, and pour there
contents into the bronchial tubes; there is always more or less dyspnoea
accompanying this latter variety. In Bronchitis and Pneumonia the blood
usually comes up with the sputa, or it may occur alone from congestion
and rupture of the capillary blood vessels, with this variety you will
have the accompanying signs of the disease, either bronchitis or
pneumonia. The treatment in the former variety is to administer
astringents internally, of these some of the preparations of iron,
either the Tr Ferri sesquichloridi or the Liq. Ferri persulphatis. This
latter I have seen success in arresting the flow of blood in a single
dose given at once when all other astringents have failed. In
Hæmoptysis which occurs as a vicarious menstruation, I should not
intefere [sic] with it unless excessive; and the same remark is
applicable in Bronchitis and Pneumonia.
9. Trismus may be defined to be
tonic contraction of the muscles of animal life occurring in new born
infants and hence is called Trismus Neonatorum and in Ireland nine day
fits as it usually occurs about that time after birth, and is supposed
to be due to some irritation about the spinal cord, produced by the
separation of the umbilical cord. It generally proves fatal.
W. H. Bates
Naval Asylum
March 12th 1863}
Certificate of Physical Capacity
I declare on honor
that, my health at this time is good and robust; and to the best of my
knowledge and belief, I am free from any accidental or constitutional
defects, and without any predisposition to Epilepsy, Phtisis, Gout,
Apoplexy, or chronic disease of any kind.
I am not at present
affected with varicocele, disease of the urinary organs, hernia,
hemorrhoids; nor am I aware that there is anything hereditary in my
constitution, which would hereafter be likely, to incapacitate me, for
the arduous duties of a Medical Officer of the Navy. All my organs of sense
are without imperfection.
William H. Bates
Candidate for the office of Asst.
Surgeon in the Navy of the United States 1863
U.S. Naval
Asylum Philad
A
list with links to
all applicants in this survey of U.S. Navy Applicants for 1863
Example of a handwritten exam given by the Navy Examination Board