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)
(The actual written exam photos are available, but not presented on
these pages due to the size of the files. An example 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
Applicant:
George H. Butler, M.D.
I George H. Butler
was born in the town of Berwick, county of York and state of Maine in the
thirty first day of may [sic] 1841. I have read Latin and studied the
usual branches preparitory [sic, correction marks in pencil] to enter
College with the exception of Greek in the Great Falls High School at
Great Falls N.H.
I have studied medicine for the
period of two years with Drs. A.S.H. Buzzell + A. Bickford attended the
Bowdoin Medical school and the University of Pennsylvania one course
each and had ample opportunities for acquiring a knowledge of pharmacy
physical properties of drugs and for witnessing the practice of Medicine
and Surgery.
I have never made Natural
History a study but have read it to some extent. I am not familiar with
any of the modern languages.
I have nothing accidental or
hereditary in the state of my health that will hereafter be likely to
incapacitate me for the discharge of the duties in the Navy.
My address in Philadelphia is Philada
P.O. in New Hampshire is Great Falls N.H.
To the Board of Surgeons U.S.N.
December 18, 1863.
George H. Butler
Questions by the Board:
Questions in writing to be answered
by Candidate George H Butler
1. What are the distinctive
characteristics of contagion, and infection?
2. What is congestive fever, and
wherein consists the danger?
3. Give the distinction between
typhoid + typhus fever.
4. What are the coats and humours of
the Eye?
5. Describe the portal circulation.
6. How are gunshot wounds to be
treated?
7. Where the characteristics which
distinguish the animal, vegetable and mineral Kingdoms?
8. What is corrosive sublimate?
Give its characteristics mode of preparation, action antidote + tests.
9. What is veratrum virde? Give an
account of its source, preparations, action and uses.
Answers by Butler
Contagious diseases are that class of
disease that are always transmitted by the touch; and the disease soul
contracted always appears in a certain number of days after the touch
differing in different forms of disease. Is not necessary strictly that
a person should come near an affected in order that he may become
infected with the disease, for the contagion may be and has been caused
from one person to another in the clothes of a third person. It may
cling to the wards of a hospital or to the post-house for a great length
of time. At times this form a disease may become epidemic.
Depressed spirits a low state of
health and badly ventilated rooms are predisposing causes to contagion
Congestive fever is a low form of
fever ushered in by languor chill furred tongue headache fever etc. as
the disease proceeds there is an increase of the symptoms, delirium,
atendency [sic, correction marks in pencil] to congestion of the brain
liver etc.
In the congestive stage of this fever
there is great danger of the patient’s dying with out much warning in
the comatose state.
This disease is confined almost
exclusively to the malarious districts of hot climates it is endemic
attacking those who go one shore to sleep at night while those who stay
on board ships escape its poisons.
The malaria is said to keep in the
vicinity of the ground, and this explains why those who sleep on high
hills escape the effects of it with those who sleep in the same locality
in the marshes are attacked with it. Its dangers are excessive
congestion and prostration.
In typhoid fever diarrhoea is one of
the characteristic symptoms while in typhus there is none, that
petechial spots in typhus take the place the rose spots in typhoid, the
pulse in typhoid is seldom more than one hundred in a minute while in
typhus it some times sums as high as one hundred and twenty.
Typhoid fever generally attacks those
between the age of sixteen and thirty five while typhus attacks those of
all ages except children.
In typhoid fever the patches of Pyer
[sic, correction marks in pencil] are ulcerated in typhus they are not.
The coats of the eye are thus; the
outer one or sclerotic a hard white shining coat; the choroid or middle
coat; and the inner or retina which is black, this extend about three
fourths around the eye on the posterior part, the anterior part is
covered with the cornea transparent and horny.
The humerus on thru the aqueous in
the anterior chamber, the crystalline lens and the vitreous in the
posterior chamber.
The portal circulation consists of
the hepatic artery and vein the portal vein the splenic vein the
pancreatic vein and the superior and inferior mesenteric veins.
In the treatment of gunshot wounds
all foreign substances must be removed, the hemorrhage stopped, and if
an artery be wounded it must be ligated. If any bones be broken they
must be set, if a limb is so badly injured that it cannot be saved it
must be amputated, and the strengths of the patient must be supported
with nourishing diet and winds.
If concussion occurs you should use
stimulants freely and if respiration has ceased artificial respiration
should be tried.
If compression should occur as the
result of depression of the skull it should be trephined and elevated.
Animals have the sense of touch sight
smell hearing taste, they possess the power of locomotion, and in the
higher order the power of thought and reason, while the lower order have
the power of instinct.
Animals have the power of life and
the life of animals is limited to a certain duration vegetables have the
power of life by assimilation the life of vegetables is limited to a
certain time vegetables and animals have a certain form and size.
Organs are peculiar to animals and vegetable vegetables [sic] have none
of the special senses.
Mineral have no organs they have no
power of assimilation or life their duration does not seem to be limited
their form is irregular minerals have none of the special senses
The surface of minerals is gently
hard and shining, minerals are generally found in the earths rather than
upon it.
Corrosive Sublimate is the corrosive
chloride of mercury its symbol is HgCl. It is used as an alterative in
small doses in chronic syphilis etc. In the larger doses it is a
corrosive poison it is white of a crystalline form and dissolves
sparingly in water and freely in alcohol. Its antidotes and tests are
albumin and its compounds white of eggs etc.
Veratrum virda [sic] (Indian poke) is
a sedative it is an indigenous plant, growing in the marshes of the
United States.
It yields its active principles to
water and alcohol it is usually kept in the form of a tincture. It acts
as a heart sedative diminishing the frequency of the pulse it is used in
the high inflammatory diseases pneumonia etc.
George H. Butler
December 18th,
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, Phthisis, Gout,
Apoplexy, or chronic disease of any kind.
I am [sic] 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.
George H. Butler
Candidate for the office of Assistant Surgeon in the Navy of the United
States
U.S. Naval Asylum Philada
December 17th 1863