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: Alfred Eastman Emery, M.D.
Charlestown Mass.
March 25th
1863
Sir:
Agreeable to your request I hereby
present the following synopsis my history.
I was born April 21st
1841. at Concord N. H. and have consequently nearly completed my
twenty-second year.
I attended the common schools in that
city untill [sic] I was fifteen years of age when I completed my
education by attending the Academies at Franklin N. H. In November
1858, I commenced the study of medicine at the office of Dr’s Gage and
Moulton of Concord, and two years subsequently when upon the eve of
attending lectures my father was taken sick and being his only son I was
obliged to go home to look after his affairs. I remained untill [sic]
May 1862 reading medicine when I could obtain leisure to do so, when I
returned to the office of Dr. Gage, and have continued the study untill
[sic] the present time.
I attended a course of lectures
during the past winter at the Massachusetts Medical College in Boston.
Believing that this is all that would
be of interest to you I subscribe myself
Your obedient servant
Alfred E. Emery.
Surgeon W. S. W. Ruschenberger
United States
Navy.
[Medical Board Note: This
candidate has a good foundation, and his character appears to be
decisive.]
Questions by the Board:
Dr. Alfred E. Emery is requested to
write answers to the following questions.
1. What is the
origin, course and distribution of the left carotid artery?
2. What is chyle,
where, and how was it formed?
3. What are the
diagnostic symptoms of pneumonia?
4. Name two
articles of each therapeutic class? [sic]
5. What are the
physical properties of oxygen, and how was it obtained in a separate
state?
6. Define the
terms, “temperature,” “latent heat”, and specific gravity.
Answers by Emery:
1. The left carotid arises from
the arch of the aorta and proceeds upward in the angle formed by the
sterno-cleido-mastoid and the omo-hyoid muscles. After proceeding a
short distance it bifurcates forming the external and internal carotid
arteries. The external gives of [sic] the following branches. The
superior thyroid to the upper part of the neck, the lingual to the
tongue, the facial to the cheek and upper and lower lips, the occipital
to the back part of the head, the temporal to the side of the head, some
small branches to the ear, and near the angle of the lower jaw the
internal maxillary which subdivides into smaller arteries which go to
the upper and lower jaws, to the palate and to the meninges of the
brain, the latter being the arteria meningea media which ramifies on the
inner surface of the parietal bone. The internal carotids enters
cranial cavity at the posterior foramen lacerum, passes forward in the
carotid canal in the petrous portion of the temporal bone and forms in
the fissure Sylvii the anterior artery of the cerebrum. In front of the
sella turcica it communicates with its fellow of the opposite side. It
also communicates with the basilar artery forming the circle of Willis.
2. After the food has been
mixed in the stomach and small intestines with the gastric juice, bile,
pancreatic juice etc. if [sic] forms a light-coloured, homogeneous
fluid, known as chyle which is taken up by the absorberets [sic] and
carried by the thoracic duct into the circulation.
3. The signs of
pneumonia are: – pain in chest, dyspnoea, cough, inability to lie on the
affected side on account of pain, dullness on percussion, crepitation in
the first stages, afterwards tubular respiration on auscultation: more
or less fever according to the severity of the disease.
4. Emetics: – Ipecacuanha,
antimosii et potassae tartras. Cathartics: – Aloes, Gambagia.
Tonics: – Cinchona Quassia Narcotics: – Opium, Beladonna [sic].
Diaphoretics: – Pulvis Ipecac et opii, antimorii et potassae tartras.
Arterial sedatives: – potassae nitras,
veratrum virdi. Anthelmintics: – Spigelia Oleum terebinthinae.
5. Oxygen is a
transparent, colourless gas of the specific gravity a little lighter
than than air. It enters into the composition of nearly everything in
the universi [sic]. It is obtained by depriving some of the compounds
into which it enters largely of the gas by means of heat. The exact
process I am unable to give.
6. By “temperature” I
understand that peculiar state of the surrounding atmosphere which is
manifest to us, whether hot or cold, wet or dry etc.
I cannot give a definition of the
term “latent heat” satisfactory to myself.
By “specific gravity” I understand
the power with which anything is attached towards the earths surface by
the attraction of gravitation. Of liquids and solids water is taken as
the standard of gases. Atmospheric air is unity.
Alfred E. Emery