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: John
Eleazer Parsons, M.D.
[Board comments in pencil upside
down]: Dr. J.E. Parsons is a grandnephew of Dr. Usher Parsons – He
was present and served as assist surgeon in the battles of
Chancellorsville + Gettysburg – He has had abundance of surgical
experience + seems to be a careful, thoughtful man.
U.S. Navy Yard,
Charlestown, Mass.
October 8th, 1863.
Surgeon W.S.W. Ruschenberger
U.S.
Navy
Sir:
I have the honor
to give you the following statements in regard to my birth education
etc.
I was born at Harrison Me
Nov. 20th, 1836. Lived in the state of Maine until I was 10
years of age, when my parents removed to Massachusetts For the last 16
years, I have resided in Charlestown Mass.; went through the course of
studdies [sic] at the grammar and high school, and studdied [sic] to fit
myself for college, but never entered college In 1857 I commenced the
studdy [sic] of medicine, and spent two years at it, when my health
being poor from limited amount of physical exercise, I relinquished the
studdy [sic], and did not resume it again until the autumn of 1861. In
the interval I have spent two years nearly at Civil Engineering and
surveying, having always had a taste for mathematical and mechanical
studdies [sic]. I graduated from Harvard Medical School in March 1863.
I have the honor to remain
Your Obedient
Servant
John E. Parsons M.D.
No. 8 Allston
St.
Charlestown, Mass.
Questions by the Board:
Dr. John E. Parsons is requested to
write answers to the following questions.
1. What is chyle where is
it formed, and what are its uses?
2. What is the origin,
course and distribution of the femoral artery?
3. What are the diagnostic
symptoms of pneumonia?
4. What is camphor, and
what class of the materia medica is it placed?
5. What changes are
produced in atmospheric air by respiration?
6. Define the terms,
“chemical affinity” “temperature” and “specific gravity”? [sic]
Answers by Parsons:
1. Chyle is a milky fluid
consisting in part of the soluble part of the food, but principally of
an emulsion of the fatty portions of the food, made by the action of the
pancreatic secretion, perhaps aided by the bile. Chyle is formed
principally in the small intestine from which it is taken up by the
lacteals, and reaches the blood through the thoracic duct. It supplies
material to the blood for nutrition, and also being rich in hydrogen and
carbon it affords material for combustion or support of animal heat. A
large portion of the food, that which is not composed of fats, reaches
the blood through the veins of the stomach and intestines
2. The external femoral
artery arrises [sic] from the external illiac [sic] beneath pouparts’
ligament In the upper part of its course it lies on the pectineus
muscle and the adductors. For the middle and upper part of its couse
[sic] the Sartorius is the guide to it, the artery lying in them inner
side of the muscle. The artery perforates the aductor [sic] magnus
below the middle of its course. Just above the popliteal space becomes
the popliteal artery. From one to two inches below pouparts’ ligament
the adductor ma profunda femoris is given off.
3. The diagnostic symptoms of
pneumonia are dyspnoea, a rapid pulse and rusty sputa. The physical
signs are dullness on percussion of the diseased portion, which is
usually the lower part of the lung and crepitant rȃles also sonorous
rȃles in the course of the disease.
4. Camphor is a solid volatile
oil, and is usually classed under head of nervous stimulants.
5. The changes produced in
atmospheric air by respiration are; 1st a diminished amount
of oxygen; 2nd an increase of carbonic acid.
6. Chemical affinity is the
disposition which bodies have to unite with other bodies, in definite
proportions, forming thereby new compound bodies which have properties
peculiar to themselves.
Temperature of boddies [sic] is the
relative amount of sensible heat they posess [sic], which is usually
estimated by the expansion of substance as mercury alcohol etc.
Specific gravity is the comparative
weight of equal bulks of different substances.
John E. Parsons M.D.
U.S. Navy Yard
Charlestown Mass
Oct 8, 1863.
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