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: Samuel DeHaven Smith, M.D.
Not having any certificate from my
parents, not knowing it was required I shall have to give my owne
[sic, correction marks in pencil] statement of time, and place of birth.
In the upper portion of New Castle
County, state of Delaware, in sight of where this state, corners with Meryland
[sic, correction marks in pencil], and Pennsylvania. I was born on the
23d of October, in the year 1839.
My education was obtained at a privet
[sic, correction marks in pencil] school keep [sic, correction
marks in pencil] by a Mr.Terrell, who resides in Chester County Penn.
and which consisted of the following branches of mathematics,
Mensuration, Geometry, Plain [sic, correction marks in pencil],
and spherical Trigonometry, Surveying, and Algebra, with Batany
[sic, correction marks in pencil] and [W. S. W.] Ruscenburger [sic]
series of Natural History, excepting Conchology, and Entomology, with
other branches incident to Academis [sic, correction marks in pencil]
education.
In Augus [sic, correction marks in pencil] 1859 I commensed
[sic, correction marks in pencil] the study of Medicine, with Dr. Lowber
of Newark, with whom I studied for two years, and then entered with Prof
Leidy, since which time I have been in the City persuing [sic,
correction marks in pencil] my studys [sic, correction marks in pencil]
in his office. I have passed the requisit [sic, correction marks in
pencil] examination, and shall receive the degree of Doctor of Medicin
[sic], on next Saturday.
I have not persued [sic, correction
marks in pencil] the modern languages, and have but little practical
knowledge of pharmacy, only what I obtained in being an office student,
my knowledge of the physical property [sic, correction
marks in pencil] of plants are [sic, correction marks in pencil]
limited to our course of lectures, and the practice of medicine and
Surgery to the same, and the Clinical course of two turms [sic,
correction marks in pencil] at the Penn Hospitle [sic, correction
marks in pencil].
Samuel D Smith
City address University of Penn.
My residence is Newark, New Castle
Co. Del
Naval Asylum Phila
March 10th 1863
Questions by the Board:
Questions to be answered in writing,
by Dr Saml. D. Smith.
1. Give a brief description of the
Operation of Castration.
2. Write a prescription (Latin)
without symbols or abbreviations for a compound infusion of senna.
3. What is it differs between
furunculus or boil, and Carbuncle.[sic]
4. What is meant by the term “law”
as used in medicine and the other natural sciences?
5. What is or was the “Unguentum
Armarium”?
6. What is animal heat and how
produced?
7. What are the causes and symptoms
of Cholera?
8. What is Belladonna? how used?
9. What are the causes and pathology
of Scorbitus?
Answers by Smith:
1. Plase [sic, correction marks in
pencil] the pation [sic, correction marks in pencil] on his back;
administer an anasthetic [sic, correction marks in pencil], a
combination of chlorofor [sic, correction marks in pencil] and Either
[sic, correction marks in pencil], and then make and insision
[sic, correction marks in pencil] coresponding [sic, correction arrow in
pencil] with a longer and lower portion of the Testical [sic,
correction marks in pencil], and then with cair [sic, correction
marks in pencil] dissect up the detachment of the Dartos muscle from the
external coating of the testical [sic, correction marks in
pencil], and divide the Vas Defferance [sic, correction marks in
pencil], Spermatic artery, and veins taking cair [sic, correction
marks in pencil] to Ligate the artery and not include the nerve. Then
bring the wound together, and keep down the inflemmation [sic,
correction marks in pencil] by cod [sic, correction marks in
pencil] water dressing, Leaches [sic, correction marks in
pencil], cups etc, with proper attention to the constitution of the
patient.
2 I cannot write the Latin without
symbols or abbreviation, as required in second question
3 The difference between a furuncul
[sic, correction marks in pencil], and anthrax, are we have furuncls
occuring [sic, correction marks in pencil] in any part of the
body, while anthrax has a predilection for the back, and neck. The
former is mor [sic, correction marks in pencil] superficial, and is not
charactorized [sic, correction marks in pencil] by so much paine
[sic, correction marks in pencil], and swelling, and soon points to
discharge its contents, which may be followed by others, owing to some
slight contamination of the systom [sic, correction marks in
pencil]; while in Carbuncle we have a depraved state of the blood. The
swelling is slow, paine sevier [sic, correction marks in
pencil], and after a time we have several vescicals [sic,
correction marks in pencil] appearing, underneath which, we have a black
gangrean [sic, correction marks in pencil] mass, which if not
properly treated, may slugh [sic, correction marks in pencil] out in
time.
4 Law has refferance [sic,
correction marks in pencil] to the condition through which substance
act, or in other words it is guiding principle, acting through
substances that certain defenite [sic, correction marks in pencil]
results, are obtained. As in illustrated in the condition of life,
which requir [sic, correction marks in pencil] a germ, oxygen, heat, and
blastiema [sic, correction marks in pencil] arterial the guiding in
formation of which may be said to be, the laws of life
As to its intent in science, it has
referance [sic, correction marks in pencil] to gemeral [sic] condition,
which are subservient to it, and in fact owes their purpos [sic,
correction marks in pencil] to an end or perticular [sic,
correction marks in pencil] object to it. As the law of gravitation is
the principle by which the univers [sic, correction marks in pencil] is
keep [sic] in motion, and the condition by which all things tend to the
Earth Center.
6 Animal heat, is that Temperatur
[sic, correction marks in pencil] by which the body is keep [sic,
correction marks in pencil] at a standred [sic, correction marks
in pencil] heat, and is not influanced [sic, correction marks in pencil]
by the surrounding atmosphear [sic, correction marks in pencil].
It generaly [sic, correction marks in
pencil] take [sic, correction marks in pencil] place in the capillaries,
and is owing to the chemical changes, depending on disintegration of the
tissues, forming new compounds; forming effete matter, and the
reconstruction of the tissues, but most of all on the nonnitrogenized
compounds.
4 Cholera depends on eight peculair
eppademic influanc [sic, correction marks in pencil], the natur [sic,
correction marks in pencil] of which like all eppademic [sic], is not
knowing [sic, correction marks in pencil], but is generally supposed to
depend on a anamaleual [sic, correction marks in pencil]. The first
symptom of this diseas [sic, correction marks in pencil] is Cholerain
[sic, correction marks in pencil], the looseness of the bowles [sic,
correction marks in pencil], and which seems [sic] to stamp all diseases
that maybe prevaling [sic, correction marks in pencil] at the time with
this peculiary, After a time we have neuralgie [sic] in legs, back, with
cramps in the abdomen, with irritabl [sic, correction marks in
pencil] stomach followed by vomiting, a low weak puls [sic, correction
marks in pencil], and then the most stricking [sic, correction marks in
pencil] symptom of the diseas [sic, correction arrow in pencil], is the
rice color discharges which consist of the Serum of blood, and epithelum
[sic, correction marks in pencil] of intestine, and likewise the
vometing [sic, correction marks in pencil] of the same material. The
tempatur [sic, correction marks in pencil] of body becomes
reduced, as low as 90° Fah, under the tongue and pulsation absent in the
extremitys [sic, correction marks in pencil], and cool and finely [sic,
correction marks in pencil] the patient succumbs to the diseas [sic].
The first cases as always the most fatle [sic, correction marks in
pencil]. The surfice [sic, correction marks in pencil] in the last
stages become very much rinkled [sic, correction marks in pencil].
5. The ansur [sic, correction
marks in pencil] I do not remember it by ever knew
8 Atropia Belladonnan [sic,
correction marks in pencil], or deadly nightshade is a herpashus [sic,
correction marks in pencil] plant, growing in Europ [sic, correction
arrow in pencil] and likewise found in this Country, it attaines [sic]
the height of one to two feet, of rank green leaves and black shining
berries.
It containes [sic] a principle called
atropin, it [sic] a nerve sedative, and is used to fulfil [sic,
correction marks in pencil] such indication, also to dilate the puple
[sic, correction marks in pencil], and externaly [sic, correction arrow
in pencil] in form of Emplartrum Belladonna, in neuralgy etc; and
Endermically in rhumatism [sic, correction marks in pencil] and teatnus
[sic, correction marks in pencil]. The extract maid [sic] from the empisated
[sic, correction marks in pencil] juice of the of green leavs [sic,
correction marks in pencil], by the action of dilute alcohol, dos [sic]
from ¼ to one or two gr. Their [sic, correction marks in pencil]
is the infusion, and tinctur [sic, correction arrow in pencil] that
is officinal
9 Scurvy is caused from the wont
[sic, correction marks in pencil] of vegetables, more aspecially [sic]
the Crucifers [sic, correction marks in pencil] as mustterd [sic,
correction marks in pencil] etc. It a blood diseas [sic, correction
arrow in pencil] showing itself in the swelled condition of the gums,
and the great tendency to Hemmerrage [sic, correction marks in
pencil], and of petica [sic, correction marks in pencil] an infusion of
blood in spots bemeath [sic, correction marks in pencil] the cutical
[sic, correction marks in pencil]
S D Smith
I declare on honor that my health is
at this time good and robust, 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 not at present affected with
varicocele, disease of the urinary organs, hernia or hemorrhoids [sic];
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.
S D Smith,
Candidate for the office of Assistant
Surgeon in the U. S. Navy
U.S. Naval Asylum Philada
March 4th 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