MEDICALLY UNFIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 12 May 1915, Page 3

MEDICALLY UNFIT

NOTHING LIKE FORTY PER CENT. MEDICAL VIEWS. AUCKLAND, May 4. # The reported statement by the Minister for Defence that in recruiting 40 per cent allowance must be made for medical rejects to a number of local doctors. "Nothing like it," said an experienced medical officer, when 40 per cent, as the figure of rejection was spoken of. It was mentioned to him that 14 had been suggested as possible what was meant "That is nearer it," he said, "and you will find that that number is not under the mark." In his experience the most frequent cause of unfitness was unsound teeth. Many had verioose veins and -were rejected on that account, and there were a few with more serious ailments. "A good percentage of those who are rejected," said the doctor, "are quite fit but they do not posses development to confirm with the regulations. Take for instance the man who can expand his chest from 28 inches to 34 inches. That is very good expansion, but the regulation says that the expanded chest must be 35 inches, so this man goes out. There are quite a number like this, good healthy fellows. Some of them who are just under 35 inches #o away and train themselves, and come back and pass the test. There have been several instances of this. Those men would all be counted as rejects- but even so the number is nothing like 40 per cent. The idea is prepo-4-er-as. If 40 per cent, of unmarried men, between the ages of 2 Oand 35 years, are medically unfit, what is going to happen to the community?" .