Medical Examination 1870s ?

Subject: Medical Examination 1870s ? Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:39 pm

Doe's anyone know or have factual documentation to how rigorous the enlistment medical examination would have been in the 1870s?

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

been surfing looking for information. Not a lot out there. Trust you to post this toipc. Came across these links. That give some in sight.

Except for the medical information noted at the time of Mc Gregor's enlistment, no other medical information was contained in his service papers. This is unfortunate, as the Medical History Sheet often found in soldiers' papers sometimes give the units and duty stations to which they were assigned.

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Another link

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Subject: medical testing. Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:32 pm

hi pete, 24th.

In all the books and literature i have read on the zulu war, i havent found anything that describes the medical tests or enlistment procedures.
All of the papers from my medals that i had researched are the basic, name,height, hair colour, eye colour, chest size expanded or non expanded ( in some cases) distinguishing marks and thats about it , i will quickly look through the " anglo zulu war historical society journals "
Nothing there either !.
cheers 90th

Subject: Re: Medical Examination 1870s ? Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:13 pm

90th Correct, thats all i'm finding. Lets us know if you find anything in the books.

Subject: medical testing. Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:03 am

him pete.
I Have been searching through my books and found nothing , this is what i found in "THE COMPANION TO THE ZULU WAR " by
IAN KNIGHT. " After enlisting , they were then taken before a doctor and given a cursory examination before being marched to their
regiments " . So what we can gather from that is , there wasnt any vigorous testing schedule !!.
cheers 90th.

Subject: Re: Medical Examination 1870s ? Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:57 am

In 1864 Colour-Sergeant Booth V.C. prior to his Army enlistment attempted to join the Royal Marine Light Infantry, but was rejected by the Royal Navy Surgeon who examined him as unfit due to a heart murmur. Yet, later in the same year he was examined by an Army Surgeon and passed he as fit.
Obvious defects were looked for did the candidate have two arms; legs; eyes & ears. Any obvious mental condition. Was candidate actually a man? There were some famous/infamous females who joined the Army prior to the Victorian age.

Obvious diseases were looked for heart conditions, V.D. and T.B.

The examining Surgeons were also looking for other things lash-marks to the back from flogging or D-mark of a deserter. The Army had a device which would tattoo a deserter with a large letter D, normally this was used on the side of the man, although there is some previous evidence of it being used on the forehead. The lash-marks might indicate prior military punishments, and the candidate might be an unconvicted deserter or an AWOL attempting a false enlistment. Corporal Graham of the 90th at Rorke's Drift was a false enlistment, but he had obviously evaded the lash.

Information: Provided by a well Known Zulu Historian.

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

Very basic. I don't suppose they were really bothered as long a they could fight.

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Pete

I have a copy of Surgeon-General JOHN A. WOOLFRYES, M.D., C.B., C.M.G., report "Medical History Of The War In Zululand In 1879" in the attic. I will look through that and see if it throws up anything for you.

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Pete

I have found the report and had a look for you. It is a very comprehensive report, listing all sorts of wonderfull facts about the War, but it does not mention how rigorous the enlistment medical examination would have been. Mad

Posts : 94 Join date : 2009-02-13

G4K4 I think it was in the old SADF commonly referred to as "Fit to die"
When there was a mass recruitment drive during the Boer War a lot of concern was raised as to the poor physical quality of some of the working class recruits coming out of the slums of late Victorian Britain. This lead to a bit of a eugenics movement and concern about weakening of the race and such like. This was especially a problem if the recruits were coming to SA to fight big strong Boers. It is a similar problem that the British and Irish Lions faced earlier this year. Just kidding.
I think the major conditions would have been neurological, infective (TB or syphillis) and cardiovascular (heart failure etc)

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

But is does appear that most of the soldiers, became ill when they returned home. I think quite a lot of the Rorkes Drift defenders died of TB or similar conditions.
It was probably better to be in South Africa than England regarding health.That’s when there’s peace and not war.

Subject: JOHN A WOOLFRYES Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:27 am

HI 1879GRAVES;
Coincidence or what !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

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Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi 90th

Manty thanks for the link, Very nice set of Medals, but that price of £7350.00 WOW Surprised

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Please see Pictorial catalogue of AZW graves for a photograph of him and his grave.

» Medical services in the AZW
» Yesterday's Papers 1870s Punch!. Punch staff artist John Tenniel (
» Reynolds Medical Kit