Topic: CEF
Instructions Governing
Organization and Administration of CEF Units
1916
Appendix III
Instructions Regarding Physical Qualifications and Medical Inspection of Recruits, C.E.F.
1. The present standard of age, height and chest measurements is as follows:—
- Age:—18 to 45 years.
- Height:—Not less than 5 ft. 2 in. for all units except Artillery, and not less than 5 ft. 4 in. for Artillery units.
- Chest Measurement:—
- Men between 18 and 30 years, 33 inches as a minimum.
- Men between 30 and 45 years, 34 inches as a minimum.
2. The greatest care must be taken in the examination of a recruit. Every man who is presented for examination must be stripped, and the examination conducted in a thorough and systematic manner.
3. The examining doctor will see that he has free use of his limbs and has no deformities; that his chest is ample; that his hearing, vision and speech are normal; that he has no evidence of cutaneous diseases past of present; that he is not ruptured; that there is no marked variococele or no varicose veins; that he has the appearance of being an intelligent and sober man and likely to make an efficient soldier suitable for a unit of the Expeditionary Force.
4. Regarding the teeth, it should be noted that the wearing of dentures is permissible, and that unless the condition of the teeth is such as to seriously impair the man's general physical condition, he should not be rejected, as arrangements have been made whereby teeth can be put in order by the Canadian Army Dental Corps, subsequent to enlistment. care should be taken to see that there is no disease of the gums, which might render the man unfit.
5. In examining a recruit's vision he will be placed with his back to the light, and his visual acuteness will be tested by means of test types placed in ordinary daylight, or its artificial equivalent, at a distance of 6 metres (20 English feet) from the recruit.
Each eye will be tested separately,
The visual acuity of each eye in the case of approved recruits will be entered on the Medical History Sheet.
(a) Squint, or any morbid condition of the eyes of lids of either eye, liable to the risk of aggravation or recurrence, will cause the rejection of the candidate.
(b) If a recruit can read D-60 at 20 feet, or better with each eye, without glasses, he will be considered as "Fit."
(c) If he can read D-20, at 20 feet with the right eye, without glasses, and not less than D-80, at the same distance with the left eye, without glasses, he will be considered "Fit."
(d) If he can read D-20, at 20 feet with the left eye, without glasses, and not less than D-120 with the right eye, at the same distance, without glasses, he will be considered "Fit," for the Canadian Army Service Corps, Canadian Army Medical Corps, or the Canadian Ordnance Corps, and for Driver of the Canadian Artillery or Canadian Engineers.
6. Particular care should be taken to see that men with tuberculosis, chronic rheumatism, cardiac disease, renal disease or syphilis, are not accepted as "Fit."
A sufficient enquiry should be made in each case to eliminate these conditions.
7. Great care should also be exercised in the selection of men who have had fractures of comparatively recent date, and especially where such have been in the neighbourhood of joints.
8. Men requiring operations to render them physically fit, should not be accepted as "Fit" until sufficient time has elapsed after the operation to permit of their ongoing training without subjecting themselves to the risk of as recurrence of their old condition, or of other serious consequence.
9. There should be no qualified opinions given. The man must be declared "Fit" or "Unfit" for general service.
10. Medical Officers are required to exercise the greatest caution in accepting recruits in order to avoid disappointment and loss to individuals, and serious public loss as well. In most cases in which men who should have been rejected, are passed as "Fit," such actions is the result of carelessness and lack of attention to details on the part of the Medical examiner.
11. Civilian Practitioners may carry out the examination of recruits in places where A.M.C. officers are not available. before employing Civilian Practitioners Officers Commanding should submit their recommendations to the A.D.M.S., 2nd Division.
Epidemic Diseases
1. Owing to the prevalence of epidemic diseases, the greatest care should be taken to prevent men who are enlisted from exposing themselves to the risk of infection. Medical officers should obtain, as far as possible, a list of all buildings in the area covered by their Unit in which infectious diseases exist, and have such list published in Orders, as places out of bounds during the period of quarantine.
2. Lists of such places can be obtained from Medical Health Officers, or clerks of municipalities.
Civil Hospital Accounts
1. In the event of men enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force requiring hospital treatment for some condition arising subsequent to their enlistment, theyr should on the recommendation of the medical officer be sent into a Military Hospital, if one is available, and it not, into a civil hospital.
2. Accounts from civil hospitals to the extent of $1.00 per day, covering maintenance and treatment, will be paid by the Militia Department. Such accounts should be rendered in triplicate to the Commanding officer in each individual case, and should show the rank, name and battalion of the man, the date of admission and discharge, the condition for which he was treated in hospital and on whose authority he was sent there.
3. All such accounts must be approved by the Commanding Officer, and should be forwarded at once to A.D.M.S. at Divisional Headquarters.
4. Men treated in hospital at the expense of the Department are not entitled to subsistence allowance while in hospital.
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