The results of this year's physical examinations of first-year men, including Freshmen and unclassified students, show the intelligence of an enlightened group of parents on the subject of health, according to Dr. Roger 1. Lee '02, Professor of Hygiene, who has been in charge of the examinations. Figures compiled at his office show that very few Freshmen have neglected teeth; that 37.2 per cent. wear glasses; that very few have such gross, uncorrected defects of the eye that they need the immediate attention of the oculist; and that 43.6 per cent. have already had their tonsils removed. Only four individuals were found whose tonsils were so obviously diseased that a removal might seem to be desirable.

The rating of Freshmen from the stand point of bodily mechanics showed that 80 per cent, of the incoming class do not use their bodies well. In this test the physicians examined the men's feet, watched how they used them and studied also how the men stood and whether their statics proved satisfactory from a mechanical point of view. This year only 0.97 per cent. of the Freshmen were grouped in Class A as having a good mechanical use of the body; 14.8 per cent. fell in Class B as being fairly good in this respect; 49.3 per cent. were put in Class C as being less satisfactory; 34.8 per cent. were placed in Class D; all the members of this class were considered to use their bodies very badly.

"The result of this test," says Dr. Lee, "certainly suggests that our preparatory schools might do much toward preventing poor habits of bodily use and also that it is desirable for the college to attempt correction."

The records of unclassified students show similar per cents. The examination this year was made on a somewhat different basis from that in 1916, which prevents comparison of the figures concerning bodily mechanics.

11 Per Cent. Unable to Swim.

It was found that 11.3 per cent. of the Freshmen and 10.2 per cent. of the Unclassified students could not swim; 1.3 per cent. of the Freshmen and 2.6 per cent of the Unclassified were color-blind; 22.6 per cent of the Freshmen and 68.9 per cent. of the Unclassified students had been vaccinated against typhoid; 4.5 per cent of the Freshmen and 1.1 per cent. of the Unclassified men had not been vaccinated against smallpox. Of the 191 Freshmen who wore glasses, 87 used them for reading, eight used them for distance, and 96 used them constantly.

Of the Freshmen, 9.5 had had their appendices taken out; 6.4 of the Unclassified men had had this operation.

Three hundred eighty-one men reported that they did not use tobacco as against 132 smokers.

Dr. Lee's statement follows in full:

"The physical examination of Freshman was resumed this fall on the prewar basis. During the war, in spite of the absence of the head of the Department of Hygiene, these examinations were carried out in accordance with army standards and were of great value, in the first place to the army, and in the second place to the students, since both the army and the students could know from these examinations how each individual met the physical requirements of the army.

"The results of the physical examination of Freshmen ought to be interpreted as the final results of the physical condition of students at the completion of their preparatory school careers. Whatever defects are found should carry two suggestions: one, and the more important suggestion, prevention in the preparatory schools; and, two, possible correction in the college.

Parents Enlightened on Health.

"In many ways our results can be interpreted as reflecting the sanitary intelligence of an enlightened group of parents. We find, for example, very few Freshmen who have neglected teeth. This has been our experience since these examinations were begun in the fall of 1914. The public, or perhaps the more enlightened part of the public, may be regarded as well educated as to the importance of the care of the teeth. Furthermore, only rarely did we find a Freshman who had sufficiently gross uncorrected defects of the eye so that he needed the immediate attention of the oculist. In 1914 we found that 41 per cent of the Freshmen wore glasses, either constantly, for distance, or for near work. This fall we found that 37.2 per cent of the Freshmen wore glasses. In other words, the enlightened part of the public who send their boys to Harvard College may be considered as appreciating fully the dangers of ocular defects and this appreciation has extended at least as far back as 1914. In 1914, 43.5 per cent of the Freshmen had had some operation upon their nose or throat. In 1919, 43.6 per cent of the Freshmen had had their tonsils removed, and a certain further per cent, rather trifling, had only had an operation upon the nose and throat. It is certainly striking that such a large proportion of these young men had had an operation upon the nose and throat. It certainly indicates a very lively appreciation upon the part of the parents of the dangers from diseased tonsils. In 1914, and in 1919, there were only four individuals in each group of Freshmen who presented tonsils that were obviously so diseased that a removal might seem to be desirable.

"From a purely medical point of view, it of interest that whereas in 1914 many of the Freshmen had had portions of their tonsils removed, in 1919 complete removal was the rule.

"The percentage of Freshmen who were not vaccinated against smallpox has run fairly evenly at 5 per cent throughout these five years. As might be expected, the number who had been vaccinated against typhoid fever had greatly increased. In 1914, the number was less than 1 per cent. In 1919, it was 22.6 per cent. This, of course, can be attributed to the interest in anti-typhoid innoculation induced by the war.