Lee County, Illinois - Chapter 16, 1920

Till- .Medical Advisory Board for the Gtli District was organized February 5, 1918 altlioiiiili the members of the board had been appointed by Governor Lowden some weeks before in January and although the members soon took up the active work of examination of registrants, the appointments were not confirmed by the President until nearly a j^ear later. This was true of most of the Medical Advisory Boards of the state and was not due to any objection to the qualifications of the members but to the confusion and rush of work at Washington and also to the many changes in the personal of the various boards due to enlistment in the service and transfer to other boards. The 6th District Board, coniposed of Physicians from Lee and Whiteside, had at different times on their l-ostei- sixteen medics, tlie best in the profession in the two coiuities.

The board sent from its membership three members into the service, Dr. Z. W. j\Ioss, Dr. W. H. Perry of Sterling and Dr. E. A. Sickels although the Armistice was signed before Dr. Sickels could overcome the red tape of the various departments of the Service. Dr. Perry was stationed at Ft. Riley for a time and came out a captain and Dr. Moss, in the South. l)i-. Kost, his only son in the service as was the two sons of the Chief Clerk, so you see the niemliers of the Medical Advisory Board of the 6th District really did their part in helping to make an army. From the day they organized in January 1918 to that in Septeinlier when the Armistice was signed and they knew their work was done they all came t<i the front ready and willing to do a little more than was required of them if by doing so they could contribut.e a little liel|) towaiils the goal for which all loyal people were striving- -and believe us, thcis.' I'xaiiiinat i.ms \ for the Doctor.s and Clerks as sdini' .if ili.' latiai with affidavits of broken lea:s that an X-ia>- show. eyes who lia.l iiot by tin- first and lai eye expert- l!i\iiist rants who .m the other han.l ha to trim the Doctors when told they were on tliiar w Mitchell of the Whiteside County Local H.iar.l li of the population of his county to l^e exainiii.Ml ai and fifty with examinations, w.irkiiii!; fi

The Board at its regular sessions made nearly' of registrants and some examinations lasted an hour, and many chemical tests made by John Roberts, Dr. Murpli>-'s otfi.'.' assistant, and one of the ivally valuabl.' assistants in the work .,f the boar.l. Mr. Roberts serv.'.l .lay after day witliout pay as .li.l all members of the Me.liral B.iard. Members .'Vii pai.l ih.'ir own car fare taken m attendance at meetings. The only exiteiis.- t.i the (iovernment of the meetings of the board was the salary of the Chief Clerk, and a f.'w assistants during the rush hours. when the board and Chief Clerk called to their aid to assist in the Clerical work during examiiiati.ms. tlie following giaitlenien: and Corp G. H. Sinionson of Camp Grant. The st.iry of tli(> workings of the b.iard w.uil.l not be complete without an a.'knowledgment of the assistance and invaluabl.' h.'lp given by Henry S. Dixon, Chairman of the Lee County L.ii'al Board. Nosacrifice s.'.aiied to great f.ir him to make in time aii.l personal effort to speed uj) the examinations aii.l especially t.i get the Slacker into the Service. This board not only examined the registrants living in Lee and Whitesitle County but also examined for other local boards hundreds of registrants from nearly every state in the L^nion.made duplicate copies of the examinations and returned them to the board where th.-y liad registered.

After the appointment of Maj.ir ,Iohn M. Dodson, former Dean of Northwestern L'niversity, as medical aid to the Governor and the selection of Major Edgar B. Tolman of Chicago to have charge of all the draft work in this state with headquarters at Springfield, there at once was a better understanding in all departments of the draft work and between th.> different boards an.l work at once speeded up. Had Major Tolman been in charge from the beginning the woi'k of the members ami clerks of the various boards would have been a joy forever.

However, all tried to do their best, all gladly gave of time and money and their best efforts to the Cause and now that it is all over - W^e are content to " Palmam fiue merent ferat "