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Instructions issued by our Pension Bureau to Examining Surgeons.

"In estimating the degree of disability from wounds, you will rate the loss of a limb, or of a hand or a foot, as total. The loss of one eye, the sight of the other being unimpaired, may be reckoned as one-half disability. Injuries causing great and incurable deformities, though not directly disqualifying for manual labor, should be regarded as tending to exclude the applicant from obtaining employment, and liberally estimated. In cases of disease, more specific directions can not be given as to the rate, but each case must be left to the judgment of the medical examiner. The former occupation of the applicant is not to be taken as the basis for reckoning the degree. Any cause, other than that alleged operating to increase the disability, should be noted, but not taken into account in this estimate.'' SCALE OF DISABILITIES BY WHICH TO CLASSIFY INVALID PENSIONERS. (13)

UNITED STATES ARMY.

Disabilities sufficient to entitle a party to a pension for services rendered, either in the army or navy, are divided into five classes, viz:

I. INFIRMITIES TO BE RATED AS TOTAL DISABILITY.

1. Great injuries of the skull, occasioning decided impairment of the intellectual faculties; severe and constant headache, epilepsy, or other manifest nervous or spasmodic symptoms.

2. Total loss of sight.

3. Complete deafness.

4. Loss of tongue.

5. Loss of an arm, hand, leg, or foot.

6. Loss of the thumb and index finger of either hand.

7. Complete anchylosis or irreducible dislocation of either the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle joints.

8. Paralysis, general, or of one limb.

9. Muscular or cutaneous contractions from wounds, or burns, in degree sufficient to prevent useful motion of a limb.

10. Hernia, irreducible, double inguinal or femoral.

11. Artificial anus.

12. Incurable incontinence of urine.

II. INFIRMITIES TO BE BATED AS "TWO-THIRD DISABILITY."

1. Total loss of the right thumb.

2. Total loss of both great toes.

III. INFIRMITIES TO BE KATED AS "ONE-HALF DISABILITY."

1. Loss of sight of one eye.

2. Loss of nose.

3. Loss of three fingers of same hand.

4. Inguinal hernia, reducible.

5. Total loss of left thumb.

IV. INFIRMITIES TO BE RATED AS "ONE-THIRD DISABILITY."

1. Permanent contraction or anchylosis of two or more fingers of one hand.

2. Loss of either index finger.

V. INFIRMITIES TO BE RATED AS "ONE-FOURTH DISABILITY."

1. Loss of one great toe.

2. Loss of any three toes.

3. Loss of ungual phalanx of right thumb.

FRANCE.

TABLE OF ORGANIC LESIONS, DESIGNED AS A SCALE TO MEASURE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, AND TO CLASSIFY MILITARY INVALIDS.

The French law divides military invalids into six classes, viz:

The following is the Table of Infirmities as classified under Articles 12, 14, 17, Section II., Title II. of the Act of April 13, 1841:

1. -- Deep-seated, adherent cicatrices, following loss of substance of the scalp or skull.

2, -- Loss of substance of any of the bones of the skull, arising from trephining, consequent upon fractures, etc., or the introduction of foreign substances into its cavity.

3. -- Burns of the face followed by bridled scars, changing the relation of organs, and to a certain extent altering their functions.

4. -- Hemiplegia occasioned by wounds, or consequent upon apoplexy.

5. -- Paraplegia, with or without paralysis of the bladder or rectum, occasioned by a fall upon the loins, the nates, or some lesion of the vertebral column and medulla spinalis.

6. -- Paraplegia, consequent upon myelitis, or other alterations of the cerebro-spinal system.

7. -- Epilepsy, chorea, mania, or other alterations in cerebral functions, occasioned by blows, falls, or violent concussions of the nervous system.

8. -- Idiopathic epilepsy, mania, chorea, hypochondria, and periodic vertigo, resulting from wounds; facial neuralgia, traumatic tic-douloureux, or tremor of limbs.

9. -- Perforation of the arch of the palate, destruction of the velum palati, resulting from wounds, and sensibly impairing speech.

10. -- Incurable deformity of either jaw, consequent upon loss of substance; necrosis, or any other accident preventing mastication and freedom of speech.

11. -- Salivary fistulas, with escape of saliva, resulting from lesions of the face, and deemed incurable.

12. -- Disorganization of the ball of the eye, whether idiopathic or consecutive to loss of sight of either eye.

13. -- Gradual impairment of sight resulting from amaurosis or cataract, simple or double, and well established.