On 27/06/2013 19:36, Lesley Robertson wrote: > "Tickettyboo" wrote in message news:apsh1bF5mgdU1@mid.individual.net... > > https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25941-12055-68?cc=1968530&wc=M9MT-2HP:1046484211 > > > > Link will take you to a WW1 draft registration card on Family Search. > Its section 12 I am having trouble with, the reason for claiming > exemption from draft. The first word appears to be Yes: and then after > that, maybe Seminal but the last word has me defeated. If anyone can > make the letters out I could have a stab at finding out what it means. > > (not that it impressed the army, he was enlisted less than a month > later and served till July 1919) It's "Seminal Weakness" (an involuntary discharge of semen during sleep). Oo-er!

"Renia" <renia@otenet.gr> wrote in message news:kqjcu3$hif$1@speranza.aioe.org... > On 27/06/2013 19:36, Lesley Robertson wrote: >> "Tickettyboo" wrote in message news:apsh1bF5mgdU1@mid.individual.net... >> >> https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25941-12055-68?cc=1968530&wc=M9MT-2HP:1046484211 >> >> >> >> Link will take you to a WW1 draft registration card on Family Search. >> Its section 12 I am having trouble with, the reason for claiming >> exemption from draft. The first word appears to be Yes: and then after >> that, maybe Seminal but the last word has me defeated. If anyone can >> make the letters out I could have a stab at finding out what it means. >> >> (not that it impressed the army, he was enlisted less than a month >> later and served till July 1919) > > > It's "Seminal Weakness" (an involuntary discharge of semen during sleep). > Oo-er! > I must admit that to me it looks very much like "Hiaticus", although that doesn't mean anything as far as I can see. Did you mean that "seminal hiatus" was a term for "seminal weakness", Renia, or that you actually see "weakness" in that handwriting? Tony Proctor

On 28/06/2013 14:11, Tony Proctor wrote: > "Renia" <renia@otenet.gr> wrote in message > news:kqjcu3$hif$1@speranza.aioe.org... >> On 27/06/2013 19:36, Lesley Robertson wrote: >>> "Tickettyboo" wrote in message >>> news:apsh1bF5mgdU1@mid.individual.net... >>> >>> https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25941-12055-68?cc=1968530&wc=M9MT-2HP:1046484211 >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Link will take you to a WW1 draft registration card on Family Search. >>> Its section 12 I am having trouble with, the reason for claiming >>> exemption from draft. The first word appears to be Yes: and then >>> after that, maybe Seminal but the last word has me defeated. If >>> anyone can make the letters out I could have a stab at finding >>> out what it means. >>> >>> (not that it impressed the army, he was enlisted less than a >>> month later and served till July 1919) >> >> >> It's "Seminal Weakness" (an involuntary discharge of semen during >> sleep). Oo-er! >> > > I must admit that to me it looks very much like "Hiaticus", although > that doesn't mean anything as far as I can see. > > Did you mean that "seminal hiatus" was a term for "seminal weakness", > Renia, or that you actually see "weakness" in that handwriting? The first word is "Seminal". The second word is "Weakness". Seminal Weakness is a recognised medical term. The second word does NOT begin with an "H". Look at the "H" in Henry at the top of the document. They are quite different. The beginning of this first letter of the second word looks a bit like a 2, which is very similar to the 2-shape of the beginning of the surname "Winslow" in the signature of the registrar on the other page. The fourth letter is no a "T", because it is too short. This fancy and determined writer is consistent in writing a tall "T" with a strong cross. It is similar to the "K" in Brunswick, but without the flourish. The second letter is a closed "E", a reverse 3-shape like some of the others. The third letter is clearly an "A". So we have "Weak...s" which can only be "Weakness". As I said, "Seminal Weakness" means "an involuntary discharge of semen during sleep", which I can't imagine anyone admitting to!

In message <kqk3cj$hmn$1@speranza.aioe.org>, Renia <renia@otenet.gr> writes: [] >>>> >>>>https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25941-12055-68?cc=19685 >>>>30&wc=M9MT-2HP:1046484211 [] >>> It's "Seminal Weakness" (an involuntary discharge of semen during >>> sleep). Oo-er! >>> >> >> I must admit that to me it looks very much like "Hiaticus", although >> that doesn't mean anything as far as I can see. >> >> Did you mean that "seminal hiatus" was a term for "seminal weakness", >> Renia, or that you actually see "weakness" in that handwriting? >The first word is "Seminal". The second word is "Weakness". Seminal >Weakness is a recognised medical term. > >The second word does NOT begin with an "H". Look at the "H" in Henry at >the top of the document. They are quite different. I did, and thought it was sufficiently similar to be sure it wasn't M (not to mention others of those nearby). I'm far from as sure as you that it's a W, though. [] >The fourth letter is no a "T", because it is too short. This fancy and >determined writer is consistent in writing a tall "T" with a strong Yes, I'd totally agree with that. >cross. It is similar to the "K" in Brunswick, but without the flourish. I don't think I'd agree there. > >The second letter is a closed "E", a reverse 3-shape like some of the Hmm. >others. The third letter is clearly an "A". Agreed. > >So we have "Weak...s" which can only be "Weakness". What you're saying is an n, I don't agree on. It's right-hand half even looks like another letter - I'd say we might have -er- there. I'd be tempted to say it's "aterics" or "aterus", if it wasn't for the doubt about the t. (And there's no dot for the i, which he seems fairly consistent - though a bit energetic - about applying elsewhere, like the t cross.) Could it be an x - -axerus? (-caxerus or -eaxerus?) (or even -axims?) > >As I said, "Seminal Weakness" means "an involuntary discharge of semen >during sleep", which I can't imagine anyone admitting to! > Indeed (-:! I think the only letters we all agree on are the a, and probably the s (even though even that has a final flourish not evident elsewhere). Am I the only one who finds the user interface of that site infuriating in that any careless click causes a zoom in? -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf We have a huge scare over BSE when it is only killing the same number of people as alarm clocks. Shouldn't we be having an alarm clock scare, too? ("Equinox" on Risk, April 1999, paraphrased by Polly Toynbee in Radio Times.)

On Fri, 28 Jun 2013 08:10:55 +0100, Renia <renia@otenet.gr> wrote: >On 27/06/2013 19:36, Lesley Robertson wrote: >> "Tickettyboo" wrote in message news:apsh1bF5mgdU1@mid.individual.net... >> >> https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25941-12055-68?cc=1968530&wc=M9MT-2HP:1046484211 >> >> >> >> Link will take you to a WW1 draft registration card on Family Search. >> Its section 12 I am having trouble with, the reason for claiming >> exemption from draft. The first word appears to be Yes: and then after >> that, maybe Seminal but the last word has me defeated. If anyone can >> make the letters out I could have a stab at finding out what it means. >> >> (not that it impressed the army, he was enlisted less than a month >> later and served till July 1919) . >It's "Seminal Weakness" (an involuntary discharge of semen during >sleep). Oo-er! I'll accept that; earlier I had campaigned for "seminal waterous" but my "t" could well be a "k". "Weakness" might be more age appropriate for a 21 year old and more embarrassing than watery semen. -- Don donsgenes@charter.net