I've been researching epilepsy in the military and I was wondering if people with epilepsy were allowed to enlist back in the Revolutionary War.
I recieved an e-mail from the U.S. Army medical department. Here's part of it: I suspect it is more-of-the-same: if you had petit mal and didn't show symptoms, you could enlist. If you had obvious problems, you would be kept out. Moreover, most militia was locally enlisted, on a township or county basis, so it would be a man's neighbors who would know his medical history and it would be harder to lie about something. However the Continental Army was centrally enlisted, so there was a chance to sneak into another organization.
