La politique des indicateurs

Access to the First World War battlefield depended on the favorable opinion of medical experts, as scientific examination resulted in the conscript’s enrolment into or exclusion from the military. Statistical indexes were established to properly measure and assess suitability for the military service and to interpret the medical data obtained throughout this process. Those data were the focus of major political debates moving in completely opposite directions in France and in Great Britain. In France, Pignet’s index was used as a tool to criticize and control the health implications of the recruitment policy. In the United Kingdom, Keith’s index of fitness was used to legitimate the recruitment policy and allay public unrest. Political use of medical statistics thus confirms the strategic importance of quantification in the exercise of power.