[decorative typographic border] 25th February, 1799. *Read the first and second time, and committed to a Committee of the whole House, to-morrow.* An Act, To regulate the medical establishment. 1 Sec. 1. *BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the* 2 *United States of America, in Congress assembled,* That in the medical estab- 3 lishment of the United States, there shall be the following officers :—A 4 physician-general, who shall be charged with the superintendance and di- 5 rection of all military hospitals, and generally of all medical and chirur- 6 gical practice or service concerning the army or navy of the United States, 7 and of all persons who shall be employed in and about the same, in camps, 8 garrisons and hospitals. An apothecary-general, and one or more depu- 9 ties, who shall be charged with the safe-keeping and delivery of all medi- 10 cines, instruments, dressings and other articles for the use of the hospital 11 and army. A purveyor, who shall be charged with providing medicines, 12 stores, and whatsoever else may be necessary in relation to the said prac- 13 tice or service. A competent number of hospital surgeons, who shall be 14 liable to serve in the field, and who shall have the immediate charge and 15 direction of such military hospitals as may be committed to their care re- 16 spectively. A suitable number of hospital mates, who are to observe the 17 directions of the hospital surgeons, and shall diligently perform all rea- 18 sonable duties required of them for the recovery of the sick and wounded. 1 Sec. 2. *And be it further enacted,* That each military hospital shall 2 have a steward, with a competent number of nurses and other attendants; 3 which steward shall be charged with the procuring of such supplies as may 4 not otherwise be furnished, and with the safe keeping and issuing of all 5 supplies. 1 Sec. 3. *And be it further enacted,* That the said physician-general, hos- 2 pital surgeons, purveyor, and apothecary and apothecaries, deputy or 3 deputies, shall be appointed as other officers of the United States—that 4 the said mates and stewards, shall be appointed by the authority, and at 5 the discretion of the said physician-general, subject to the eventual appro- 6 bation and controul of the President of the United States, and shall be re- 7 movable by the authority of the said physician-general; and that the sur- 8 geon of each hospital shall appoint, employ and fix the compensations of 9 the nurses and other attendants of such hospital, subject to the controul 10 of the said physician-general, or the hospital surgeon, of senior appoint- 11 ment, with a separate army, or in a separate district. 1 Sec. 4. *And be it further enacted,* That as often as the regimental sick 2 will not suffer by the employing of regimental surgeons or mates in the 3 temporary or other hospitals of the United States, the physician general, 4 or the hospital surgeon of senior appointment with a separate army, or in 5 a separate district, with the consent of the general and commander in chief, 6 or the officer commanding a separate army, may require the attendance 7 of such surgeons or surgeon's mates, as, in his opinion, can be with safety 8 so withdrawn from their regiments. 1 Sec. 5. *And be it further enacted,* That it shall be the duty of the phy- 2 sician-general, with two or more hospital surgeons, to frame a system of 3 directions relative to the description of patients to be admitted into the 4 hospitals; to the means of promoting cleanlinefs in the hospitals; to the 5 prevention of idlenefs, skulking and gambling in the hospitals; to the 6 prevention of the spread of infectious distempers in the camps and hospi- 7 tals, and the government of nurses, and all others charged with the care 8 of the sick, in camps or hospitals, subject in the first instance to the appro- 9 bation and revision of the commander in chief, the commander of a sepa- 10 rate army, or in a separate district, as the case may be, and eventually to 11 the approbation and controul of the President of the United States. *Pro-* 12 *vided always,* that the said directions, having received the sanction of the 13 commander in chief, or the commander of a separate army, shall be ope- 14 rative, and remain in full force, unless altered or annulled by the Presi- 15 dent of the United States. 1 Sec. 6. *And be it further enacted,* That the compensations of the said 2 several officers shall be as follows:—Of the physician-general, one hun- 3 dred dollars pay per month; and fifty dollars per month, which shall be 4 in full compensation for forage, rations and travelling expences. Of the 5 purveyor, one hundred dollars pay per month, in full compensation for 6 his services and all expences: Of the apothecary-general, eighty dollars 7 pay per month, and thirty dollars per month in full compensation for 8 rations, forage, and all expences: of each of his deputies, fifty dollars 9 pay per month, and sixteen dollars per month in full compensation for 10 forage, rations, and all expences: of each hospital surgeon, eighty dol- 11 lars pay per month, and forty dollars per month in full compensation 12 for forage, rations, and all expences: of each mate, thirty dollars pay 13 per month, and twenty dollars per month in full compensation for forage, 14 rations, and all expences: of each steward, twenty-five dollars pay per 15 month, and eight dollars per month in full compensation for forage, ra- 16 tions, and all expences. *Provided,* that none of the officers aforesaid 17 shall be entitled to any part of the pay or emoluments aforesaid, until they 18 shall respectively be called into actual service. 1 Sec. 7. *And be it further enacted,* That for the accommodation of the 2 sick of the army and navy of the United States, the physician general and 3 hospital surgeon of senior appointment, with the approbation of the gene- 4 ral commanding the army within the district where he shall be, shall have 5 power to provide temporary hospitals; and the physician-general, with the 6 approbation of the President of the United States, shall have power to 7 provide and establish permanent hospitals. 1 Sec. 8. *And be it further enacted,* That all the said officers and others, 2 shall, as touching their several offices and duties, be liable to the rules 3 and regulations for the government and discipline of the army, and shall 4 be bound to obey, in conformity with law and the usages and customs of 5 armies, the orders and directions of the chief military officers of the res- 6 pective armies, and within the respective districts in which they shall res- 7 pectively serve and be. 1 Sec. 9. *And be it further enacted,* That the physician-general, or in 2 his absence, the senior medical officer, with the approbation of the com- 3 mander in chief, or commanding officer of a separate army, be, and here- 4 by is authorized and empowered as often as may be judged necessary, to 5 call a medical board, which shall consist of the three senior medical 6 officers then present, whose duty it shall be to examine all candidates for 7 employment or promotion in the hospital department, and certify to the 8 Secretary at War the qualifications of each. 1799, *February the 25th.* *Read the first and second time, and passed the Senate.* Attest. SAMUEL A. OTIS, *Secretary.* A List of the names of those who have applied to be appointed Chaplains in the Army of the United States — Names | Town or County | States | by whom Recommended Seth Noble | New Market | N. Hampshire | The President, P. Wingate, Gen^l Lincoln, & M^r [undecipherable] Jacob Emerson | Castle Island | Massachusetts | Association of Ministers — the President as his letter on file, of 28^th October 1798 Israel Evans | | ditto — | General Knox — Ashbel Baldwin | Stratford | Connecticut | M^r Tracy — Sam^l Shuttleworth | Windsor | Vermont | Fisher Ames Elijah Payne David Hascall | Fairfield | New York | a Number of Gentlemen — Benj^m Lindsey | N. Brunswick | New Jersey | M^r Patterson Ja^s Habersham Sam^l Laycock | Pittsgrove Salem C^o | Do | Gov^r Howell, a No of Clergymen And^w Hunter | Trenton | Do | Robert Cathcart | York Town | Pennsylvania | H. Latimer, J. Hartley, R. Waln, R. Tho[undecipherable] Robert Andrews | | Do | Bishop White — Sam^l Barr | | Delaware | M^r Latimer Delegation from that State Geo W. Snider | Frederick Town | Maryland | Geo. Baer — Geo Desheil | Kent County | Do | Wm. Matthews Wm. White — Ja^s J. Wilmer | x Roads N^t Co. | Do | [carried over] Chaplains — Names | Town or C^o | State | By whom recommended James Evans | York Town | Virginia | Thomas Evans —