[Printer’s No., 4054. 4Yth CONGRESS, 1st Session. ■ ■ Eg % f&f j| , JKo • 75 9 [Report No. 137.] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. December 13, 1881. Read twice, referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, and ordered to be printed. January 11, 1882. Committee on Naval Affairs discharged, and referred to the Committee on Commerce. January 31,1882. Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. Rosecrans introduced the following bill: A BILL To increase the efficiency of the Marine Hospital Service. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the crops of medical officers of the Marine Hospital Service shall hereafter consist of one Surgeon-General, thir- teen surgeons, one medical purveyor, and twenty passed as- sistant and assistant surgeons. Sec. 2. That all original appointments into the Marine Hospital Service shall he made to the grade of assistant sur- geon, and shall be made by the President, upon the recom- 2 mendation of the Secretary of the Treasury, by and with the i advice and consent of the Senate; and no person shall he so appointed until he shall have passed a satisfactory professional examination before a hoard of medical officers convened for that purpose. Sec. 3. That no assistant surgeon shall be promoted to the grade of passed assistant surgeon until he shall have served for a period of three years and shall have passed a satisfactory professional examination. Sec. 4. That vacancies occurring in the grades of Sur- geon-Gencral and medical purveyor shall he filled by selec- tion from among the surgeons, and vacancies occurring in the grades of surgeon and passed assistant surgeon shall he filled by promotion from the passed assistant and assistant sur- geons, respectively; and all such selections and promotions shall he made by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Treasury. Sec. 5. That the compensation of the medical purveyor and of surgeons shall he two thousand five hundred dollars per annum; for passed assistant surgeons, one thousand eight hundred dollars per annum; and for assistant surgeons, one thousand six hundred dollars per annum; and this shall be in lieu of all other compensations or emoluments whatsoever, except and provided that, when serving at a hospital, quarters, 3 fuel, and lights shall be furnished, if it can be done with con- venience; and all salaries shall be paid from the Marine Hospital fund. Sec. 6. That the President is authorized to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, upon the recom- mendation of the Secretary of the Treasury, the medical pur- veyor, surgeons, passed assistant surgeons, and assistant sur- geons in the service at the date of the passage of this act. Sec. 7. That when serving on boards or other duty with officers of the Revenue Cutter Service surgeons shall have the same assimilated rank as captains, passed assistant surgeons the same as first lieutenants, and assistant surgeons the same as second lieutenants. Sec. 8. That at ports where the number of sick and disa- bled seamen applying for relief is not large enough to warrant the assignment of a regular medical officer the Surgeon-General may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, enter into contract with a private physician to act in the stead of a medical officer at such ports. The compensation of physicians serving under contract shall in no case exceed one thousand dollars, and shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Treasury according to the extent of the services required. Sec. 9. That hospital stewards shall he appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, not to exceed one for each marine hospital or relief station of the first class: Provided, That 4 when in any hospital the number of patients exceeds sixty an additional steward may be appointed. 'No person shall here- after be appointed steward unless he shall produce evidence that he is skilled in pharmacy and qualified to act as apothe- cary. The Secretary of the Treasury is further authorized to employ such engineers, attendants, and laborers as may be necessary for the proper management of the hospitals, and he is authorized to fix the rates of compensation for persons so employed; and stewards, engineers, attendants, and labor- ers shall be paid from the Marine Hospital fund. Sec. 10. That the Secretary of the Treasury is author- ized to appoint such clerks and copyists in the office of the Surgeon-General as may he necessary, not to exceed ten of the former and two of the latter; and he is also authorized to appoint one messenger and three laborers; and persons so appointed and employed shall receive the same compensation as other employees of the same classes in the Treasury De- partment, and their compensation shall he paid from the Marine Hospital fund. Sec. 11. That the Surgeon-General, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, is authorized to detail a passed assistant or . assistant surgeon to act as chief clerk, and to detail a steward to act under the direction of the medical purveyor. December 13, 1881.—Read twice, referred to the Commit- tee on Naval Affairs, and ordered to be printed. January 11,1882.—Committee onNaval Affairs discharged, and referred to the Committee on Commerce. January 31, 1882.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. A BILL To increase the efficiency of the Marine Hospital Service. 47tii CONGRESS, 1st Session. [Report No. 137.] H. R. 72.