Star.
London, England, 1808-03-18 00:00:00

FI.PUI,JAE4PRT,

OF TIM COMMINIONEgS ATAIIINiIIe To ITatouttut AND
AISKAMINE INTO mg' PUN= ISEPINDITtatz.
..•.. . . _ .
• ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
The Medical bepartment of the Army is enume-
rated ass aage those tuhire -.offices end der ents
whose segernfitoßaind'huct are ,sub' by th.
Legislattnie4isour eximinatatti:
toncexis of this d • -,:.:,•
~...
Although during-
Vse .last,
axt erson
I as. the present war, ird eornpre,
hended a c siderable establishnient,lnd a large ex--
periditure, yet we do not find.; except -N1 the instance:.
of -the checks on the Apothecary General's bills,
(which -attracted the notice of the Select Committee,
of Finance. in 1797, and will be observed on here--
atter), that these concerns have been investigated by
the authority of either- House of 'Parliament, or by
any of the preceding -Boards of Commissioners.. As
we had no previous authoritative information, there-
fore,- to guide us in -the course of our inquiries, we
have thought it expedient to make them more exten-
sive, and to carry them farther back than would
otherwise, perhaps, have been necessary.
We shall divide the subject of the present enquiryi
into-Ist, The Establishment, and-2dly, The Ex-
penditure of-the-Department. - ' :- -. . • ... "
And we shall subdivide the first Of these heads into,
1. The Superintending or Controuling part ; v
2. The Stallead General Hospital branch; and
e: The Regiiimerd pare. •
itt;..., .b e=i‘.irilig 2.4TAISLISIIhIENT. •
1.. Inn iniptirtatendxace of the department, previous-
to 17101, appears to have been bi 4 Physician General
(Sir Clifton Wintringharn), and in -Mr. John Hunter,
who held the joint offices of Surgeon General midi
Inspector of Regimental Infirinaries. .
• On Mr. Hunter's death in 1799, his Majesty stiaio
pleased:to order that' the Offices held by him should
be divided,- and that • Mr. Grinning should be ap- '
pointed Surgeon'General collie Army, with the pay
of forty-shillings pee dicta ; and Mr. Kate, Inspector
of Regimental Infirittiriei; *A:the-pay of ten shil-
lings per diem. !These Gentlemen were directed by
the Secretary at-Wer's Letter tis consult together on
the appointment of Physiciani -and Surgeons of the
Hospitals, on service; and' of Surgeons' and' ates of
Regiments, and to join in their retenninendatiotis
to the appointments ; and they 'were told; that when a
successor to the physician General (aiti was at that
time at -a very advanced age) .sliotild-br appointed, he'
would also be directed to join in the recommendations.'
The-direetitniiiCeontlibidin the Secretary at War's
Letter, Mr. Keate Observes, first constituted the
Army Merditarßoard. On the death of Sir Clifton
Wintringhatn,-8113 •Liiel4Pepxs was appointed Phy-
sician Genera tot& Arnly, with the pay of ten shil-
lings per•diern ; -ited4rOin that timelthe 15th Janu-
ary 1794); he, with the Surgeon General, and In-1
spector •of Regimental Infirmaries, constituted the
Medical Boats! (Or -coneNcti* the general ditties ofl
the Department;- and for recommending proper per-
sons for Stag and Regimental Commissions. But
Mr. Keate says; that at the time of the appointment of
the Board, iti 1793, no specific instructions were given
td them, and that those which were subsequently re-
ceived, related to those - particular. points only on
which explanation was required by the Board.
Onthe death:of-Mr. Gunning, early in 1798, Mr.
Keate was appointed Surgeon General, and Mr.
Rush Inspector of Regimental Infirmaries. On the
Iftli Marclel79B;his Majesty was pleased to order a
new arrangements:tithe-Medical Department. The
establishment Of on AimY Medical Board for con-
ducting the general business of the Medical Depart-
ment was theft discontinues, and distinct provinces of
dirties and of patronage were assigned to the Physi-
cian General, the Surgeon General, and the Inspec-
tor of Regimental Hospitals ; and each was made
responsible, "'openly and solely," for his own acts.
The distinct duties now enjoined the three Chiefs
of the Department are detailed in his Majesty's war-
rant, a copy of which is given in the Appendix. £.y
this it appears that the Physician General was to re-
commend the Army Physicians, and to give his opi-
nion on all matters referred to him by the Comman-
der in Chief, or Secretary at War—that he was to in-
spect the medicines provided for the use of the army
by the Apothecary General, and tojoin with
•the Sur-
geon General in checking his bills—the Physician
General was also to certify his opinion in the cases of
Officers applying for leave of absence on account of
illhealth, if the cases were not surgieil; and he was to
preside at the medical examination of candidates for
Regimental and Staff Commission's.
The duties of the Surgeon General, as detailed in
the warrant, are,to recommend Staff and Regimental
Surgeons and Assistants--to select .-fmm the Stiff
Surgeons on full pay at home such as may be want-.
ed for the General Hospitals, Camps, and districts in
this kingdom—to make requisitions to the Inspector
of Regimental Hospitals for apotheeiries'andbospi-
tal mates ; and to appoint the inferior Officers anctat-
tendants in the general hospitili. He was tOcerre:
spond with the heads of hospital's abroad, and to be
the channel of application for Extending litTierre of
Officers absent from suchlogpitifs. • Ae was ' to• in-
Spect the quality, and te'r,egulite' Ate prices of all
surgical articles itrthe balsa' flte Apothecary Gene-
ral, and, with the .Inspector of. 4.44: t•'0,,31- fibspi.
tals, to ascetain:the clainix for Son*. Of icidOinta..
cation for die. loss di Nimbi, and'curc Of wounds. He
was further to terrify in surgidarcases, as , the PhYsi-
cian General was directed to do 'in medical calcs--.
and he was to assist at the medical esaminauon .of
hospital mates: • . .
The third principal Officer Of the Medical Depart 7.
rota,. sty led in his Majesty's warrant Inspector of
Regimental' Hospitals, was directed to recommend
Apothecariq, Purveyors, and Deputy Pucveyqrs,
Hospital Mates, and the inferior Officers, on the for-
mation.of any new establislinierif.."-,He was to inspect
the Reoneinal :Hospitals at Vome, 'to Correspond
with the Rekinientat-Surgeons at home, and to be
responsible:responsible:for 'all'iriattets relating to the supply of
their mediCfnes, and theinanagementortheir Hospi-
tals.. He was to aetwith-the 'Surgeon General rela-
tive tb. the claims of W6tinded Office.rs, to certify in
surgical eises,and .to "assist. 4 the* exaT_inatioss. .
jlospital Mates.
general rules are also risen In-the War-
-- - to the examinations and qualifications
.ir Medical and Chirurgical v1,041600*,
the course scow Aekreed in protno6ons- . Oi.'

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Some gent
rant relative
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