The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-09-27
'ril 16, 1862.
CHAP. IV.

An Act to reorganize and increase the Efficiency
of the Medical Department of the Army.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled That there shall be added to
the present medical corps of the army ten sur
geons and ten assistant surgeons to be promoted
and appointed under existing laws twenty med
ical cadets, and as many hospital stewards the
surgeon general may consider necessary for the
public service, and that their pay and that of all
hospital stewards in the volunteer as well as the
regular service shall be thirty dollars per month,
to be computed from the passage of this act
And all medical cadets in the service SHALL in
addition to their pay, receive one ration per day
either in kind commutation.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the
shall have the rank, pay, and emoluments of q
brigadier general. There shall be one assistant
surgeon general and one medical inspector gen
eral of hospitals, each with the rank, pay, and
emoluments of a colonel of cavalry, and the med
ical inspector general shall have, under the drec
ton of the surgeon general the supervision of all
that relates to the sanitary condition of the arny
whether in transports, quarters or camps, and of
the hygiene, police, discipline, and efficiency of
field and general hospitals, under such regulations
as may hereafter be established.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That there
shall be eight medical inspectors, with the rank,
pay, and emOlumentS each of a lieutenant colonel
OF cavalry, and who shall be charged with the
duty of inspecting the sanitary condition of trans
ports, quarters, and camps, of field and general
hospitals, and who shall report to the medical
Inspector general, under such regulrtions may
be hereafter established, all circumstances relat-
ing to the sanitary cOndltlOn and wants OF troops
and of hospitals and to the skill, efficiency, and
good conduct of the officers and attendants con-
nec:ed with the medical department..
SEC. f. And be it further enacted, That the
surgeon general, the assistant surgeon general,
medical Inspector general, and medical inspect
ors, shall Immediately after the passage of this
act be appointed by the President, by and with
uhe advice and consent of the Senate, by selection
from the medical corps of the army, or from the
surgeons in the volunteer service, without regard
to their rank when SO selected, but with sole re-
gard to qualifications.
SEC. s. And lit further enacted That medical
purveyors shall be charged, under the direction
of the surgeon general, with the selection and
purchase of all medical supplies, including new
standard preparations, and of all books instru-
ments, hospital stores furniture, and other artic
les required for the sick and wounded of the
vide such additional accommodations for the sick
and wounded of the army, and may transport
such medical supplies circumstances may rem
der necessary, under such regulations may
hereafter he established, and shall make prompt
and immediate issues upon all special acquisitions
made upon them under such circumstances by
medical officers; and the special acquisitions
shall consist simply of list OF the articles requir
ed, the quantities required, dated and signed by
the medical officers requiring them.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That when
ever the inspector general, any one OF the
medical inspectors, shall report an officer of the
medical corps disqualified, by age otherwise,
for promotion to a higher grade, or untitled for
the performance of his professional duties, he
shall be reported by the surgeon general for ex-
animation to a medical board, as provided by the
seventeenth section of the act approved August
third, eighteen hundred and sixty-one.
SEC. z. And be it further enacted, That the
provisions of this act shall continue and be in
force during the existence of the present rebellion
and no longer: Provided, however, That when
this act shall expire, all officers who shall have
been promoted from the medical staff of the army
under this act shall retain their respective rank in
the army, with such promotion as they would
have been entitled to.
APPROVED, April 16, 1862.