Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-11-08
DOCTORS IN ARMY AND NAVY
How to Become a Surgeon. Their Pay,
Privileges and Duties.


Eighteen desirable places in the ar
my and navy. says the Washington
ID. G. Star, are al present vacant and
| open to young men in civil life, who
desire employment. Political influence
has nothing whatever, TO do with the
appointments; the most meritorious APP
| plicants Will be selected without re-
! gard for any other consideration. Di.
| plomas from recognized medical col
| leges must be exhibited by candidates
for these positions. which are those of
physicians in Uncle Sans service.
There are 10 vacancies in the army
and eight in the navy.
These situations are obtainable by
passing good examination merely.
The successful applicant ut once re-
ceives his commission. In the navy his
! sea pay from the start is S1.700 n
/ year. At the end of three years he be-
J comes a passed assistant surgeon and
draws $1,000 per annum. After two
/ years more have elapsed his emou-
ment is raised to 5000 Having gone
through the grade mentioned, he be-
comes a surgeon. and his remuneration
| Is steadily lifted. until at the end Of
20 years of service II reaches $1,000.
A position Of this kind is really much
more desirable in many ways than that
of a line officer in the navy. The pay
Is decidedly better. and there is com
| paratively little work TO do The doc
tor on board of ship of war has Mo
! watch to keep. His sole responsibility.
| is for the health of officers and crew.
! The sanitary regulations are Hnder his
| charge. When she goes into port it
/ Is his duty to receive the health officer
and answer questions. Under his d.
rection is the ships dispensary. but the
medicines are put up by an apothe-
cary on board.
The proper course to pursue in try
ing to get one of these places Is to
write to the secretary of the navy for
permission to appear before the naval
examining board The applicant must
state in his own handwriting his age,
birthplace and residence. also inclosing
letters yonching for his good habits
and moral character. He must be of
sound health and between 81 and 70
years old. Having passed the exami-
nation. he is commissioned as assist
ant surgeon and is ordered To the naval
laboratory ut New York. There he
stays four months, during which time
he is instructed in his duties.
Having become familiar with The
special requirements Of a physician in
the navy he Is ordered to a receiving
ship for six months. Then he Is sent
on his first cruise. and spends a couple
of years mt sea Three years after the
date of his admission TO the service he
Is examined for promotion TO the grade
of passed assistant surgeon There are
80 assistants and passed assistants on
the list On reaching the top OF this
list he must wait until there is ava
cancy before he can become full
fiedged surgeon. There are 20 surgeons.
After passing through the grade of
surgeon he becomes medical inspec-
tor. He then occupies the dignified
position of physician of fleet usually,
with headquarters on board of the
flagship. There are Il such inspectors.
Finally the navy doctor becomes a
medical director. There are 10 medi-
cal directors in the service. Occasion
ally they are superintendent OF hospi-
tails. They are not expected 10 20 to
sea. At SO years OF age they retire on
three-fourths of their highest pay for
life.
A young man who wants 10 be an
army doctor must write to the secre-
tary of war for permission to appear
for examination before the army med
ical board, inclosing documents similar
TO those required for the navy. He
must be in sound health, of good char
acter a graduate in medicine, and be-
tween % and % years Of age. The
board meets in April and October, at
dates of which notice is given In the
medical journals. The examination in
cludes morals. habits. physical and
mental qualifications, and so many
branches of knowledge that to pass is
by no means easy. For example, it is
expected that the applicant shall be ac-
quainted with the rudiments of geol-
ogy and botany, and he must know
something about history.
That is the chief reason why so many
candidates for these position in the
army and navy fail. They are apt not
to realize that more is expected OF
them than knowledge Of medicine.
A physician In the navy--the same re-
mark applies to the other branch Of
the service-ought to be first-rate
all-round man, generally well informed.
In time of war there Is no telling how
great responsibility might fall upon
him.
Having passed the examination sue
cessfully the young man receives his
commission as assistant surgeon, with
relative rank of 1st lieutenant Then
he goes to school for four months at
the army medical museum at Wash
ington. where officers of high rank act
as instructors. assisted by civilian
professors Of bacteriology and other
branches. At the end Of that time.