The times., 1899-09-25
ADMIRAL TRYON's RETIREMENT
His Wonderful Work in Developing
the Navy,s Medical Corps.

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The active list of the Navy will lose one
OF its most popular and efficient officers
today. under the law compelling retire
ment on reaching the age OF sixty-t,ro
years, however fully in the possession of
all his faculties such an officer may be
Medical Director ]. Rufus Tryon, who thus
goes on the retired list. with the full rank
of rear admiral, leaves record in the
service of having. as Surgeon General
brought the Medical Corps and the naval
hospitals to that high state OF excellence
which was commended throughout the
world during the war with Spain, and
which resulted in such an astonish-
ingly insignificant loss of life afioat, from
wounds or disease, during and after the
period of hostilities- To the thorough sys-
tenn he built up, and TO the professional
| attainments of the surgeons which he in
sisted upon, as well as to the modern sani-
tary practice and refnements which he in
sisted upon in the design of all the new
American warships, has been attributed
the abnormally low sick and death rate In
the Navy. which has excited unbounded ad-
miration at home and abroad.
Rear Admiral Tryon is a native New
Yorker, and will live in Manhattan after
his retirement. He entered the service as
assistant surgeon September %, 1863, two
days after reaching his twenty-sixth year.
He was assigned 10 the West Gulf blockad-
ing squadron, where he remained for two
years OF arduous duty. After the fight at
Mobile Bay he had the wounded under his
skillful care at the Pensacola Naval Hos
pital. The following two years DIR. Tryon
fooH fal
then crowded with the sick and wounded
from the South. and at this time, by special
orders from the department, he made a
report upon the treatment of the wounded
at that place during the conflict. In con-
sequence of the ability he showed in this
report he was brought to Washington, and
IN spite OF his junior rank, was made as
sistant to the Surgeon General, as we'll as
promoted to the grade of passed assistant
surgeon. He remained. in this position
four years, and then joined the Asiatie
station, where he was promoted to the rank
of surgeon in 1873.
During the frightful epidemic of 1871 he
established and had charge OF the tempo
rary hospital at Yokohama, and was after
ward selected to design and build the ex-
isting hospital there, which remains TO
this day, model institution, and which
was until last year the sole foreign pos
session of the United States From this
work he returned to New York on special
duty. only to be hurried to Pensacola to
take care OF naval patients during the yell
low fever epidemic there in the summer
Of 1873. He went as United States delegate
to the International Medical Congress at
Copenhagen. Denmark, in 1891
In 1891 Union College recognized his ac-
eompiishments with the honorary degree of
Phi. D., and in the same year he was pro-
NOTED to medical inspector. The next two
years he was fleet surgeon on the flagship
Chicago of the White Squadron, and dur
ing the cruise he received the decoration
of the Busto del Libertadon for services
rendered the wounded of both parties at
Mawto. during the Venezuelan revolution.
On his return to the United States he was
promoted to be Surgeon General with
the rank of commodore, and Chief of the
Bureau Of Medicine and Surgery on May
10, 1893.
Upon retiring from this position at the
expiration of his four years term he went
to Spain as United States representative
to the International Medical Congress,
where he had the distinction OF being the
last official American to have an audience
with the Queen war at that moment being
a foregone conclusion. During the recent
war Dr. Tryon has been continually on
duty as General Inspector of Naval Hospi-
tails