Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-03

distilled on board. Men at sea now get
sound and nutritious ration. The cube
Complement of the men. once crowded
and unwholesome, is now, through the
systems Of ventilation on our modern
ships. comfortable and wholesome. The
present method Of drycleaning the limo
leum- berth deck in itself marks
one of the most important sanitary tri-
umphs of the navy"
There had been progress from the first.
but the old conditions in a large measure
prevailed up to the period Of the civil war.
An imperative necessity for the estab-
lishment of a systematic course of in
struction for officers Of the Medical Corps
| of both the army and navy had long been
recognized.
On the part Of the navy. In spite of con-
tinuous efforts to this end, no success
was met with until 1893, when Surgeon
General Tryon started the department of
instruction at the United States labora-
tory in New York. The results were ex-
cellent, but the sphere of application was
limited. In 1898 conditions produced by
the Spanish war rendered continuation
impossible
Matters thus stood when, in 1902, nearly
ten years after the first effort Surgeon
General RiXey took vigorous hold Of the
situation inspired by a far-reaching ideal
which at this time has already attained
a well advanced stage Of realization. This
great project designed to be Of vast value
to the navy and in turn to the country at
large was the establishment, on COM
prehensive scale, of United States Naval
Medical School and Hospital to be located
in Washington.
The old naval observatory. long aban-
doned for It's original uses, was acquired.
Remodeled, it formed an excellent nucleus.
Medical Director Robert A. Marmion, with
fine efficiency, conducted the labor of or
ganization and served three years as first
president of the school. He was succeeded
by Medical Director John c. Wise, the
present incumbent whose able admins
tration of the office and enthusiasm in the
plans for enlargement have greatly as
sisted in the development Of the project.
The present buildings comprise that of
the United States Naval Medical School,
spotlessly white and surmounted by the
now unused observatory dome, the new
hospital, completed in October just one
year ago, power plant, laundry. stables
and conservatory.
Acts of Congress passed in March, 1903
and March. 1905, secured s145,co0 for con-
struction and $4,000 for equipment. Sixty
thousand dollars was voted by the last
Congress to be applied to the construction
of two additional wards. which are now
nearly finished With the present two
wards, having a capacity Of fifty beds.
the two new wards will give total OF
! over 100 beds. The plans for extension
| admit of an ultimate total of at least SOC
| beds, to be secured by another addition OF
| two wards. The other buildings necessary
to the complete group, as planned, are
those for officers quarters. for male
nurses, for women nurses and for con-
tagious diseases hospital.
| The most thorough facilities in the pres
ent stage of the evolution of the greater
school and hospital have been secured
The two departments conformity provide
the student medical officer not only with
the theory and instruction pertinent to
his new professional field, but the means
for practice as well. Already medical
graduate before taking the examination
! for appointment as naval medical stu
dent at the school. the six months course.
from October ! to April. is such as to fit
him for the duties peculiar to the medical
service of the navy.
! Another course of instruction, beginning
shortly after the close of the student
course and continuing through the sum-
mer. is intended only for surgeons and