SERVICE, UNITED STATES MARINE HOSPITAL. 



798 



Ark., was swept away by the river, which 

 the Supervising Architect stated in his annual 

 report for that year was the most favorable 

 disposition that could have been suggested, as 

 the property was entirely unsalable, and the 

 building had never been needed for hospital 

 purposes. Some of the materials of the build- 

 ing, however, were rescued and sold tor $30. 

 In this year the hospital at San Francisco was 

 partially destroyed by an earthquake. 



The Supervising Architect, in his report to 

 the Secretary for the year ending June 30, 

 1869, says: "So remarkable has been the se- 

 lection hitherto of locations, that it is difficult 

 to imagine any other motive for the erection 

 of the buildings, in many cases, than a desire 

 to expend money in the locality in which the 

 buildings were located." 



In this year Dr. W. D. Stewart, who had 

 served during the war as a surgeon of volun- 

 teers, was appointed an Inspector of Marine 

 Hospitals for the Treasury Department; and 

 later Dr. Billings of the army was associated 

 with him in this work, in which he subse- 

 quently succeeded him. In accordance with 

 the report of these officers, the Secretary of 

 the Treasury recommended the sale of the ma- 

 rine hospital building and grounds at New 

 Orleans, and the purchase from the War De- 

 partment of the Sedgwick Military Hospital. 

 Mr. Mullett says of the hospital at New Or- 

 leans : 



The plans were prepared in 1855 and 1856, and con- 

 templated the erection of a brick structure ; but parties 

 interested in the iron trade were permitted to prepare 

 plans for an iron building, which were adopted. Dur- 

 ing the progress of construction it was thought neces- 

 sary that the iron walls should be backed with Borne 

 non-conducting material, and a large amount of money 

 was expended in ba_cking them with unburned clay or 

 adobe. The experiment proved a total failure, and 

 it was finally decided to back the exterior of the walls 

 with brick, as well as make the interior partition ot 

 the same material. This portion of the work was not 

 completed. The roof is of galvanized iron, in bad 

 condition, and practically worthless. . . . The build- 

 ing consists of a central structure 130 feet by 62, three 

 stories high, with two wings, 188 by 68 feet, two sto- 

 ries high, the three being connected by verandas. 



This building was occupied as a barracks dur- 

 ing the war, and was temporarily transferred 

 to the Freedmen's Bureau for a hospital in 

 1865. One wing is now occupied as a hospital 

 for the pauper insane of Louisiana, by permis- 

 sion of the Department, it having never been 

 used as a marine hospital. 



The following letter from Mr. N. B. Deve- 

 reaux, Chief of the Office of the Revenue, Ma- 

 rine Division, to the Hon. "William B. Kelsey, 

 of the Committee on Appropriations, shows the 

 condition of the marine hospital fund on April 

 20, 1870 : 



The hospital expenses are about $40,000 per month, 

 Bay the sum in a year of $475,000 ; to meet which we 

 have a revenue from seamen of $175,000, leaving a 

 deficit of $300,000. We had an appropriation last ses- 

 sion of $100,000, leaving the sum or $200,000 to bo met 

 by another appropriation, which we now require to 

 carry ua through uie present fiscal year ending Juno 



80. 1870. We need at thin moment $120,000 to pay 

 bills already due, and claim* in office ; and $80,000 

 more will meet the expenses for the next two months, 

 May and June. This is the exact state of the case. 



In 1870 the Secretary of the Treasury re- 

 ported, in answer to a resolution of the House, 

 that the hospital at Mobile was going to ruin ; 

 that it would cost $15,000 to $20,000 to repair 

 it ; and he recommends discontinuing the hos- 

 pital, and sending the patients to New Orleans. 



In this year Secretary Boutwell renewed the 

 recommendation which had been made in 1836 

 by the Hon. Levi Woodbury, then Secretary, 

 for the establishment of a marine hospital at 

 New York, as follows: 



TBJSASUKY DEPARTMENT, January 17, 1870. 

 SIR : The Department, regarding it highly essential 

 that the port of New York should be provided with a 

 marine hospital, has made a request of the War De- 

 partment that the buildings on David's Island, East 

 River, formerly an army hospital, but not now re- 

 quired, be purchased by the Treasury Department for 

 marine hospital purposes. It is desired that David's 

 Island be transferred to this Department, and the 

 sanction of Congress is requested, together with an 

 appropriation of $10 ; 000, to purchase the building at 

 the appraised valuation of $6,000, and the balance of 

 $4,000 to put the hospital in proper condition for ser- 

 vice. The locality of David's Island is a very supe- 

 rior one for the purposes named, and the Department 

 will be afforded an excellent opportunity of establish- 

 ing a hospital at this 'great commercial point, for a 

 moderate expenditure. 



David's Island being twelve miles from the 

 city, this recommendation was opposed by the 

 shipping interests, and was never carried into 

 effect. 



In this year, January 31, 1870, a bill for the 

 reorganization of the service was transmitted 

 by Secretary Boutwell to the House. The 

 essential changes proposed by this bill had 

 been already foreshadowed in the Edwards- 

 Loring report, heretofore alluded to. This bill 

 for the first time provided for a systematic 

 national service, and the regulations which 

 were subsequently made in accordance with 

 it provided for the examination of medical 

 officers. Prior to the adoption of these regu- 

 lations there was no limit to the number of 

 employees that might be borne on the pay-rolls 

 of the hospitals, and in many instances the 

 number of attendants far exceeded that of pa- 

 tients. The act, approved June 29, 1870, pro- 

 vided in section 1 that the hospital dues should 

 be increased to the sum of 40 cents per month. 

 Sections 2, 8, 4, and 5 were simply reenact- 

 ments of previous laws which had fallen into 

 disuse from lack of enforcement. Section 6 

 authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to 

 appoint a surgeon to act as Supervising Sur- 

 geon of the Marine Hospital Service, whose 

 duty it was, under the direction of the Secre- 

 tary, to supervise all matters connected with 

 that service, and with the disbursement of the 

 fund. It also provided that the word " vessel " 

 should be held to include every description of 

 water-craft, raft, vehicle, and contrivance used, 

 or capable of being used, as a means or auxili- 

 ary on or by water. Dr. John M. Woodworth 



