• PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 177 



factory manner from the first of February, when he reported for 

 duty at Yorktown, until April 11, when he was relieved and assigned 

 as surgeon-in-chief to General Heckman's division of the 18th Army 

 Corps, then encamped near Portsmouth, Virginia. May 10th he 

 received a sick leave for fifteen days, which, as his health was not 

 restored at its expiration, was extended for thirty days more. June 

 26, 1864, he tendered his resignation as surgeon of the 27th Mass- 

 achusetts regiment, and received an appointment as Assistant 

 Surgeon of United States Volunteers, to date from June 30, 1864. 



At this time business connected with his resignation and re-ap- 

 pointment brought Otis to Washington, where he renewed his 

 acquaintance with Surgeon Crane, then on duty in the Surgeon 

 General's Office. Surgeon Crane, while Medical Director of the 

 Department of the South, had been most favorably impressed with 

 the culture and ability of the Massachusetts surgeon, and now so 

 effectually commended him to the Acting Surgeon General as to 

 induce that officer to ask his detail for duty in his office. An order 

 to that effect was issued by the Secretary of War July 22, 1864, and 

 Otis was immediately assigned as an assistant to Surgeon John H, 

 Brinton, U. S. Volunteers, at that time Curator of the Army 

 Medical Museum, and engaged in the duty of collecting materials 

 for the Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. August 30 

 1864, Otis was promoted to the rank of Surgeon of Volunteers, and 

 October 3, 1864, was ordered to relieve Surgeon Brinton of his 

 various duties. 



From the first, Otis devoted himself with signal zeal and ability 

 to the large and important duties of his new position. Immediately 

 after he took charge of the Surgical Division he inaugurated a 

 system of record books, which proved ultimately of great service 

 in securing the accurate and complete record of individual cases 

 for use in the Surgical History. The rapidly increasing surgical 

 collection of the Army Medical Museum also received great atten- 

 tion from him, and he expended much time in its supervision and 

 study. 



Immediately after the close of the war, the Surgeon General of 

 the Army became desirous of securing, by appropriate legislation, 

 the funds necessary to complete and publish the Medical and Sur- 

 gical History of the War. Accordingly he called upon Otis, and 

 his colleague, Woodward, who had charge of the collection of ma- 

 terials for the Medical History and of the medical branches of the 

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