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These additional medical officers should be commissioned as 
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First Lieutenants to serve only so long as their services might 
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be required and to be discharged at any time when no longer 
needed. The present volunteer system has too much rank. It is 
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impossible to find stations for the majority of the volunteer 
Majors at all commensurate with their rank. 
Lt.Gol.C.L.Heismann,Deputy Surgeon General,U.S.A.was Chief- 
Surgeon of the Department until February 15,1903,when Major G.D. 
Deshon,Surgeon,U.S.V.(Captain,Assistant Surgeon,U.S.A.), executive 
officer was placed in charge pending the arrival of the writer. 
The latter assumed charge the 2nd of April. The medical affairs 
of the Department are in excellent condition. The duties of 
executive officer have been faithfully and ably performed by 
Major Deshon and the records of the office have been well kept and 
give ready information upon all subjects to, date. 
The chief surgeons Of brigades have without exception 
performed their duties,executive and professional abfy and 
efficiently, some of them with conspicuous ability. The medical 
officers serving with troops have met the requirements of the 
arduous service incident to this climate and country with rare 
except ions,unselfishly and acceptably. It is believed that the 
defective organization of the Medical Department interferes with 
economy,efficiency and administrative facility,and readjustment 
along simpler lines should be secured at the earliest practicable 
date. This especially in view of the fact that prospective peace 
conditions promise to fix more definitely the scope and range of 
iH8die8.X 
r present allowance of t he Hospital Corps , 4$ of the number 
of troops in the Department,would be ample if there were larger 
garrisons,but with the present number of small stations it is 
not sufficient. Under conditions now prevailing in the Department 
the allowance should'be 5There is a great variation in the 
character and qualifications of the privates of the Hospital 
Corps,which should receive official recognition. An Intelligent 
nurse operating assistant,pharmacist,or clerk should, be graded 
above the man capable only of general fatigue duty. It is recom¬ 
mended that the Hospital Corps be graded into 1st and 2nd class 
privates with a corresponding difference in pay. . 
It is thought that the prescribed twenty hours instr uct ion 
of the H ospital ' Corps per month is seldom carried out. This has 
been due to field service in a portion of the Department,but m 
other portions it is believed to be largely due to the great 
difference in capacity already referred to. While the more 
intelligent privates of the Corps are benefitted by instruction 
the average private can never get beyond first principles. 
