AFebSa^,Pih9ai9m^       Hospital  Corps  of  the  Navy.  87 
No  further  change  was  made  in  the  organization  of  the  Corps 
until  1912,  when  the  rank  of  "  chief  pharmacist"  was  established. 
This  grade  carried  with  it  the  rank,  pay,  and  allowance  of  an  ensign, 
which  is  that  of  the  Annapolis  graduate  when  first  detailed  to  duty. 
The  services  rendered  by  the  Hospital  Corps  had  been  of  such 
value  as  to  justify  the  recommendation  by  the  Surgeon  General  of 
the  Navy  for  the  advanced  rank. 
In  1916,  in  recognition  of  the  efficiency  shown  by  these  pharma- 
cists legislation  was  secured  from  Congress,  authorizing  the  appoint- 
ment of  as  many  pharmacists  as  the  needs  of  the  service  demanded, 
and  in  191  J,  the  Surgeon  General  further  recognized  the  importance 
of  the  service,  by  recommending  a  temporary  rank  of  Lieutenant 
(Junior  grade),  and  Lieutenant,  for  82  of  the  members  of  the  Corps, 
and  the  appointment  of  220  Pharmacists  (temporary).  The  several 
ratings  of  the  Corps  are  Hospital  Apprentices,  second  and  first  class ; 
Pharmacist's  Mate,  third,  second  and  first  class ;  Chief  Pharmacist's 
Mate  (acting  appointment),  Chief  Pharmacist's  Mate  (permanent 
appointment)  ;  Pharmacist  and  Chief  Pharmacist.  For  the  period 
of  the  war,  all  Pharmacists  and  Chief  Pharmacists  were  advanced 
first  to  Lieutenants  (Junior  grade)  and  later  to  Lieutenants,  and  a 
large  number  of  Chief  Pharmacist's  Mates  were  given  temporary 
appointments  as  Pharmacists. 
The  duties  of  the  members  of  this  Corps,  especially  those  who 
hold  the  higher  ratings,  are  greatly  varied  and  call  for  many  quali- 
fications and  extensive  training. 
Nursing. — Inasmuch  as  women  nurses  are  not  available  for  sea 
duty,  this  group  of  men  are  required  to  perform  any  nursing  duties 
which  the  needs  of  the  service  may  demand,  such  as  the  care  of  the 
sick,  giving  of  baths,  the  care  of  the  bed,  and  bed  clothing,  taking 
of  temperature,  pulse,  and  respiration,  preparing  of  charts,  the 
administration  of  enemas  and  hypodermics,  the  preparation  of 
patients  for  the  operating  room  and  any  of  the  various  services, 
appertaining  to  nursing. 
Operating  Room. — In  addition  to  the  preparation  of  the  patients 
for  operations,  these  men  are  trained  to  take  care  of  the  surgical 
instruments,  and  equipment,  to  do  all  of  the  necessary  sterilization, 
know  the  instruments,  care  for  them  and  to  make  all  preparation 
for  operations.  During  the  operation,  they  may  serve  as  assistants 
to  the  surgeon,  and  usually  administer  the  anesthetic.    They  may 
