454 
Status  of  Hospital  Corps. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1919. 
of  ensign,  Hospital  Corps,  United  States  Navy,  shall  receive  the 
same  pay  and  allowances  as  officers  of  the  same  rank  and  length 
of  service  in  the  line  of  the  Navy:  Provided,  That  lieutenant  com- 
manders, Hospital  Corps,  United  States  Navy,  shall  be  eligible  for 
selection  by  the  board  of  selection  of  naval  medical  officers,  for 
advancement  in  pay  and  allowances,  but  not  in  rank,  to  and  includ- 
ing the  pay  and  allowances  of  commander  and  captain,  subject  to 
such  examinations  before  advancement  as  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  may  prescribe,  except  that  the  number  of  lieutenant  com- 
manders with  the  pay  and  allowances  of  captain  shall  not  exceed 
4^4  per  centum  and  the  number  of  lieutenant  commanders  with 
the  pay  and  allowances  of  commander  shall  not  exceed  8  per  centum 
of  the  total  authorized  number  of  officers  in  the  Hospital  Corps, 
exclusive  of  chief  pharmacists  and  pharmacists :  Provided  further, 
That  lieutenant  commanders,  Hospital  Corps,  United  States  Navy, 
shall  be  eligible  for  advancement  to  the  pay  and  allowances  of  com- 
mander and  captain  when  their  total  service  as  officers,  exclusive  of 
their  service  as  chief  pharmacists  and  pharmacists,  in  the  Hospital 
Corps  of  the  Navy  is  such  that  if  rendered  as  officers  of  the  Naval 
Medical  Corps  it  would  place  them  in  the  list  of  medical  officers 
with  pay  and  allowances  of  commander  or  captain,  as  the  case  may 
be:  And  provided  further,  That  officers  of  the  Hospital  Corps  of 
the  Navy  who  shall  have  gained  or  lost  numbers  on  the  Navy  list 
shall  be  considered  to  have  gained  or  lost  service  accordingly. 
Ensigns,  lieutenants  (junior  grade),  lieutenants  and  lieutenant 
commanders,  Hospital  Corps,  United  States  Navy,  shall  become 
eligible  for  retirement  in  the  same  manner  and  under  the  same  con- 
ditions as  now  prescribed  by  law  for  officers  of  the  Naval  Medical 
Corps,  except  that  section  1445,  Revised  Statutes  of  the  United 
States,  shall  not  be  applicable  to  these  officers  and  they  shall  not  be 
entitled  to  rank  above  lieutenant  commander  on  the  retired  list,  or 
to  retired  pay  above  that  of  captain:  And  provided  further,  That 
chief  pharmacists  and  pharmacists  appointed  assistant  surgeons 
(temporary),  United  States  Navy,  pursuant  to  an  act  of  Congress 
approved  May  22,  191 7,  volume  40,  Statutes  at  Large,  page  84, 
entitled  "  An  act  to  temporarily  increase  the  commissioned  and  war- 
rant and  enlisted  strength  of  the  Navy  and  Marine  Corps,  and  for 
other  purposes,"  shall,  upon  the  passage  of  this  act,  subject  to  pass- 
ing such  examinations  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  may  prescribe, 
