sums

teenth day of June, in the year eighteen hundred and seventy. The hereby appropriated shall be expended and disbursed under the direction of the Surgeon-General of the Army, and in accordance with existing laws. Sec. 4787, R. S., as amended by Sec. 1, Act of Aug. 15, 1876 (19 Stat. 203); Act of Feb. 27, 1877 (19 Stat. 252); and Act of Mar. 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 1103).

783. Trusses.-Every soldier of the Union Army, or petty officer, seaman, or marine in the naval service, who was ruptured while in the line of duty during the late war for the suppression of the rebellion, or who shall be so ruptured thereafter in any war, shall be entitled to receive a single or double truss of such style as may be designated by the Surgeon-General of the United States Army as best suited for such disability; and whenever the said truss or trusses so furnished shall become useless from wear, destruction, or loss, such soldier, petty officer, seaman, or marine shall be supplied with another truss on making a like application as provided for in section. two of the original act of which this is an amendment: Provided, That such application shall not be made more than once in two years and six months: And provided further, That sections two and three of the said act of May twenty-eighth, eighteen hundred and seventytwo, shall be construed so as to apply to petty officers, seamen, and marines of the naval service, as well as to soldiers of the Army. Sec. 1, Act of May 28, 1872 (17 Stat. 164), as amended by Act of Mar. 3, 1879 (20 Stat. 353).

HISTORICAL NOTE.

The medical and surgical needs of the troops composing the revolutionary armies were, at first, supplied by the surgeons who were attached to the several regimental organizations, and no provision seems to have been made for medical or surgical supervision, for the procurement and distribution of supplies, or for the establishment of a general hospital service until 1775, when, by a resolution of Congress dated July 27, 1775, the office of Director-General was established, who was charged with the duties subsequently performed by the Purveyor-General of Medical Supplies. The same enactment provided for a medical staff composed of four surgeons and twenty surgeon's mates, for an apothecary and two storekeepers, and for hospital attendance at the rate of one nurse for every ten patients. Under the authority thus conferred several general hospitals were established at points conveniently near to the several theaters of military operations. The medical establishment thus created was modified by subsequent resolutions of Congress; the changes caused by the resolution of April 22, 1777, being so extensive as to constitute a complete reorganization of the department. As thus modified, however, the department continued in existence until the disbandment of the revolutionary armies in 1783. For the ten years succeeding the organization of the Government under the Constitution the medical and surgical necessities of the troops were met by the medical officers attached to the several organizations constituting the military establishment.

The act of March 2, 1799 (1 Stat.. 721), passed in contemplation of a war with France, but which was never fully executed, made provision for a complete medical establishment consisting of a physician-general, an apothecary-general, and a purveyor, together with such numbers of hospital surgeons and mates

1 Commutation rates for limbs, etc., were allowed by the same act, as follows: For artificial legs, $75; for arms, $50; for feet, $50; for apparatus for resection, $50. By the act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 979), transportation from home to place of procurement of limbs and return was allowed.

as the service might require, who were made liable to duty in the field as well as in the hospitals provided for in the statute. The act of March 2, 1799, was repealed and a Medical Department established by section 3 of the act of February 23, 1802 (2 ibid., 133), which fixed the strength of the department at two surgeons and twenty-five surgeon's mates, who were "to be attached to garrisons and posts, and not to corps." During the war of 1812 the necessities of the case were met by a temporary increase of the department and by the allowance of surgeons to regiments called into the service for the period of the war. By section 7 of the act of March 3, 1813 (ibid., 819), a physician and Surgeon-General was authorized, whose powers and duties were to be prescribed by the President of the United States. The office of apothecarygeneral was created by the act of April 24, 1816 (3 ibid., 297), but was abolished by the act of March 3, 1821. The office of Surgeon-General was created by section 2 of the act of April 14, 1818 (ibid., 426).

At the general reduction of 1821 the Medical Department was reorganized and made to consist of one Surgeon-General, eight surgeons, and forty-five assistant surgeons. Sec. 2, act of March 2, 1821 (3 ibid., 615). By the act of June 28, 1832 (4 ibid., 500), four surgeons and ten surgeon's mates were added. The act of June 30, 1834 (ibid., 714), contained a requirement that all candidates for appointment, or for promotion to the grade of surgeon, should pass a professional examination as a condition precedent to such appointment or promotion. By this enactment the pay of surgeons was fixed at that allowed to majors, assistant surgeons were to receive for the first five years' service the pay of first lieutenants, and after five years' service the pay of captains. The examination for promotion to the grade of surgeon was to take place after five years' service in the grade of assistant surgeon. By section 33 of the act of July 5, 1838 (5 ibid., 256), seven additional surgeons were authorized, but by section 4 of the act of August 23, 1842 (ibid., 512), a reduction of two surgeons and ten assistant surgeons was ordered, the displaced officers being allowed three months' pay when honorably discharged.

At the outbreak of the War with Mexico, under authority conferred by section 6 of the act of February 11, 1847 (9 ibid., 123), two surgeons and twelve assistant surgeons were added to the regular establishment, and regimental medical officers were authorized for the volunteer troops at the rate of one surgeon and one assistant surgeon to each regiment, their service being restricted to the period of the existing war. By the act of March 3, 1849 (ibid., 351), ten assistant surgeons were authorized, and the requirement of the act of July 19, 1848, prohibiting the filling of vacancies in the department was repealed. By the act of August 16, 1850 (11 ibid., 51), four surgeons and eight assistant surgeons were added to the establishment; the force of hospital stewards was increased to such number as the service might require, not to exceed one to each military post; and cooks and nurses, detailed from the enlisted men, were, for the first time, allowed extra-duty pay for service in post hospitals.

At the outbreak of the war of the rebellion regimental medical officers were again authorized, one surgeon and one assistant being allowed to each regiment; by the act of July 2, 1862 (12 Stat., 502), an additional assistant was authorized. By section 3 of the act of July 22, 1861 (ibid., 269), one surgeon to each brigade was authorized, but by the act of July 2, 1862 (ibid., 502), these officers were merged in the corps of forty surgeons and one hundred and twenty assistant surgeons created by that statute for the period of the war.

By the act of June 21, 1861 (ibid., 378), four surgeons and four assistant surgeons were added to the department. By the act of April 16, 1862 (ibid., 378), the rank of brigadier-general was conferred upon the Surgeon-General; the office of assistant surgeon-general, with the rank and pay of colonel of cavalry was created and the addition of ten surgeons and twenty assistant surgeons was authorized; a corps of medical inspectors was created, consisting of one inspector-general of hospitals (colonel) and eight assistants (lieutenantcolonels), whose duties were defined by law, and who were to hold office during the continuance of the war. By the act of December 27, 1862 (ibid., 633), eight medical inspectors were added and authority was conferred upon these officers to discharge enlisted men for disability contracted in the military service. By this statute a corps of medical cadets was established which continued to exist until its gradual disbandment was brought about by the passage of the general act of reorganization in 1866. By the act of May 20, 1862 (ibid., 378), six medical storekeepers were authorized. By the act of February 25,

1865 (13 ibid., 437), medical directors of armies in the field and of military departments were allowed the rank and pay of colonels, and those attached to army corps the rank and pay of lieutenant-colonels.

An ambulance service for the armies in the field was provided by the act of March 11, 1864 (13 ibid., 20). It was composed of officers and enlisted men detailed from the several army corps and was carried on under the direction of their respective medical directors. The duties of the corps were regulated by statute, and had to do, exclusively, with the transportation of the sick and wounded and the removal of the wounded from the battlefield. The corps ceased to exist at the disbandment of the volunteer armies in 1865.

At the general reorganization of 1866 (sec. 17, act of July 28, 1866, 14 ibid., 334), the strength of the department was fixed at one Surgeon-General, one assistant surgeon-general, one chief medical purveyor, and four assistant purveyors (lieutenant-colonels), sixty surgeons (majors), one hundred and fifty assistant surgeons, and five medical storekeepers; it was also provided that three years' service, instead of five, should be required of assistant surgeons before attaining the grade of captain. The act of March 3, 1869 (15 ibid., 318), contained a requirement prohibiting appointments and promotions in the staff until otherwise ordered by Congress; but this requirement was repealed as to the Medical Department by section 4 of the act of June 23, 1874 (18 ibid., 244), which fixed the strength of the medical establishment as follows: One Surgeon-General, one assistant surgeon-general, and one chief medical purveyor (colonel), two assistant medical purveyors (lieutenant-colonels), fifty surgeons, and one hundred and fifty assistant surgeons, who were to receive the rank of captain after five years' service, and five medical storekeepers; the number of contract surgeons was fixed in this statute at seventy-five. By the act of June 26, 1876 (19 ibid., 61), the number of assistant surgeons was fixed at one hundred and twenty-five, and the corps of medical storekeepers was discontinued, the reduction in both cases being accomplished by a requirement forbidding the filling of vacancies until the prescribed limit of numbers has been reached. By this statute the number of surgeons with the rank of colonel was increased to four, and the number with the rank of lieutenant-colonel to eight, the vacancies thus created to be filled by promotion according to seniority.

By the act of March 1, 1887 (24 ibid., 435), the Hospital Corps was created; by the act of July 27, 1892 (27 ibid., 276), the titles of office in the Medical Department were rearranged, officers holding the rank of colonels being arranged as assistant surgeons-general and those having the rank of lieutenantcolonels as deputy surgeons-general, and thereafter medical officers were to be assigned by the Secretary of War to such duties as the necessities of the service might require. By the act of August 18, 1894 (28 ibid., 403), the number of assistant surgeons was reduced to one hundred and ten; but by the act of May 12, 1898 (930 ibid., 406), the number of officers of this grade was increased to one hundred and twenty-five, and authority was conferred upon the Surgeon-General to employ such number of contract surgeons as might be necessary.

By section 18 of the act of February 2, 1901 (31 Stat., 752), the permanent strength of the department was fixed at one Surgeon-General with the rank of brigadier-general, eight assistant surgeons-general with the rank of colonel, twelve deputy surgeons-general with the rank of lieutenants-colonel, sixty surgeons with the rank of major, and two hundred and forty assistant surgeons with the rank of captain and first lieutenants mounted. A Nurse Corps (female), and a corps of dental contract surgeons were also added to the department.

By the act of April 23, 1908 (35 Stat. 66), it is provided that the Medical Department of the United States Army shall consist of a Medical Corps and a Medical Reserve Corps, as hereinafter provided; and the Hospital Corps, the Nurse Corps, and Dental Surgeons, as now authorized by law.

784. Organizations, etc.-The Corps of Engineers shall consist of one Chief of Engineers with the rank of brigadier-general, of ten colonels, sixteen lieutenant-colonels, thirty-two majors, forty-three captains, forty-three first lieutenants, and forty-three second lieutenants. The enlisted force provided in section eleven of this Act, and the officers serving with the organized battalions thereof, shall constitute a part of the line of the Army: Provided, That the Chief of Engineers shall be appointed as now provided by law,' and hereafter vacancies in the Corps of Engineers in all other grades above that of second lieutenant shall be filled by promotion, according to seniority, from the Corps of Engineers. Any vacancies occurring at any time in the grade of second lieutenant shall be left for future. promotions from the corps of cadets at the United States Military Academy. Act of Apr. 23, 1994 (33 Stat. 263).

785. Same. The Corps of Engineers of the United States Army is hereby increased by five colonels, six lieutenant colonels, nineteen majors, seventeen captains, and thirteen first lieutenants. The increase in each grade hereby provided for shall be extended over a

1Section 1193, Revised Statutes, which provides that the chiefs of corps and departments named, including the Chief of Engineers, "shall be appointed by selection from the corps to which they belong."