APPENDIX J
DUTIES OF MEMBERS OF
THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT,
1814
Physician and Surgeon General:
1) establish rules for management of Armyhospitals and see that they are enforced;
2) appoint stewards and nurses;
3) request and receive returns of medicines, surgicalinstruments, hospital stores;
4) authorize, regulate supply of regimental medicinechests;
5) report twice a year on regimental medicinechests, sick in hospitals to War Department;
6) report yearly to War Department on estimatedsupply needs.
Apothecary General:
1) assist Physicianand Surgeon General in his duties;
2) obey orders of Physician and Surgeon General,
Apothecary General and his assistants:
1) receive and manage all hospital stores,medicines, surgical instruments, dressings, bought by commissary generalofpurchases or his deputies;
2) account to superintendant general of militarysupplies for all disbursement of items under 1) above;
3) pay monthly wages of stewards, ward masters,nurses of hospital;
4) compound, prepare, and issue medicines underdirection of Physician and Surgeon General or on estimates and
requisitions of senior hospital surgeons and regimental surgeons;
5) regulate, under supervision of superintendantgeneral of military supplies, forms of returns made quarterly to apothecarygeneral's office by deputy apothecaries, surgeons, mates, or those havingcharge of instruments, medicine, hospital stores,hospital equipment of any kind.
Senior hospital surgeons:
1) direct medical staff in army or districtto which he is attached;
2) live at or near headquarters;
3) countersign all requisitions of regimentalsurgeons or mates made on apothecary general or his assistants;
4) inspect hospitals under him, correcting abusesand reporting delinquencies;
5) make quarterly reports to Physician and SurgeonGeneral on sick and wounded in his hospital and on medicines,instruments, hospital stores received, expended, on hand, and wanted;
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6) keep diary ofweather, medical topography of country where he is serving;
7) report to commanding officer concerning anythingconcerning the health of the troops.;
Hospital surgeons:
1) superintend everything relating to hospital;
2) order steward to furnish whatever is neededby the sick;
3) visit sick and wounded in hospital every morning;
4) require from resident mate report on all changessince morning;
5) instruct mate in writing on care of patients;
6) have police rules of hospital displayed ineach ward;
7) assign appropriate wards to patients;
8) keep register of all patients admitted;
9) keep case book of every important or interestingcase of disease and report on it monthly.
Mates:
1) visit patients with surgeon, take noteof his prescriptions;
2) keep case book;
3) attend to carrying out of surgeon's prescriptions;
4) dress all wounds;
5) enforce discipline;
6) one mate, at least, to remain on call;
7) responsible for medicines and instruments.
Steward:
1) receive and take charge of all hospitalstores, furniture, utensils, under surgeon's direction;
2) keep accurate account of all issues;
3) responsible to Apothecary General or his assistant.
Ward master: under steward's direction:
1) receive arms, accoutrements, clothing of everypatient admitted;
2) have clothes immediately washed, numbered,labeled with name, regiment, company of patient and properly stored;
3) responsible for cleanliness of wards and patients;
4) call roll every morning and evening;
5) supervise handling of closestools, seeing thatthey are cleaned at least three times a day and always have proper quantityof water or charcoal in them;
6) see that beds and bedding are properly airedand exposed to sun, weather permitting;
7) see that straw in each bed sack changed atleast once a month;
8) see that each patient washed and has hair combedevery morning;
9) see that bed and bedding of patient who hasbeen discharged or has died is cleaned and straw burned;
10) see that nurses and attendants are kind and attentiveto patients;
11) supervise all attendants.
SOURCE: Paraphrased from Palmer,Historical Register, 3: 7-9.
