Naval History and Heritage Command

Circular Letter of Rear Admiral William C. Braisted, Surgeon General and Chief of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

CIRCULAR LETTER.

October 31, 1917.      

To:  Medical Officers of ships of the Navy acting as transports.

Via: Commanding Officers.

Subject:  Regulations for the guidance of medical officers of

the Navy and medical officers of military forces with regard to medical attention to personnel embarked on board ships od the Navy acting as transports.

Reference: Navy regulations art. 2911-2926, 2951-2979, 3821-3847

           Naval Instructions Art. 2101-2131.1

     1.        The following regulations for the guidance of medical officers of ships of the Navy acting as transports with regard to relations between themselves and medical officers of organized military forces and casuals embarked have been recommended to the Department.

     2.        It is desired that these regulations be complied with tentatively.

     3.        The senior medical officer of the military forces upon embarkation and disembarkation shall submit to the commanding and medical officers of the ship a statement to the effect that the command is clean, harbors no communicable diseases, and all individuals have been vaccinated against smallpox and typhoid fever. He will take care to prevent the embarkation of infected persons and property.

     4.        The medical officer of the ship shall in his discretion make necessary inspections of all persons on board, to determine the existence of communicable diseases, suspected or otherwise, and to vaccinate, inoculate or quarantine in all cases where in his judgment such course is necessary. This may be done immediately after sailing of the ship.

     5.        Should communicable disease exist the commanding officer and medical officer of the ship shall take such measures as are indicated and expedient for the proper disposition of such cases.

     6.        The ship’s sick bay (hospital) <is> under the charge of the medical officer of the ship who is responsible for the proper care and use of the hospital equipment and property. The hospital will not be used for other purposes than for the accommodation of the sick, except in cases of emergency and then not without the approval of the medical officer of the ship.

     7.        The ship’s medical officer will be responsible for the care and treatment of the sick and injured among the ship’s crew, casual passengers, those not attached to any military force on board and for all patients in hospital.

     8.        When there are medical officers on duty with troops on board, the medical officer of the ship will provide hospital accommodations, supplies and attendants in the sick bay for the sick of the command, sick call for the troops being held by the medical officers attached thereto. Patients requiring rest in bed or hospital treatment will be transferred to the ship’s sick bay and the care of the medical officer of the ship the same as to a hospital.

     9.        The commanding and medical officers of the ship will see to it that a suitable place is set aside where the medical officers on duty with the troops on board may hold sick call and the medical officer of the ship will issue to the medical officers of the troops such stores as are necessary to render medical relief in quarters. Medical officers, on duty with troops, holding daily sick call shall utilize the hospital corpsmen attached to the ship being under charge of the medical officers of the ship for duty in the ship’s sick bay (hospital).

     10.       Medical officers of the ship and those serving with troops on board are enjoined to onserve due care and economy in the expenditure of medical supplies to avoid unnecessary waste. Such supplies as shall remain unused from those issued by the medical officer of the ship to the medical officers with the troops will be returned by them to the ship stores. These provisions are made in order not to broach the packed supplies of the expeditionary forces.

     11.       Nurses travelling under orders on ships acting as transports will be assigned to duty thereon, and under the direction of the medical officers of the ship, will assist in the care of sick officers and enlisted men.

     12.       A copy of all reports concerning the health of all forces together or individually that may be on board, will be furnished the medical officer of the ship for his cognizance.

     13.       In all cases of the U.S. Army personnel admitted to the sick list on Naval transports, the Medical officer of the ship shall prepare the following reports;

          (a) Form F Card (Navy).

          (b) Form 52 Medical Department, U.S. Army.

     14.       As soon as a case is discharged to duty, or otherwise disposed of, completed For F Card (Original) and Form 52 Medical Department, U.S. Army, shall be forwarded immediately to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., for further disposition to Surgeon General, War Department.2

     15.       The Form F Card (Duplicate) shall be retained in the files, and at the end of the quarter all Army personnel disposed of during the quarter shall be returned on Form F as supernumeraries. These cases shall not be included in Form K.

     16.       A supply Form 52, Medical Department, U.S. Army, may be obtained from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

     17.       When marines are transported and naval medical officers accompany them, the duties of the officers shall be discharged in the same way as provided herein for medical officers on duty with troops.

     18.       All regulations are instructions <and> now pertain to the duty of medical officers of ships and shall be complied with and the foregoing regulations shall be followed in addition thereto.

W.C. Braisted.    

ACCOMODATION FOR SICK ON NAVY TRANSPORTS.