United States. Marine Hospital (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Scope and Contents The bulk of this extensive collection of records of the United States Marine Hospital in Philadelphia is comprised of the hospital's records of incoming patients seeking treatment and relief (1875-1909). Most of these records were kept by Surgeons James M. Gassaway and George W. Stoner. The collection also includes reports of the hospital's activities, correspondence, property returns and supply records, and some miscellaneous material, including issues of the U.S. Surgeon General's...

Overview On 16 July 1798, the United States Congress established the Marine Hospital Service under the Treasury Department for the benefit of sick and disabled members of the mercantile marine. Each seaman was assessed a tax of 40 cents per month, and these dues were fed into a hospital fund which paid for the Service. The first marine hospital opened at Washington Point, Virginia, in 1800.The Service was reorganized in 1870. Its activities were standardized under the Supervising Surgeon....