United States. Marine Hospital (Philadelphia, Pa.)

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....