1. these institutions are still more important for sailors than for soldiers; as the sailor is more likely to have lost his adaptation to any kind of business on land, and to lose sight of family relations by reason of his long absences to foreign regions. the government very early took this subject in hand and made ample, and extremely comfortable, provision for disabled seamen belonging to its navy.
2. in 1811 an act was passed to establish navy hospitals, for the exclusive use of such seamen as belonged to the navy. this new institution was at first placed under the management of a board of commissioners known as the commissioners of navy hospitals. this commission consisted of the secretaries of the navy, treasury, and war. but in 1832 this was changed, and the secretary of the navy was made sole trustee of the navy hospital fund, which was made up of $50,000 appropriated by congress for that purpose, together with twenty cents per month collected from seamen belonging to the navy, and the fines imposed on navy officers, seamen, and marines.
the commissioners were authorized to purchase or erect suitable buildings for navy hospitals.
the marine hospitals.
3. these are located near important seaports. at these places seamen depart for, and arrive from their voyages, and are found in the greatest numbers; and here the funds for the support of the marine hospitals are collected, as is the tonnage on ships, viz.: by the collectors of the ports. for this purpose the law authorizes the collectors of customs to demand and receive the sum of twenty cents per month from the wages of every sailor; and every master of a vessel is obliged to render to the collector an accurate account of the number of seamen[319] on board his vessel, and of the time they have been employed by him, since his last entry into any port of the united states. these twenty cents the captain must pay the collector, but he is allowed to deduct it from each seaman’s wages. in this manner the funds for the building, furnishing, and support of the marine hospitals are raised. the collectors of the ports pay them into the united states treasury, and the treasurer disburses them to the directors of the hospitals as they are needed. the directors are appointed by the president. they appropriate the funds, and have the general direction and management of the institutions.
4. these provisions are contained in an act entitled, “an act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen,” passed in 1798. seamen, whether in the merchant service or in the naval service of the united states, were indiscriminately taxed for the support of these hospitals; and both have the same rights, privileges and benefits in them. the money thus collected from seamen is called “hospital money,” and the fund is denominated “the marine hospital fund.” in 1864 there were 24 marine hospitals in the united states.
