Medical Cadets during the
Civil War
Medical Cadets
O.R.--SERIES III--VOLUME I [S# 122]
CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, REPORTS, AND RETURNS OF THE UNION AUTHORITIES
FROM NOVEMBER 1, 1860, TO MARCH 31, 1862.
In an act approved August 3, 1861, entitled "An act for the better
organization of the military establishment," a corps of medical cadets,
to be attached to the medical staff' of the Army, was provided for by
the following section, viz:
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That there be added to the medical
staff of the Army a corps of medical cadets, whose duty it shall be to
act as dressers in the general hospitals and as ambulance attendants in
the field, under the direction and control of the medical officers
alone. They shall have the same rank and pay as the military cadets at
West Point. Their number shall be designated by the exigencies of
service, at no time to exceed fifty. It shall be composed of young men
of liberal education, students of medicine, between the ages of eighteen
and twenty-three years, who have been reading medicine for two years,
and have attended at least one course of lectures in a medical college.
They shall enlist for one year, and be subject to the Rules and Articles
of War. On the fifteenth day of the last month of their service, the
near approach of their discharge shall be reported to the
Surgeon-General, in order, if desired, that they be relieved by another
detail of applicants.
In accordance with the provisions of this section, notice was given that
examinations of candidates for admission into this corps would be held
in the cities of Washington and New York by the Army Medical Boards
there in session. Of a great number of applicants 66 were found to be
qualified for examination, and were invited to appear before the boards;
of this number 48 were approved by the examiners and were appointed, 7
failed to present themselves, 1 declined an appointment niter having
been approved, 7 were rejected, not coming up to the standard required,
and 3 are awaiting examinations for the remaining vacancies.
All of those appointed are now actively employed; they have been found
to be of great service in the field and in hospitals, increasing the
efficiency of the medical department by an intelligent assistance, and
gleaning for themselves an amount of knowledge impossible to be attained
by the study of their profession in civil life, except at the cost of
the labor of years.
As no provision is made by the act
for the subsistence of medical cadets, it is therefore respectfully
recommended that they be allowed one ration each per diem. There is also
no allowance of camp and garrison equipage for their accommodation in
the field. They should have the same as is now allowed subalterns of the
Army. It is respectfully recommended that this deficiency be supplied.
In view of the advantages derived from the employment of this body of
young men and the increased comfort that can be afforded by their means
to the sick and wounded of our brave Army, it is respectfully
recommended that fifty more cadets be added to the corps, to be
appointed <ar122_636> in the same manner and to enjoy the same
privileges and emoluments as those already in service.
