To George Washington from Philip Turner, 3 February 1780
From Philip Turner
Military Hospital, Danbury [Conn.]
3rd Febry 1780
Your Excellency
Doubtless remembers, not from any particular oppertunity ever with your Excellency, but by hear-say, that I were at the Hospitals Cambridge, Roxbury, New York &c. &c., & have served ever since the War; in the present Establishment of the Genl Hospital, Congress Hon’d me with an appointment as Surgeon Genl to sd Hospital eastn Department, in that Charactor have served to this day weary & almost worn-out with the Conduct & management of Hospital Affairs there is a ⟨Strif’t⟩ among the leading Gentlemen in oppossition to each other, which makes difficulties, hard-thoughts and striveings. these things are intirely wrong & very troublesome, There ought to be that harmony & friendship perhaps among this set of Gentlemen, more then any other, high-time, and I think a very proper time, that our System be purged & the Publick better served; The Medical department is too large, too Expensive & ought to be Curtailed, our Numbers are more then are Needed, our armies & Hospitals are healthy; I hand your Excellency a plan for a New-Establishment, which I sent Mr Sherman some months ago,1 he lay’d it before one of the Medical Committee who highly approved of it, if adopted by Congress; your observation on said plan, & your Aid to bring it about, in my Opinion will greatly Serve the public,2 as well, as Honr your Excellencies most Obedient Humble Servt
P: Turner
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The enclosed document, which Turner signed but did not date, titled “A New Medical Arrangement for the Armies of the United-states,” reads: “I propose, if Your Excellency pleases to drop the Directors, shift the title, as there appears to be something in the very Name of a Director fatal or short live’d.
“A Gentleman of the first Charactor, appointed as Inspector Genl to the Hospitals who has Abilities to look into & reform Abuses, to Visit & Superinte[n]d the Different Hospitals & report the state of them to Congress or Medical Committee monthly.
“And let there be appointed One Physician & Surgeon Genl (both in One person) to his Excellency & family who be Authorized to appoint one, two, or more Assistants as Occasion may require.
“Two Physicians & two Surgeons Genl to the Hospitals who’s duty shall be to see too, & perform all Capital operations, to Attend all the prescriptions when ever call’d upon in difficult Cases &c. to Assign duties to all inferior officers & superintend & Controul the internal police of sd Hospitals & Close monthly returns of the state of the different Hospitals under their Care to the Inspector-Genl.
“One Physician & Surgeon Genl to the Army at the Head of the flying-Hospital, who’s duty shall be to Attend Medically & Chirurgically on all Capital Cases when ever Call’d upon & Controul the internal police of sd Hospital & the regimental Surgeons & see that they be furnished with every Necessary for the field, & be Authorized to appoint one, two or more Assistants as he may have Occasion.
“One Purveyor Genl who shall provide to the written Orders of the Physicians & Surgeons Genl Hospital Cloathing, Medicines, Stores, Utencils &c. &c. Necessaries of all kinds for sd Hospitals & Army, and pay all Hospital services, & lay before Congress or board-of-Treasury his Accts of purchases & monies on hand monthly or every quarter as Congress pleases to Ordr—The Purveyor-Genl be Authorized to appoint one, two or more Assistants as he may have Occasion to Attend at the Hospitals where ever they are Orderd to be stationed.
“One Apothecary Genl be appointed to the Hospital & Army to Discharge the duties of Such, in prepareing of Medicines, receiveing them, of the purveyor-Genl, & Issue them to the proper Officers of Sd Hospitals & Army, & be Authorized to appoint One, two or more Assistants as he may have Occasion.
“That the Physicians & Surgeons Genl of the Hospitals be Authorized to appoint Eight Senior Surgeons, Eight Juniors & twenty Mates & all other inferior Officers to be appointed as Occasion requires such as Clerks, Wardmasters, Stewards, Matrons &c. &c.
“All those Gentlemen that go out of service in Consequence of such Alteration, or any other that Congress shall adopt, if the depreciation of our Currency & Sufferings be made up to them, at some Just Estimate, they can have no Objection.
“In my Opinion the above System is every way equal to give satisfaction, if the Gentlemen appointed who ever they be do their duty, I believe it high time to Curtail & lessen in Number the expence of the Medical department” (DLC:GW).
2. GW replied on 24 February.