Massachusetts. State Surgeon.

As a coherent state agency, the department of the state surgeon owes its origin to the Civil War. At its outbreak, Governor John A. Andrew, responding to President Lincoln's call for volunteers, arranged to appoint regimental surgeons to the rapidly expanding militia. Departing from previous practice, which did not require the professional examination of the medical staff of the militia, Governor Andrew also appointed a Medical Commission for this purpose of which William J. Dale was one member.

The exigencies of the war and the concomitant recruitment activities made necessary the closer management of the militia's medical department. As a result, in June 1861 Dale was commissioned as surgeon general. Aside from the surgeon general and his immediate staff, the core of the department consisted of the surgeons and assistant surgeons operating at the regimental level. While veterinary surgeons and ambulance officers were added later, the basic organization of the department remained unchanged.

The surgeon general was mandated to exercise general supervision and control of matters pertaining to the medical department (St 1878, c 265, s 15; St 1939, c 425, s 69(a)), generally under the authority of the adjutant general.

Professional duties included providing for medical inspection of recruits and requisitioning and reviewing of the qualifications of candidates for the medical staff of the militia. After the Civil War, the surgeon general was charged with examining soldiers who sought military aid on the basis of war-related disabilities (St 1878, c 282; St 1879, c 252), a review later extended to the veterans of subsequent conflicts. Later in the 19th century, the surgeon general became responsible for the employment of an ambulance corps (Annual report, 1888, p. 33-35).

From the outset, one of the most important administrative duties of the surgeon general was the purchase and distribution of medical and hospital supplies (Annual report, 1861; St 1878, c 265, s 15; St 1939, c 425, s 69 (a)). Other administrative duites, developed later in the 19th century, involved receiving inspections of militia encampments for health and sanitation purposes and the provision of veterinary services for militia livestock. During the Civil War (Feb. 1864), the surgeon general was assigned general superintendence of the Massachusetts Military State Agency.

In 1879 the surgeon general's department was scaled down from what it had become during the Civil War; St 1879, c 117 eliminated most of its bureaucratic accretions, leaving only the original structure of surgeon general and regimental medical staff. The surgeon general retained the core duties relating to the management of the medical staff, but all books and records relating to claims previously processed by the surgeon general were ordered transferred to the adjutant general.

From 1915 the adjutant general's annual report designated the office as that of Chief Surgeon, and St 1916, c 284, s 15 also referred to the post of Chief Surgeon (of the medical department of the militia). From 1921 (see also St 1924, c 465, s 82), the position has been designated as that of State Surgeon. While retaining the fundamental responsibilities of supervising the medical department and assisting in the determination of eligibility of veterans for state aid, the position has become a more integral part of the Military Division under the immediate direction of the adjutant general.

NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agencies described above can be found by searching the following access points for the time period stated: 1861-1914--Massachusetts. Surgeon General's Office; 1915-1920--Massachusetts. Chief Surgeon; 1921-present--Massachusetts. State Surgeon.

From the description of Agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122590806