MR EDITOR -I beg through the medium of your widely extended and useful Journal, to state a few facts, not generally known, respecting the class of officers above named; whose attainments and merits appear to me nearly equal, in their respective services, but whose pay, allowances, choice of quarters, and respectability of uniform, differ widely.

The Army Surgeon, besides his personal pay, has an allowance for a horse ; he happens to be the senior in the rank of Captains (to which he belongs,) he is, entitled to the first quarters after the Major; and with his uniform he is allowed to wear two epaulettes. The Army has a numerous class of Physicians, Inspectors, and Deputy Inspectors, and to which nearly the whole of our Naval Hospitals abroad have been given, thereby keeping a number of appointments and allowances of which the Naval Medical Officers have been deprived. And added to all this, I believe I may assert without fear of contradiction, that the period of service for the Army Medical Officers has lately been much abridged, with both the full as well as half-pay, and retirement much increased. If they are detached, or sent abroad, they have increased allowances, and often the means of making a moderate independence; and a considerable portion of their surgical instruments are provided at the expense of Government.

The Army Assistant-Surgeon messes with his Colonel and the officers of his regiment; and his whole period of service is, allowed for his retirement, if only promoted the last year of his service.

The Army-Surgeon, when appointed to a regiment, is never on half-pay, unless by his own request, or the regiment is disbanded.

The Naval Surgeon has the same rank as the Army Surgeon; and till lately, his pay and retirement were nearly equal. He is compelled to purchase, and keep in repair, a set of surgical instruments, altogether costing from forty to fifty guineas, of which he is supplied with a scale, and whenever appointed to a ship, they undergo a strict scrutiny, and if deficient either in number or quality, he cannot even receive the medical stores for the ship (supplied by Government) till such deficiencies are made good. He has not any allowances whatever.

When he obtains an appointment to a ship he can only hold it for three years, and after remaining a long while on half-pay, losing his service and full pay thinks himself fortunate in obtaining another.

Of Staff appointments, there are but few, and the number much lessened, from nearly the whole being done away on foreign stations, and given to the army.

Uniform - this is at the lowest grade for any one in the character of an officer, merely a coat with anchor buttons; his badge on the collar is not half so respectable as that which the Boatswain's mate wears on his arm, for the latter has in addition to the entwined anchor, a crown surmounting it.

Quarters - In a line-of-battle-ship these are the worst in her, being situated in the cockpit, deprived of light, and nearly of fresh air ; where in hot climates the heat is insupportable, and added to the effluvia arising from the holds, is enough to destroy the health of most men ; but more particularly the man (who is) supposed not to be young when he is Surgeon of a ship-of-the-line and probably having served much of his time in tropical climates. And it is not an unusual thing, for three or four of his messmates, enjoying excellent cabins on the main or upper-deck, to be so young, as not to have been born when the Surgeon was promoted. The Assistant Surgeon does not mess in the wardroom, but with the Midshipmen. These and many more incontrovertible facts, which may be brought forward, I am of opinion only require to be generally known, to effect a change, and place the Naval Medical Officers on the same footing as those of the Army. It seems not only just but politic.

I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,

Source Part I of U.S.J. for 1831

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