The Medical Department
By Dr. Dunlap
The Medical Department is represented by the Senior Medical Officer, Commander F. A. Asserson, M. C. U. S. N., four Junior Medical Officers with the rank of Lieutenant each, one Chief Pharmacist, one Pharmacist, two Chief Pharmacist’s Mates, and about one hundred and thirty Hospital Corpsmen. There are also eight nurses, in charge of Miss Mary M. Robinson, Chief Nurse, U. S. N. The units composing the Department are as follows: Office of the Senior Medical Officer; office of the Medical Officer of the Day; Major and Minor Operating Rooms; Laboratory; Sick Officers’ Quarters of ten beds; Medical and Surgical Wards with one hundred and thirty-two beds; Isolation Ward with forty beds; total, one hundred and eighty-two beds; Diet Kitchen; two Sick Call Stations; Dispensary; Mental Ward; Guinea pig houses.
The history of this department dates from July, 1917, when the first medical officers, Drs. F. J. Carroll, and E. M. Hudson came aboard. These officers, both Lieutenants in the U. S. Naval Medical Corps, were on duty at the U. S. Naval Hospital in Brooklyn when our government assumed control of the Leviathan, and they were ordered to report aboard for duty. The vessel at that time being just as the Germans had left her. Drs. Carroll and Hudson at once began tentative plans for a medical department capable of handling the sick among the thousands of troops the Leviathan was being rapidly fitted to carry. Plans were drawn by them converting the social hall on A-deck into wards and operating rooms. The orchestra stage at the forward end of the hall was to be cut away, lowered to the level of the deck and that space utilized as two operating rooms with a sterilizing room. Wash rooms, toilets, linen lockers, and an Isolation Ward were also provided for. Places fore and aft were chosen as sick call stations and Dispensary.
Center Picture: Left to Right—“Our Navigators”
Lieut. J. L. Beebe, Lieut. Com. H. C. Cunningham.
Bottom Picture, Left to Right—Dr. J. E. Porter, Dr. T. C. Hemingsen, Dr. F. A. Asserson, Dr. W. F. Rathbun, Dr. H. F. Howell, Dr. E. F. Crofutt, Pharmacist F. B. Redman.
The Leviathan Nurses
On August 9, 1917, Commander John J. Snyder, M. C. U. S. N., reported aboard as the first Senior Medical Officer. The plans for the medical department were submitted to Dr. Snyder and to the Naval Constructor, and were later adopted by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Before the first trip three more medical officers reported, viz: Lieut. Commander G. T. Vaughan, U. S. N. R. F., Lieut. Max M. Braff, M. C. U. S. N., and Lieut. S. Strauss, M. C. N. N. V., so that on the first trip there were five medical officers, besides the Senior Medical Officer. After the trial trip to Cuba the Leviathan went to Liverpool. The amount of work was found to be too much for the number of doctors, and upon returning to the States another Medical Officer was requested. Lieut. A. K. Dunlap, M. C. U. S. N., was sent aboard in February, 1918, so that on the second trip seven doctors were aboard. On subsequent trips into New York, Lieut. Robt. Lorentz, M. C. U. S. N., Chief Pharmacist C. I. Campbell, U. S. N. R. F., and Lieut. Edward Crofutt, M. C. U. S. N., were sent aboard for duty. During the month of May, 1918, Commander Snyder left to assume his new duties as Fleet Surgeon, and his position on board as Senior Medical Officer was assumed by Commander H. A. May, M. C. U. S. N. Lieut. Harold Hulbert, M. C. U. S. N., and Pharmacist F. B. Redman also joined the ship about the same time. Later in the summer the medical corps was further strengthened by the addition of Lieuts. Harry L. Howell and John E. Porter, U. S. Navy Medical Corps. In December, 1918, Dr. May was detailed to duty ashore and the duties of Senior Medical Officer assigned to Commander F. A. Asserson, M. C. U. S. N. Lieuts. Walter L. Rathbun, Thos. Sheppard, and A. T. Weston, M. C. U. S. R. F., reported at the same time. As new officers reported on board from time to time, others were relieved and detailed elsewhere. For the greater part of the time since the ship has been in commission the medical department has had nine doctors on board.
As the Leviathan transported nearly one hundred and twenty thousand men to Europe during the war, and has brought back nearly as many since, it requires no active imagination to realize that the medical department has had its hands full. The percentage of sickness bound to occur among thirteen thousand men was enough to keep nine doctors busy, and this was only a small part of their work. Sanitation on such a huge ship was in itself a problem. Samples of food and water had to be examined and accepted or rejected; troop compartments and every nook and corner of the ship were inspected daily and a high sanitary standard maintained; quotative examinations of the air in the troop spaces were made at different hours both day and night to determine the temperature, humidity, and amount of carbon dioxide in these places; these observations were made the subjects of various reports and resulted in the installation of new ventilating systems and correction of those already in operation; during threatened epidemics of infectious diseases it was often necessary to take cultures and do other laboratory work among hundreds of men. In July, 1918, the Leviathan began transporting wounded men and has carried a large number of them to date. The wounded required much attention and the manner in which they have been cared for on board this vessel reflects great credit upon the medical department.
A new departure for ships of war was the Nurse Corps. The corps consists of Mary M. Robinson, Head Nurse, U. S. N., Irene Reed, U. S. N., Charlotte F. Hyde, U. S. N., Ruby F. Nutling, U. S. N. R. F., Ruby Russell, U. S. N. R. F., Madelon Stowell, U. S. N. R. F., Alice B. Newcomb, U. S. N. R. F., Vera O. Harmon, U. S. N., Mary A. O’Neill, U. S. N. R. F. These were the first nurses who ever had duty on a man-o’-war. Their duties have been supervisory over the hospital corps, and their training and experience as nurses have made them of invaluable assistance.