the Mercantile Marine Hospital Fund as may from time to time be A.D. 1876. provided. be admitted 5. In every case where a seaman is rejected by the inspecting Classes of medical officer as temporarily unfit such seaman shall forthwith seamen to 5 be admitted as an in or out patient of the hospital of the port, or excluded. and if he be so rejected at a place where no such hospital exists, then such seaman shall receive medical or surgical treatment as herein-after provided in section eight. In every case in which a seaman is rejected by the inspecting medical officer as 10 permanently unfit, such seaman shall not be eligible for hospital admission or treatment. of medical 6. The proper authority for the time being shall, on the com- Appointment mencement of this Act, appoint a medical officer to be during director and pleasure medical director of the Mercantile Marine, and whose assistants. 15 duties it shall be to supervise all matters connected with the Mercantile Marine Hospital Service, and the expenditure of the fund thereof; and the said proper authority shall from time to time, on the death, resignation, or removal from office of such director, appoint another officer in his stead. An assistant medical 20 director shall also be appointed by the same authority, who, in the absence of the director, shall have like powers and authority. Notice of the appointment of every such director or assistant · director shall be published in the London Gazette. 7. On the commencement of this Act the proper authority for Appointment 25 the time being shall appoint a medical officer for each of the ports of medical superintenmentioned in the schedule hereto, I., to be during pleasure medical dents and superintendent of the hospital at such port for the purposes of this assistants. Act, and whose duties, in addition to that of the treatment, care, and general supervision of the hospital sick, shall include inspection 30 of scamen, medicine chests, and anti-scorbutics, and also the general medical supervision of the seamen in the district attached to the port to which he belongs. The said proper authority shall, from time to time, on the death, resignation, or removal of any such medical superintendent, appoint another such officer in his stead. 35 The proper authority shall also, as occasion may require, and on the requisition of the medical director, appoint one or more medical officers or assistant medical officers to such superintendent; such assistant or assistants shall, in the absence of such superintendent, have the like powers and authorities, and shall discharge the like 40 duties; and notice of the appointment of any such superintendent or assistant shall be published in the London or Dublin Gazette, as the case may require. A.D. 1876. Appointment of medical officers in places other than the ports men tioned in the schedule. Remuneration of medical officers Creation of 8. In all scaport towns and places other than the ports named in the schedule, seamen shall be inspected by some local inspector or practitioner to be appointed to such office, and such officer so appointed shall, also at a fixed scale, have medical charge of such seamen as may prove sick or incapable from temporary ailment. A 5 detailed monthly report of all inspections and cases treated by such local practitioner shall be forwarded to the superintendent of the port to which the district of the said local practitioner is attached. 9. The said medical director, assistant director, superintendents, 10 assistants, local practitioners, and members of the hospital staff, and others, appointed under this Act, shall be remunerated for their respective services at such rate as the proper authority may direct, and such remuneration shall be paid out of the Mercantile Marine Hospital Fund. Mode of defraying Expenses of Service. 15 10. The expenses of carrying into execution the provisions of this Act shall be paid by the medical director under the supervision of the Board of Trade, or other proper authority, out of the money to be provided by a fund to be called the "Mercantile Marine 20 Hospital Fund," which shall be created as follows: A tax shall be assessed and collected by the collector of customs, or such other person as may be appointed, at the various ports of the United Kingdom from the master or owners of every British vessel, whether engaged in the home or foreign trade. 25 Such tax shall be at the rate of sixpence in the pound per month on the wages of each and every officer and scaman who shall be employed on any such British vessel, which sum the master or owner of such vessel is hereby authorised and required to deduct from the wages of the officer or seaman, and to pay the same to the collector 30 of customs, who shall pay in the same without any deduction to the Treasury to the account of the "Mercantile Marine Hospital Fund;" and any master or owner who shall render a false account of the number of officers and crew, the length of time they have been severally employed, or of the amount of wages paid or due to 35 each and every officer or man, shall incur a penalty for each such default not exceeding fifty pounds, and any sums to be received by way of such penalty shall be paid into the Treasury to the account of the Mercantile Marine Hospital Fund. The needful regulations for the mode of collecting the sums men- 40 tioned in this section shall be made and issued by and under Funds to the direction of the proper authority. Seamen of all nations, A.D. 1876. other than those forming the crews of British ships, shall be eligible for admission to or for hospital treatment, as may be deemed expedient, on the payment by the consul, captain, owner, or con5 signee of such sum of money as shall be prescribed by the proper authority. be applied 11. The funds to be obtained under this Act shall be employed towards providing hosby the medical director, under the supervision of the proper autho- pital accomrity, for the provision of hospital accommodation and the organization modation 10 and maintenance of the Marine Hospital Service to be created by organization this Act. and the of the hospital service. 12. The medical director under the proper authority as afore- Proper said shall provide buildings or parts of buildings, and shall furnish authority to provide duly and complete the same with all necessary accommodation, as certified 15 hospitals for the purpose of this Act; and such building or parts of hospital buildings. buildings so provided and certified in writing by the proper authority to be so provided shall be deemed a certified hospital under this Act; and every certified hospital so provided shall be placed under the control of one of the medical superintendents 20 or such other medical officer as is herein-before mentioned. |