UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA OF THE U. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
The U. S. Public Health Service, operated as a Bureau of the Department
of the Treasury, has charge of the enforcement of the quarantine
regulations for the prevention of the introduction of contagious and
infectious diseases into the United States from abroad or from one
state or territory to another; the care of sick and disabled seamen
of the merchant marine, and of scientific research at home and abroad
regarding diseases of man which may affect the general public health
and welfare.
This service was formerly known as the Public Health and Marine
Hospital Service, but by an Act of Congress dated August 14, 1912, the
name of the service was changed to the Public Health Service and its
duties were increased and its powers and responsibilities much enlarged.
The Public Health Service is administered under a Surgeon General
stationed at the National Capital, the various duties being assigned to
seven divisions.
The Division of Scientific Research, as its name implies, is charged
with studies of various diseases such as typhoid, malarial, typhus and
yellow fevers, leprosy, tuberculosis, trachoma, pellagra, sanitation
and hygiene, water supply and sewage and public health administration
in states and cities in cooperation with the local authorities. This
division conducts a Hygienic Laboratory at Washington and a number
of field laboratories where intensive studies in these subjects are
conducted. Through this division the Surgeon General of the Service
enforces the laws for the regulation of the sale of viruses and serums
and calls annual and special conferences of the health authorities of
the several states and territories for the purpose of cooperation in
the suppression of preventable diseases and the general improvement of
the public health.
The Division of Foreign and Insular Quarantine and Immigration is
charged with the execution of the national quarantine laws, this being
accomplished at fifty Federal Quarantine Stations in the United States,
with additional stations at Panama, Porto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
Hawaii and the Philippines. There are also medical officers under this
division detailed at various Consular stations of the United States
in foreign countries to assist in the prevention of the introduction
of contagious or infectious diseases into the United States or its
possessions. This division also conducts the physical and mental
examinations of all aliens entering the territory of the United States
at any of its ports.
The Division of Domestic and Interstate Quarantine has charge of the
enforcement of the laws for the prevention of the spread of contagious
or infectious diseases from one state or territory to another.
The Division of Sanitary Reports and Statistics has cognizance of the
collection and publication of information relative to the diseases
which may threaten the public health of the United States and foreign
countries.
The Division of Marine Hospitals has charge of twenty-two Marine
Hospitals and about one hundred and twenty-five smaller relief stations
at the different ports and cities of the country.
At these stations and hospitals the sick and disabled officers and
seamen of the Coast Guard and Lighthouse Services, the Mississippi
River Commission, the Engineer Corps of the Army at work upon rivers
and harbors works, and the registered and licensed ships of the United
States merchant marine are given necessary medical and surgical
treatment. This division also furnishes the medical officers for the
vessels of the Coast Guard.
The Division of Personnel and Accounts has charge of the record of the
officers and men of the service and of the expenditures of the moneys
appropriated for the service from the public funds.
The Miscellaneous Division issues the various annual reports, public
health reports and other publications of the service, including the
bulletins of the results of research at the Hygienic Laboratory at
Washington.
The officers of the Public Health Service have titles corresponding to
their duties and rank assimilated to that of the Army and Navy, the
different grades being as follows:
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
Surgeon General.
Assistant Surgeon General.
Senior Surgeon.
Surgeon.
Professor of Hygienic Laboratory.
Passed Assistant Surgeon.
Assistant Surgeon.
Quarantine Inspector.
Acting Assistant Surgeon.
Chaplain.
WARRANT OFFICERS
Interne.
Pharmacist.
Clerk.
ENLISTED MEN
Station Engineer.
Pilot.
Marine Engineer.
First Cook.
Cooks.
Coachman.
Carpenter.
Yardman.
Messenger.
Laundryman.
Surgical Nurse.
Female Nurse.
Night Watchman.
Ship Keeper.
Boatswain.
Coxswain.
Ordinary Seaman.
Fireman.
Coal Passer.
Boy.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS’ UNIFORMS
The commissioned officers of the service are required to have complete
outfits of full dress, dress, olive-drab service, white service and
evening dress uniforms.
_The Full Dress Uniform_ consists of a double-breasted frock coat of
dark blue cloth with two rows of gilt buttons down the front, and a
standing collar trimmed with gold lace braid; dark blue cloth trousers
with gold stripes down the outer leg seams, one and three-quarter
inches wide for Surgeon General, one and one-half inches wide for
Assistant Surgeon General and one inch wide for other officers; a blue
cloth cap with black patent leather visor; black patent leather shoes,
white gloves, and full dress sword belt and sword.
The blue cap has a bell crown, the band being of gold braid one and
one-half inches wide with a narrow stripe of maroon silk through the
center of it and the chin strap worn across the front just above the
visor being of gold braid five-eighths of an inch wide with a narrow
stripe of maroon silk through the center. The edge of the visor is
decorated with gold embroidery, and on the front and center of the cap
the distinctive device of the Public Health Service is embroidered.
The Surgeon General wears gold epaulets on the shoulders of the full
dress coat with the service insignia and the insignia of his rank,
one silver star, embroidered on the top, and the other commissioned
officers have shoulder straps of maroon colored broadcloth on the
shoulders, these straps being trimmed around the edges with a stripe
of gold braid three-quarters of an inch wide and having on them at the
center the insignia of the Public Health Service and between this and
the shoulder end the insignia of rank.
On the sleeves of the full dress coat are stripes of gold lace braid to
indicate the rank of the wearer as follows:
_The Surgeon General._—One band two inches wide, gold-thread lace
around each sleeve, two inches from lower edge of cuff, with one band
one-half inch gold-thread lace one-fourth inch above; the bands being
interspaced with maroon broadcloth.
_Assistant Surgeon General._—Four bands of gold-thread lace one-half
inch wide; distance between bands one-fourth inch; the bands being
interspaced with maroon broadcloth.
_Senior Surgeon._—Same as for Assistant Surgeon General, omitting
uppermost band.
_Surgeon._—Two bands of gold-thread lace one-half inch wide, with one
band one-fourth inch wide between; distance between bands one-fourth
inch; the bands being interspaced with maroon broadcloth.
_Passed Assistant Surgeon._—Same as for surgeon, omitting one-fourth
inch band; distance between bands to be one-fourth inch.
_Assistant Surgeon._—Same as for passed assistant surgeon, substituting
one-fourth-inch band for upper band.
_The Dress Uniform_ consists of the blue cap as prescribed for full
dress; dark blue serge trousers with a two-inch welted stripe of the
same material down the outer leg seam; black leather shoes; white
gloves; and a single-breasted sack coat of dark blue serge buttoned
down the front by five gun-metal service buttons, with a standing
collar. On each shoulder there is a strap of the same material as the
coat extending from the shoulder seam to the collar where it is secured
by a small service button and on the center of this strap is worn the
insignia of rank. There are four patch pockets on the front of the coat
each one having a shield shaped flap secured by a small service button,
one pocket being on each breast and one on each side below the waist.
_The Service Uniform_ is of the same design as the dress uniform but
it is made of olive-drab serge or khaki-colored cotton drill and tan
leather shoes are worn. The cap is of olive-drab serge with a russet
leather visor and chin strap, a band of olive-drab mohair braid and the
service insignia of gun-metal.
_The white Service Uniform_ is of the same design as the olive-drab
service uniform but the material is white linen, and white shoes are
worn. The white cap has a black patent leather visor, black mohair band
and the same service insignia as worn on the blue cap.
_The Blue Evening Dress Uniform_ is of dark blue cloth, cut after the
prevailing style for civilian’s evening dress, but having gilt service
buttons on the coat and waistcoat, and the same shoulder straps and
rank stripes on the sleeves as prescribed for the full dress coat.
_The White Evening Uniform_ consists of a dinner coat, waistcoat and
trousers cut after the prevailing style for civilian’s clothing, but
having gilt buttons on the coat and waistcoat and shoulder straps of
the same material as the coat.
[Illustration: U. S. Public Health Service
1. Letters worn on collar 2. Public Health Service insignia
Shoulder straps of dress and service coats
3. Surgeon General 4. Assistant Surgeon General
5. Senior Surgeon and Surgeon 6. Passed Assistant Surgeon
7. Assistant Surgeon 8. Professor, Hygienic Laboratory
9. Quarantine Inspector 10. Chaplain 11. Interne]
_The Overcoat for Officers_ is a single-breasted ulster of dark blue
cloth extending to within twelve inches of the ground, closed down the
front by a row of five large flat black buttons, with a standing and
falling collar, and having the stripes indicating the rank the same as
for the full dress coat except that they shall be of black mohair braid.
Insignia of Service and Rank.—The insignia of the Public Health Service
consist of a foul anchor crossed by a caduceus. The distinctive device
worn on the blue cap consists of a gold shield seven-eighths of an inch
in height, emblazoned palewise with thirteen pieces with a chief strewn
with thirteen stars, surmounted by a gold spread eagle five-eighths of
an inch in height and one and five-eighths from tip to tip of wings,
the whole being placed upon the service insignia in gold, the staff of
the caduceus and the anchor each being one and seven-eighths inches
long.
The insignia of rank for commissioned officers are as follows:
_The Surgeon General._—One silver star of five rays, of such size
that the points of the rays will fill a circle one inch in diameter,
to be five-eighths of an inch from one point of the star to the next
alternate point. One ray of the star to point toward the collar.
_Assistant Surgeon General._—A silver spread eagle, 2¼ inches wide
between the tips of wings; distance from tips of wings to center of
talon on each side, 1¼ inches; from top of head to bottom of design, 1¼
inches. The insignia for the right side has in the right talon an olive
branch and in the left a bundle of arrows. The extreme width from tip
of arrowhead to olive branch is 1⁹/₁₆ inches. These insignia are made
in pairs, rights and lefts, and the eagle faces to the front on each
shoulder.
_Senior Surgeon._—A seven-pointed silver oak leaf with stem; 1⅛ inches
long from the tip of the stem to the tip of the leaf; 1¹/₁₆ inches wide
at the widest point. The top of the leaf points toward the collar.
_Surgeon._—A gold oak leaf of the same size and design, and worn in the
same manner as for senior surgeon.
_Passed Assistant Surgeon._—Two gold bars, each bar 1⅛ inches long and
three-eighths inch wide; the bars being parallel, and three-eighths
of an inch apart. The bars are worn with the long axis in a line from
front to rear.
_Assistant Surgeon._—One gold bar of the same size and worn in the same
manner as for passed assistant surgeon.
_Professor, Hygienic Laboratory._—A gold oak leaf superimposed upon a
silver flaming torch one and one-half inches long.
_Quarantine Inspector._—Two crossed flags embroidered in gold, one and
one-half inch staff and flags one inch hoist by five-eighths of an inch
fly.
_Acting Assistant Surgeon._—The same as for Assistant Surgeon except
that the rank insignia is silver instead of gold.
_Chaplain._—A silver Latin cross one inch high.
The insignia of rank for Warrant Officers are as follows:
_Interne._—A rod of Esculapius with a single serpent entwined about it,
in silver.
_Pharmacist._—No rank insignia on shoulder straps. On the sleeves of
the dress and service coats five inches above the edge there is a
“cachet” indicating the rank. This consists of a circular piece of
maroon broadcloth one-half inch in diameter surrounded by a circle of
gold embroidery one-eighth of an inch wide. For the white service and
khaki uniforms the “cachet” is made of enameled metal. Pharmacists of
the third class wear one such mark, those of the second class two and
those of the first class three.
[Illustration: U. S. Public Health Service
Chevrons worn on the sleeves by petty officers to indicate rank and duty
1. Station Engineer 2. Marine Engineer 3. Pilot 4. First Cook]
[Illustration: U. S. Public Health Service
Specialty marks worn on the sleeves by petty officers and special
detail men to indicate rank or duty
1. Worn by Cooks other than first cooks 2. Carpenter 3. Coachman
4. Yardman 5. Messenger 6. Laundryman 7. Night Watchman
8. Shipkeeper 9. Boatswain 10. Surgical Nurse 11. Coxswain]
_Clerk._—Two crossed pens one and a quarter inches in length,
embroidered in maroon silk on the dress and service coats and made of
enameled metal for the white and khaki coats.
_Collar Ornaments._—The collar ornaments for the dress and service
coats are the letters “U. S.” in metal in Gothic design, five-eighths
of an inch high, and the service insignia in metal. For the dress and
olive-drab and khaki service uniforms these ornaments are of gun-metal
and for the white coat they are of gilt metal.
_Buttons._—The buttons worn by officers of the Public Health Service
are of metal and bear the insignia of the service, a foul anchor
crossed by a caduceus, the anchor being horizontal and the staff of the
caduceus vertical.
_Sword and Belts._—The sword for commissioned officers has a straight
blade, of diamond shape, 29 to 32 inches long, Hilt pommel, inverted
frustrum of a cone with corps device chased on one side and star on the
other. Grip, white sharkskin wrapped with gilt wire. Front guard bears
corps device; spring back guard, with trophy device. Black leather
scabbard with gilt bands, a five-pointed star on each; upper band to
have two rings. Tip to be 5 inches long, with laurel branch engraved
on the right side. The belt for full dress is one and three-quarters
inches wide, with two sling straps three-fourths of an inch wide,
covered with gold lace braid and closed by a gilt buckle clasp
consisting of a wreath of laurel leaves surrounding a design similar to
the service button.
The service uniform belt is the same as the full dress belt but it is
made entirely of black grain leather. The sword knot is a strap of
one-half inch gold lace twenty-four inches long.
_Leggings._—Leggings for wear with olive-drab and khaki service
uniforms are of tan colored pigskin.
WARRANT OFFICERS’ UNIFORMS
The uniforms for Warrant Officers are of the same style and design as
those prescribed for commissioned officers, omitting the full dress
uniform and the sword.
EMPLOYEES’ AND ENLISTED MEN’S UNIFORMS
The employees at the hospitals and stations of the Public Health
Service are provided with blue and white uniforms.
_The Blue Uniform_ consists of a double-breasted sack coat of dark blue
serge, with notched rolling collar; cut square at the bottom; length
one inch below the crotch; with five gun-metal service buttons on each
side down the front; trousers of the same material as the coat; black
leather shoes; and a blue cap similar to that worn by commissioned
officers but having the band of black mohair braid, the visor and chin
strap of plain black patent leather and the service insignia in gilt
metal on the center of the front.
_The white Uniform_ is of the same pattern as the blue uniform but made
of white cotton drill.
_The Overcoat_ is a double-breasted ulster of dark blue cloth, buttoned
to the collar by two rows of large size service buttons, with rolling
collar.
The uniforms for ordinary seamen, firemen, coal passers, cooks and
boys at Quarantine stations is similar in cut and style to that worn
by enlisted men of the U. S. Navy, and is of blue cloth for winter
and white duck for summer wear. The cap ribbon bears the words “U. S.
QUARANTINE” embroidered in gilt thread.
The marks indicating the ratings and duties of the various employees
and enlisted men are worn on the sleeves midway between the elbow and
the shoulder and are embroidered in maroon colored silk. They are:
(1) _Station Engineer._—Spread eagle, above two crossed monkey
wrenches, and a chevron of three stripes of maroon broadcloth.
(2) _Pilot._—The same as for station engineer, substituting a steering
wheel for the crossed monkey wrenches.
(3) _Marine Engineer._—The same as for pilot, substituting a propeller
for the steering wheel.
(4) _First Cook._—The same as for pilot, substituting a crescent for
the steering wheel, and with a chevron of two stripes.
(5) _Other Cooks._—The same as for first cook, omitting all marks
except the crescent.
(6) _Coachman._—A curb bit.
(7) _Carpenter._—A carpenter’s square.
(8) _Yardman._—Two crossed axes.
(9) _Messenger._—A single wing.
(10) _Laundryman._—A flatiron.
(11) _Surgical Nurse._—A spread eagle, Geneva cross, chevron with two
bars.
(12) _Night Watchman._—A lantern.
(13) _Ship Keeper._—Two crossed keys.
(14) _Boatswain._—Two crossed anchors.
(15) _Coxswain._—Figure-of-eight knot, 2 inches long.
UNIFORM FOR FEMALE NURSES
The female nurses at the hospitals wear a uniform consisting of a white
organdie nurse’s cap, a one-piece dress of white cotton cloth, having
a simple waist with plain three-quarter length sleeves with reversed
cuffs two and one-half inches wide, a flat rolling collar two inches
wide with a wide opening at the neck in front; a four-piece skirt from
two to two and one-half yards in circumference at the bottom, reaching
to within three inches of the floor; top turned in and stitched to the
waist with a double-welt seam. The waist and shirt are buttoned down
the front with one row of plain 35-ligne white pearl buttons. Upon the
left arm midway between the shoulder and the elbow there is a Geneva
cross of maroon colored broadcloth. The shoes and stockings are white.
_Service Stripes._—All members of the personnel of the service
below the grade of Pharmacist wear a service stripe of maroon cloth
three-eighths of an inch wide diagonally across the sleeve below the
elbow for each period of five years service.
[Illustration: MEDAL OF HONOR MANILA BAY MEDAL
NAVAL ENGAGEMENTS WEST INDIES 1898
SPECIAL SERVICE OTHER THAN BATTLE SPANISH WAR 1898
CIVIL WAR MEDAL SPANISH WAR MEDAL
CUBAN OCCUPATION 1898-1902 PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION
CHINA RELIEF EXPEDITION 1900 CUBAN PACIFICATION 1908
Bars of distinctive ribbons of United States Government medals. Worn by
officers and men upon whom the medals have been conferred with dress,
undress, service dress and evening dress uniforms.]