(seq. 6)

Marine {Hospital} {January} 8th 1808

{Honorable} {Robert} Smith

Secretary of the Navy Washington

Sir,

I wrote to you two days ago in consequence of
some doubts resting on the mind of our Navy agent or rather
his deputy Mr Prince, respecting the extent of my ap-
pointment. Since then another thing has occurred on which
I wish your direction. I am almost every day examining re-
cruits in order to determine their healthy & sound state of body.
Among these, there are some from the country who are liable
to the small pox. I wish to know from you whether I ought
to vaccinate such subjects? Lieut. Caldwall thinks with
me that they ought; but neither of us dare make a well
man sick even for a day without the directions of our
superior. If I must vaccinate them must I hereafter
consider it as my duty? --They need not go into the
hospital for this during the process; nor would it hinder their em-
barkation altho they could not carry arou firelocks
while their arms were sore.

I have thought it entirely proper to inform you
of my chief design in becoming the physician to the
medical establishment in this place. I have therefore en-
closed a letter written to {General} Lincoln & which he
trans[mitted?] to the President about the time of the
appointment of D Jarvis. I made no other application .
When Jarvis died, the President remembered the design & I pre-
sume that on my application he gave me the appoint as much or more on
that account than on account of my introducing & establish-
ing that greatest of all medical blessings Vaccination.
You will I trust see at once, that my design is to
make this infant establishment a branch of medical edu-
cation for rearing military surgeons. I mean to give a course
of lectures on the a plan similar to that mentioned by Dr.
Trotter in page 5 Vo. 2d. of his Medicina Nautica; at the
same season that I give my lectures on the Practice of Physic
in Camb. I shall give lectures on surgery & on the d. [?]-
dat to seamen at the hospital at Charlestown. I communicated
my plan to our {Governor}.