172 SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 134. 1916. Enlmd {¤°¤· The enlisted force of the Medical Department shall consist of the P°mm°` following personnel, who shall not be inc uded in the effective strength of the Army nor counted as a part of the enlisted force provided by law: Master hospital sergeants, hospital sergeants, serpeants (firstclass), sergeants, co , cooks, horseshoers, sadd ers, farmers, gvghpim sm mechanics, privates ( lass), and pr1vates:Promded, That master gum. h0sp1tal sergeants shall be;1ppomted by the Secretary of _War, but _ no person s all be appom master hospital sergeant he shall E¤¤m*¤•¤¤¤· have passed a satisfactory examination under suc regulations as the Secretary of War maydnrescribe before a of one or more medical officers as to his qua cations for_ the position, mcluding lniowledge of pharmacy, and demonstrated his fitness therefor by service of not less than twelve months as hospital sergeant or sergeant, nrst class, ° Medical Department, or as sergeant, first class, in the Hospital Corps now established by law; and no person_sha.ll be designated for such ts exammatnon excreplt by_wr1tten author1ty of the Surgeon General: ,,,,,,,,,°'l‘l“",,,,,,,°“l*’, ,,c°""°_ Promdedfurther, at original enhstments for the_Med1cal Department shall be made m the gra e of private, and reenhstments promotions of enlisted men therein, except as hereinbefore prescribed, and transfers thereto from the enlisted force of the line or other staff de- 1 OTP . .
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the enlisted men of the Hospital Corps who are in active service at the time the agpronailhof glee) are hereby tranjsltgahrreeilbto ethic 3. corr es o e e c epartment esta t s lisithdllsiltetggthimy m Act: romklldg rtluzr, That the total number of enlisted men in the Medical Department shall enlpproximatel equal to, but not exceed, except as hereinafter provid , the equivalent of five per centum of Additional in um. the total strength of the Army authorized from tune to time °‘ W- by law: Provzded further, That m time of actual or threatened hostilities, the Secretariiof _War IS hereby authorized to enlist or cause to Pucmmgcs 0, be enhstzed in the edical Department such additional number of men mus. as the service mag reqmre: romded further, That the number of enlisted men m eac of the several grades designated below shall not exceed, excenlt es hereinafter provided, the fo lowing percentages of the total authorized enlisted strength of the Medical Department, to wit: Master hospital sergeants, one—half of one per centum; hospital sergeants, one-half of one per centum; sergeants, first class, seven per H,,,,,,h,,,,,,,,,_ cenaumi sergeantsielevenbper ceinnxnnt coippxreglsilflive per leentnxnl ; and coo s, six per cen um: romd u er, a shoers, saddlers, farriers, and mechanics in the l\¤l3ecIii<l$ Dlegartiiilglit p,,m,,,_ shall not exceed one each to each authorized ambulance company or like organization: Provided further, That in said department the number Promotions umm', of pmvates, first class, shall not exceed twenty- ve per centum of the whmnmyreautsu. number of pnvates: Provided further, That ifb reason of a reduction by operation of law m the authorized enlistedy strength of the Army a oresaid the number of noncommissioned officers of any grade in the · Medical Department whose werrants were issued previously to such reduction s all for the t1me being exceed the rcentage hereinabove speeified for such grade, no promotion to sms? grade shall be made until the percentage of noncommissioned officers therein shall have been reduced below that authorized for such grade on the basis of the said reduced enlisted etrentgth, nor thereafter so as to make the percentage of noncommissione officers therein in excess of the perlogsstltstmts n. centage authorized on the bas1s of the said reduced enlisted stren th; gut noncomnnssioned officers may be reenlxsted in the grades geld F them previously to such reduction regardless of the percentages a_ oresaid; and when under this provision the number of noncommissioned_ ofhccrs of any grade exceeds the percentage specified any non- 7 comnnssioned officer thereof, not under charges, may be discharged on his own application: Promdedfurther. That privates, first class, of
