Page:The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology-ItsFirstCentury.djvu/46

BACKGROUND AND BEGINNINGS it was in use as a school and was known as "Mr. Corcoran's School House" when it was taken over by the Government. Mr. Corcoran agreed to put the building in repair and rent it for $1,000 a year. The proposition was accepted by the Curator, and on 16 May The Surgeon General asked permission of Secretary Stanton to rent the building on these terms, the rent to be paid out of an appropriation of $5,000 for the Museum which had been made at the closing session of the Congress.

On 21 May, the Secretary of War directed that the Military Governor of Washington, Maj. Gen. Ethan Allen Hitchcock, take possession of the building and turn it over to the Medical Department of the Army for the use of the Medical Museum, which was done in Special Orders No. 116, Headquarters, Military District of Washington, on 22 May 1863.

Dr. Brinton stated in a letter of 24 August to Col. Joseph K. Barnes, Medical Inspector and Acting Surgeon General, that Secretary Stanton had ordered that "no rent will be paid for the building" owned by Mr. Corcoran, but regardless of rent or no rent, the Medical Department took possession of "the building known as Corcoran's School House near Dr. Gurley's Church, together with its outbuildings thereto, having been turned over to this department by order of Secretary of War" and on 1 June assigned the quarters to the Museum, directing Surgeon Brinton to "take charge thereof, and make such alterations and repairs as may be necessary to fit it for the purpose of the army Medical Museum." Brinton was cautioned, however, to "avoid all useless alterations or expense."

Acting under this authorization, the Museum occupied the Corcoran building (fig. 10) as soon as the school term was over and put it in complete repair at a cost, including new cases for exhibits, of nearly $2,000. On 24 August, the Curator reported the building "as ready for the reception of the collection" which by that time had grown to an estimated 3,500 specimens. Already, Dr. Brinton reported to the Acting Surgeon General, "the collection of gunshot injuries alone is the largest in the world, exceeding in number and value that of the British Government at Netley (formerly at Fort Pitt, Chatham), and far surpassing the French Museum at Val-de-Grace, founded by Baron Larrey."