In this first detailed history of the development of medical treatment and professionalization in the early U.S. Navy, Harold Langley traces the evolution of medical practice from the time Congress authorized the building of the first frigates in 1794 to the establishment of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in the Navy Department in 1842. He offers detailed descriptions of just what the naval doctor did, and examines the influence of health on readiness, morale, promotions, and retention. Finally, he presents an analysis of statistics on disease and death to reveal the nature of illness on shipboard and in navy yards and hospitals.