A Federal Role Begins

In 1730 Pennsylvania began collection of money to support medical treatment of sailors in hospitals. But protection of the public health as a function for a central government was never considered during the Colonial period. Public health is not mentioned in the Constitution, for example. Despite local control efforts, there were numerous serious disease outbreaks. On November 22, 1797, President John Adams began his annual message to Congress with "I was for some time apprehensive that it would be necessary on account of the contagious sickness which affected the city of Philadelphia, to convene the National Legislature at some other place." It was during this yellow fever epidemic, on July 16, 1798, that President John Adams signed the first Federal public health law, "An act for the relief of sick and disabled Seamen." This law called on Collectors of Customs to assess for every arriving seaman 20 cents a month for the care of sick seamen and the building of hospitals. This money was deposited with the Secretary of the Treasury. That is how the Marine Hospital Service was created and found itself a part of the Department of the Treasury.

Philadelphia about the time the Marine Hospital was created.