MEDICINE CHEST. A box containing an assortment of medicines.
2. The act of congress for the government and regulation of seamen in
the merchant service, sect. 8, 1 Story's L. U. S. 106, directs that every
ship or vessel, belonging to a citizen or citizens of the United States, of
the burthen of one hundred and fifty tons or upwards, navigated by ten or
more persons in the whole, and bound on a voyage without the limits of the
United States, shall be provided with a chest of medicines, put up by some
apothecary of known reputation, and accompanied by directions for
administering the same; and the said medicines shall be examined by the same
or some other apothecary, once, at least, in every year, and supplied with
fresh medicines in the place of such as shall have been used or spoiled; and
in default of having such medicine chest so provided, and kept fit for use,
the master or commander of such ship or vessel shall provide and pay for all
such advice, medicine, or attendance of physicians, as any of the crew shall
stand in need of in case of sickness, at every port or place where the ship
or vessel may touch or trade at during the voyage, without any deduction
from the wages of such sick seaman or mariner.
3. And by the act to amend the above mentioned act, approved March 2,
1805, 2 Story's Laws U. S. 971, it is provided that all the provisions,
regulations, and penalties, which are contained in the eighth section of the
act, entitled "An act for the, government and regulation of seamen in the
merchants' service," so far as relates to a chest of medicines to be
provided for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons burthen and upwards,
shall be extended to all merchant vessels of the burthen of seventy-five
tons or upwards, navigated with six persons, or more, in the whole, and
bound from the United States to any port or ports in the West Indies.