Folios 4-6: case no. 1, William Rea, aged 52, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or...

Folios 4-6: case no. 1, William Rea, aged 52, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, chronic pleurisy, countenance haggard and bloated, eyes languid and tinged yellow, complained of uneasiness in the right hypochondirac and epigastric region, not increased much on pressure; put on sick list 2 July 1843, died 16 July 1843 at 1 pm.

Folios 6-7: case no. 2, Arthur Collman, aged 19, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, synochus, countenance pale, figure slight in general rather weakly. According to the surgeon since the weather became warm this patient was troubled with headache, giddiness and occasional flushes; put on sick list 16 July 1843, discharged 20 August 1843 cured.

Folios 7-8: case no. 3, Robert Howarth, aged 52, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, scorbutus, countenance pale and emaciated, general appearance feeble. The surgeon stated that this patient “has nearly always refused to take his allowance of lime juice”. Complained of weakness of the legs, sore gums and presents a dark livid appearance. There were purple coloured petechiae over the lower part of the abdomen and top of the thighs; put on sick list 10 September 1843, sent 12 October 1843 to General Hospital at Hobart Town.

Folios 8-9: case no. 4, Charles Edinburgh, aged 34, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, stricture cum abscessus in perineo, slight make, sanguine nervous temperament was troubled with stricture for the last fourteen years. According to the surgeon in the last three days had difficulty in making water; put on sick list 3 October 1843, sent 13 October 1843 to Civil Hospital at Hobart Town.

Folios 9-10 and 11: case no. 5, George Munro, aged 29, Corporal 99th Regt; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, phthisis, of a slight make – countenance flushed, habit evidently phthysical. Complained of fugitive pain of the chest and loins during the voyage, also had occasional attacks of tympanitic distention of the abdomen which in general disappeared upon the use of opening medicine. For the last day or two was complaining of pain of the chest not materially increased by cough but there was a sense of tightness upon it. Nocturnal perspiration copious, pulse small feeble; put on sick list 27 September 1843, died 17 October 1843 at 3.30 am. [sectio cadaveris on folio 11].

Folios 10-11 and 27: case no. 6, Thomas Williams, aged 19, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, fractura femoris, of a full habit and always enjoyed excellent health. He fell this forenoon from the ladder of the fore hatchway into the hold, by which he suffered an oblique fracture of the right thigh bone immediately under the trochanter major; put on sick list 4 October 1843, sent 13 October 1843 to Civil Hospital at Hobart Town. Folio 11: examination of the body of Corporal George Munro 99th Regiment. Folios 12-25: blank.

Folio 26: nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folio 27: Thomas Williams, aged 19, convict; nature of hurts, fell from the fore hatchway’s ladder into the forehold, suffered an oblique fracture of the right thigh bone, on 4th October 1843.

Folios 27-28: Surgeon’s general remarks. The ship having on board 240 male convicts, and a guard consisted of 2 officers and 50 men of the 99th Regiment. The ship sailed from Spithead for Van Diemen’s Land on the 27th June 1843. The ship passed the Island of Madeira on the 10 July and San Antonio in the Cape de Verde on the 16th of the same month. The surgeon stated that during this period there were a few cases of diarrhoea among the convicts on getting into a warmer climate. Once the ship crossed the Equator and into cold latitudes catarrh and bowels complaints were common among the convicts. The surgeon pointed out the necessity of supplying 2 flannel shirts instead of one for each convict. He also referred to two deaths which occurred on board, one a prisoner [case no. 1, William Rea] whose disease was an old pleuritis, and the second [case no. 5, George Munro] a Lance Corporal of the Guard. The surgeon also mentioned the cases of scurvy [case no. 3, Robert Howarth] in this case the lime juice had the effect of nauseating the patient and he could never swallow it.