Medical journal of HMS Albatross , from 1 January 1849 to 31 December 1849 by Salter...

ADM 101/82/1

1849

Medical journal of HMS Albatross, from 1 January 1849 to 31 December 1849 by Salter Livesay, Surgeon, during which time the ship was employed in India and China Station. [Includes notes on Sierra Leone, and an account of an expedition against Borneo pirates, also included in the journal is a case history of Sir James Brooke the Rajah of Sarawak].

Folio 1: letter of reprimand, to Dr Livesay the Surgeon of the Albatross on account of the state of this journal, dated 20 August 1850 and signed Mr Hobart MD, Mr W Fossett MD.

Folios 2-5 and 12: case no 1, Samuel Peters, aged 23, Master's Assistant; sick or hurt, angina pectoris, the patient suffered from dyspeptic symptoms for a considerable time and frequently on the sick list, complained of difficulty of swallowing solid food; put on sick list 13 December 1849, died 18 December 1849 at 8.20, post mortem reported on folio 12, includes a Surgeon's postscript, which states that 'the symptoms were exaggerated while the barometer was low, the peevishness and sometimes strangeness of manner observable in hydropericardium were seen slightly in the present unfortunate case'.

Folios 5-11: Copy of daily sick list.

Folios 13-14: case no 2, Thomas Miller, aged 35, Boatswain's Mate; sick or hurt, dysentery; put on sick list 2 February 1849, discharged 10 February 1849 to duty.

Folios 14-16: case no 3, Mr W H Crane, aged not stated, Master HMS Albatross; sick or hurt, phlogosis and rheumatism; put on sick list 11 February 1849, sent 11 March 1849 on board the Alligator to Hospital at Hong Kong.

Folios 14-16: case no 4, Mr A Wilmhurst, aged not stated, 2nd Lieutenant HMS Albatross; sick or hurt, otorrhea, complained of earache in the left ear; put on sick list 24 February 1849, discharged 19 March 1849 to duty.

Folios 17-18: case no 4a, Mr G Bateman, aged not stated, Paymaster and Purser; taken ill on board HMS Albatross; sick or hurt, paralysis; put on sick list 6 April 1849, discharged 4 May 1849 to duty.

Folios 18-19: case no 5, James Larkins, aged 28, Captain Fore Top; taken ill on board HMS Albatross; sick or hurt, pyrexia & chronic hepatitis; put on sick list 2 September 1849, sent 5 September 1849 to Hospital.

Folio 19: Nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folios 20-59: surgeon's notes, comprised of two parts, first part included general routine of the ship, sanitary orders of Sir Charles Hotham, description of the natives of Sierra Leone and Quittah, negotiations between the Commandant (Svedstrop) with the chief of the tribe at latter place, which subsequently led to disturbances between the natives and the Danes, also included are remarks regarding the slave trade at these places, and native surgery, as well as remarks on Fernando Po and River Congo. Second part consists of remarks on climate and natural history of Island of Laboax [Labuan] and Sarawak, the Surgeon's remarks on dysentery, form of execution for murder and notes of Expedition against Bornean pirates.

Folios 59-60: case no 6, Captain Brooke, aged not stated, Commanding the Black Eagle; taken ill at Sarawak; sick or hurt, suffered from repeated attacks of intermittent fever during his stay at the Island of Labuan; put on sick list 24 July 1849, discharged 27 July 1849 to duty.

Folios 60-61: Surgeon's noted on casualties during the expedition against Bornean pirates, that the majority of these cases were brought to him already dressed and otherwise attended to, they returned to Sarawak or to their homes elsewhere, in which the Surgeon had no opportunity of watching their further progress.

Folio 61: case no 7, A Malay, aged unknown to himself; sick or hurt, musket wound, while attacked pirates at Banting Marron; put on sick list 1 August 1849,

Folio 61: case no 8, A Malay, aged unknown; sick or hurt, spear wound, during the combat with pirates at Banting Marron; put on sick list 31 July 1849, returned 1 August 1849 to his home.

Folio 61: case no 9, A Malay, aged unknown; sick or hurt, spear wound of scrotum; put on sick list 5 August 1849, returned 5 August 1849 to his home.

Folios 61-62: case no 9, A Malay, aged unknown; sick or hurt, spear wound of scrotum; put on sick list 5 August 1849, returned 5 August 1849 to his home.

Folios 62-63: case no 10, Sir James Brooke (Rajah of Sarawak), aged not stated; taken ill on board the Singh Rajah; sick or hurt, intermittent fever (Labuan ague); put on sick list 9 August 1849, discharged 10 August 1849 quite well.

Folios 63-64: case no 11, A Malay, aged unknown; sick or hurt, gunshot wound in tibia, the Surgeon was called on by Mr. Miller Surgeon of the H.E.I.C. Nemesis for consultation on this patient, the man was fired at close distance and the ball had passed directly through the bone and out at the other side; put on sick list 8 August 1849, returned 8 August 1849 to his home.

Folios 64-65: case no 12, Joseph Middleton, aged about 27; Rajah's Clerk; sick or hurt, taken ill during the Expedition, this patient who was a writer for Sir James Brooke, but did duty on this occasion on board Captain [Sir James] Brooke's prahu, complained of nearly passing out with the usual symptoms of an intermittent with more headache and a nausea nearly amounting to vomiting of injesta; put on sick list 11 August 1849, discharged 19 August 1849 to duty.

Folio 66: case no 13, Thomas Matthews, aged about 35; Able Seaman; sick or hurt, dysentery, while on duty in the boat, complained of pain and sense of weight and numbness over the region of umbilicus, tenesmus was urgent with mucus tinged with blood; put on sick list 13 August 1849, died 17 August 1849 on board the Nemesis at 7 am.

Folios 66-69: case no 14, A Malay, age unknown, a rower in one of the prahus; sick or hurt, spear wound into rectum, while fighting in the jungle by a barbed spear the weapon had entered through the muscular mass of the glutei, which passed through the tough ligament and [farci?] of the greater sciatic notch and transfixed the rectum, the bladder was uninjured; put on sick list 17 August 1849, he was left in charge of the Missionary at Sarawak on 26 August 1849.

Folios 69-70: case no 15, James Pridle, aged 24; Armourer's Mate; sick or hurt, gastro enteritis; put on sick list 7 October 1849, discharged 18 October 1849 to duty.

Folios 71-72: the following is a list of men who received wounds or hurts during the period of this journal.

Folio 71: Charles Tangue, aged 24; Able Seaman; pension certificate not granted in 1849; nature of hurts, whilst engaged in his duty on board his ship, hurt in the knee against a cable crutch followed by abscess, on 29 November 1849.

Folio 71: number on ship's book 56, Henry Edmonds, aged 40; Carpenter's Mate; pension certificate not granted in 1849; nature of hurts, inguinal hernia, whilst lifting a pump, on 25 April 1849.

Folio 71: William Ivy, aged 27; Commander of Coxswain; pension certificate not granted in 1849; nature of hurts, severe jammed across the lower third of thigh and upper part of knee joint, on early part of February 1849.

Folio 71: Thomas Casey, aged 27; Fore Castle; pension certificate not granted in 1849; nature of hurts, sprained tendo achilles followed by abscess, on 26 August February 1849.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Trade and commerce

Asia

Pay and pensions

Piracy and privateering

Slavery

Weapons

Race relations

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Crime

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Africa