Folios 47-50: Folio 47: Peter Grady, aged 21, seaman; taken ill at sea; disease or...

ADM 101/91/4/7

1808-1809

Folios 47-50:

Folio 47: Peter Grady, aged 21, seaman; taken ill at sea; disease or hurt, this man of a sanguine temperament with red hair and fine skin and of moderately strong constitution complains of universal pain and soreness of the muscles especially in the loins and between the shoulders; taken ill, 10 May 1809.

Folio 47: Charles Egerton, aged 27, Seaman; taken ill at sea; disease or hurt, complains of pain about the navel with constriction and some hardness over the abdomen; taken ill, 10 May 1809. On 13 May some degree of debility is now all that is felt, the appetite is restored.

Folio 48: William Vicary, aged 36, seaman; taken ill at sea; disease or hurt, swelling and redness upon his left leg extending from the knee to the ankle joint. The tumefaction was greatest on the inside of tibia; taken ill, 11 May 1809.

Folio 48: Thomas Cain, aged 35, seaman; taken ill at sea; disease or hurt, this man in cutting the handle of a broom with considerable force wounded the outside of his right thigh over the vastus extunus muscle by the knife slipping; taken ill, 11 May 1809.

Folio 49: numerical abstract of cases contained in the journal.

Folios 49-50 General Remarks: His Majesty Ship Bombay was in the months of June and July 1808 completed in her compliment of men by drafts from different ships all of whom had been for several years in warm climates and some of whom were much worn out. Inflammatory and other complaints which men are liable to who are exposed to cold weather after a long residence in tropical climate were therefore expected. Particular attention was paid to the article of clothing every man being obliged to wear flannel. The decks were during the winter months kept as dry as possible and the lower deck was but seldom washed (hand stones and sand being generally used). Pneumonia was the most general and prevailing complaint. Bleeding was generally found successful and here I must observe that I have invariable found copious bleedings, provided the pulse and strength could support it and the urgency of the symptoms indicated its necessity and called for speedy relief. More useful than the small and frequent bleedings recommended by some, brisk purgatives were also practised and the producing a plyalism from the combined use of Calomil, opium and tartar emetic was of manifest advantage. The Bombay sailed from Plymouth for Cadiz in the beginning of February 1809 and the vicissitudes of the weather, which has been extremely variable in this country from the beginning of March until the present time increased considerably the pulmonic and catarrhal complaints. A few instances of typhus took place in the Downs in the month of September, October and November last but did not extend to many persons. All proper methods being taken for its extinction and to prevent its spreading and becoming general. The means employed were the fumigation, a complete separation of such cases from all others and the preventing of all unnecessary communications. No man has been sent from this ship to the hospital for ulcer. The three cases put down in the summary being men who came on board in drafts with bad ulcers. No great number of accidents happened and only two were sent to a hospital. The three deaths that took place on board were, the first a case of typhus, the second of humoral asthma and the third a catectic one of long standing. On the whole I think that the Bombay has been healthy when it is considered she is a new ship and has been manned by men who had long been in tropical climates and were therefore the less able to bear the winters cold of England.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description