Folios 44-46: Surgeon's general remarks. On 3 August 1831 received 120 convicts and...

Folios 44-46: Surgeon's general remarks. On 3 August 1831 received 120 convicts and 1 free settler at Cork, and on 4 August another 97 convicts. The majority were found to be in poor health and several had been in the hospital until a few days before embarking with bowel complaints. Some were unfit for the voyage and should never have been sent, for example, John Fitzgerald, David Sheehan and Patrick Couney. Three were rejected and, according to Mr Gilchrist, Surgeon of the Bussorah Merchant, two of them died within a fortnight. It is mentioned that when examining the convicts, the surgeon must depend greatly on the surgeon of the hulk. When asked why they had lied about their health when being examined, several prisoners replied that they would rather risk dying at sea than remain in the hulk. Some remarks on the number and variety of cases in the journal, specifically the dysentery cases are noted as not responding to medicine. Those cases ending fatally seemed to show a lack of absorption and assimilation, the evidence being that the mercury seemed not to affect them in any way. The cases of scorbutic dysentery could not bear any calomel and only spirits, limejuice, sugar and water, with a few drops of laudanum, brought any relief. Nitre and vinegar was also tried with some success. Oil of turpentine, either orally or in an enema, could be useful in cases of pure dysentery. Only the convicts showed any scorbutic symptoms, which the Surgeon attributes to the regular supply of spirits supplied to the crew, guard and their families, and their previous wholesome food and the absence of 'depressing passions'. The prisoners were on deck regularly and the prison was much cleaner than the barracks. Captain Ager ordered milk and fresh bread to be given to the sick every day. He also had 'a place fitted up abaft the fore chains on each side, for the people to retire to' [as a toilet], to alleviate the nuisance throughout the ship caused by the 'soil pans'. The Surgeon recommends similar arrangements should be generally adopted by order of the Navy Board. He also recommends the adoption of iron bars as less wasteful than the wooden prisons fitted in ships and taken down at the end of each voyage, and also permitting better circulation of air. Quantities of preserved meat, tea, sulphate of magnesia, castor oil and oil of turpentine were insufficient and some were replaced by the Surgeon at his own expense. The prisoners were generally quiet and orderly, and kept themselves and their berths clean. The ship's company had no limejuice issued to them during the voyage and had no dysentery, among the guard there were a few cases of dysentery but they yielded readily to treatment, but there no scorbutic symptoms among either the guard or crew. On arrival 36 of the prisoners, besides those mentioned in the journal, exhibited scorbutic symptoms. They all recovered rapidly on being given fresh meat and vegetables. Chloride of lime was used liberally during the voyage and greatly contributed to the comfort of all on board. Signed George Birnie, Surgeon Superintendent, Convict Ship Asia, Sydney, New South Wales, 14 December 1831.