Folios 29-31: Surgeon's general remarks. The Moffatt was a vessel of 821 tons burden,...

Folios 29-31: Surgeon's general remarks. The Moffatt was a vessel of 821 tons burden, built in India of teak and fastened with iron and, although old, made little water, except through the ports in bad weather. This leakage meant the prisoner’s beds were often wet and catarrhal, rheumatic and bowel complaints generally followed. On 23 April 100 convicts were received from the hulks at Woolwich and on the 29th and 30th 300 more from the hulks at Portsmouth. They were inspected on board the hulks and found to be healthy. Some had been years in the hulks or prisons but some only a few weeks. Among the prisoners were 18 ‘blacks from the West India islands’, 2 of whom died on the passage. The surgeon is sure that the phthisis they suffered from originated before they came under his care and was caused by the weather to which they had been exposed. All the prisoners had been chilled when being washed before leaving the hulks and deprived of any warm clothing they may have had. This gave rise to catarrh, diarrhoea and rheumatism among the prisoners and where a predisposition to phthisis or pneumonia existed, almost certainly called it into action. One of the prisoners received was sent to the hospital hulk at Portsmouth as insane, leaving 399 of which 396 were landed at Sydney, all three deaths are recorded in the journal. The death of Dunn was sudden and unexpected, his symptoms not being alarming and he appeared to be improving until very shortly before he died. The surgeon would have liked to examine the body ‘but the prejudice of those about me’ and the weather prevented him. The ague cases do not owe their origin to the ship but the cold may have called them into existence. The men were both from Woolwich, where Morley had worked in the mud gang. Middleton worked as a blacksmith but malaria may have caused the synochus to terminate in intermittent fever. Hollingberg’s anasarca was caused by debility, the result of confinement and less nutritious food than he was used to, 14 days after landing he was in good health. There are 10 cases of scurvy in the sick list but there were more mild ones not listed. The cases of three of the crew, Paterson, Lewis and [Thott] were the worst the surgeon had ever seen. They suffered great debility, delirium and involuntary discharge of urine and faeces. Their gums were rotten and teeth loose and falling out. They might have died if the ship had not arrived in harbour when it did. ‘The crew of this vessel was for the most part composed of the merest riff-raff and the scorbutics in particular were half starved naked creatures when they were shipped by a [Jew] 'crimp'. They had no allowance of tea, coffee or sugar or ‘small stores’ and the surgeon believes their salt provisions were of poor quality. He gives the opinion that Government hired ships should be provisioned in the same way as King’s ships in all ways except the provision of spirits. The 180 cases on the sick list were mostly common and slight, there were no serious accidents. There were several cases of scalding, all from upsetting cocoa in the bad weather. Treatment was with cold sea water and hot poultices, ‘in the worst cases smart purging and opium were employed’. Every possible means was used to prevent disease, the people were kept on deck and kept moving as much as possible, being walked about in divisions and parties allowed to dance and play. Between decks was kept as clean and dry as possible. Several large ports were kept open and windsails used when possible, stoves were used in damp, cold weather. The surgeon comments on the recent substitution of cocoa for oatmeal at breakfast. The cocoa is less nutritious and the prisoners generally do not like it. He suggests they should be given tea in the afternoon and oatmeal for breakfast, on the Moffat cocoa and oatmeal were alternated for some of the voyage, with beneficial results. He also suggests that it should be in the terms of the charter of a vessel that the surgeon should be able to order the master of the vessel to take her into port to secure fresh food if necessary. Many of the prisoners landed in apparent good health soon become ill, often with scurvy, fresh supplies during the voyage should prevent this. Signed John Smith Surgeon