Folio 38: Charles Bird, aged 27, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, spongy gums, pain...

ADM 101/121/3C/5

1799-1800

Folio 38: Charles Bird, aged 27, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, spongy gums, pain and swelling in his right knee, tendons of the ham contracted, complains of a cough. Taken ill, 1 May 1800, Gibraltar. Discharged to duty, 12 May 1800. Given lemon juice and essence of malt in his drink and made to live chiefly on flour, rice etc. He was inclined to be dirty and filthy in his person, which was prevented while he was on the sick list. Folio 38: John Peters 2nd, aged 42, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, spongy gums, pains in his knees etc., a large painful, livid ulcer on the inside of his left leg below the knee and a similar, smaller one above the ankle, the whole leg is livid, great fetor in his breath. Taken ill, 6 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 30 May 1800. The worst of a great many cases of scurvy. The whole mass of fluids seemed contaminated though it showed itself chiefly in the gums and left leg. He had recovered mostly before the fresh lemons were received. The lemon juice had no bad effect on his bowels. Attention was paid to his diet and keeping him clean.

Folios 38-39: John Cleary, aged 27, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, violent griping pains in his belly, purging attended with frequent, small, slimy stools, sometimes streaked with blood. Taken ill, 8 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 15 June 1800.

Folios 39-40: Roderick McLeod, aged 43, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, violent headache, great pain in his breast, back and limbs, breathing much oppressed, troublesome dry cough, pulse 100, belly bound. Taken ill, 14 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 24 June 1800. There were many similar cases at about this time. Catarrhal complaints increased daily, all with some appearance of scurvy. Obstinate costiveness and dyspnoea came on at the end of the disease after the scurvy symptoms disappeared.

Folio 40: Nehemiah Mills, aged 50, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, pain in his breast, cough, soreness in his gums, costive. Taken ill, 17 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 25 May 1800. Sick list increased to 54, many cases similar to this, treated with lemons and fresh meat. Folio 40: John Penrose, aged 59, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, headache, cough, soreness in his gums, giddiness. Taken ill, 19 May 1800, at sea. Invalided, 14 June 1800. His constitution appeared to be worn out. Another old man who was lame from a bad accident was invalided at the same time.

Folio 41: Ralph Stodart, aged 30, Quarter Master; disease or hurt, pain in his breast, cough, dyspnoea, violent headache, no appearance of sponginess or soreness in his gums, pulse strong and quick, tongue foul. Taken ill, 21 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 29 May 1800. Had no appearance of scurvy, he was clean and in general a healthy man. Afterwards had a severe relapse.

Folio 42: James Docharty, aged 46, Quarter Gunner; disease or hurt, headache, cough, pain in his limbs, pulse 105 and of good strength, belly regular, tongue foul. Taken ill, 23 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 20 June 1800. A dull heavy man of a dark sallow complexion. The only case of this kind at the time, the paroxysms never formed completely, he had little of the hot stage and no sweating. The headache left about the middle of the day but he remained heavy and stupid until after 6pm. He relapsed a few days after returning to duty but the paroxysm was prevented by a strong emetic about a quarter of an hour before it was due.

Folio 43: James Banks, aged 29, Private Marine; disease or hurt, seized with a violent pain in his breast, great difficulty breathing, cough etc. Taken ill, 29 May 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 12 June 1800. There were many other similar cases about this time, but they were not so frequent as formerly. All were relieved by one or two bleedings. Folio 43: James Elliot, aged 27, Corporal of Marines; disease or hurt, pain under the left shoulder, cough, difficulty breathing, pulse quick and full. Taken ill, 1 June 1800, Lagos Bay. Discharged to duty, 14 June 1800.

Folio 44: Thomas Bradley, aged 31, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, great pain in his breast, difficulty breathing, cough etc., pulse 105, strong and full, tongue foul, costive. Taken ill, 3 June 1800, Lagos Bay. Discharged to duty, 22 June 1800. His bowels were kept open with infusion of senna during the cure. The cough was not completely gone when he returned to duty, he was ‘one of the idlers (a barber) and not exposed to keep watch’ and was given pectoral emulsion to take at night and in the morning. About ten days later he was seized with stitches in his sides and breast, great oppression in his breathing and every appearance of pulmonic inflammation. On the seventh day of this illness he died after suffering great pain. Folio 44: James McDonald, aged 40, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, griping pains in his belly, attended with a frequent desire of going to stool, stools small, slimy and streaked with blood. Taken ill, 8 June 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 24 June 1800.

Folio 45: Hugh Williams, aged 21, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, yellow appearance in his eyes and middle body, dull pain in his right side and heaviness and listlessness which makes movement unpleasant, appetite bad, tongue foul, urine thick and turbid and stains linen yellow, pulse strong, little increased in quickness, belly bound. Taken ill, 16 June 1800, Gibraltar. Discharged to duty, 28 June 1800. Folio 45: George Bull, aged 22, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, contused wound on the forehead, about 1 inch in length, above the beginning of the longitudinal sinus, pericranium laid bare. Taken ill, 18 June 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 30 June 1800. Folio 45: James Walker, aged 49, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, headache, cough, pain in his back and limbs, pulse quick and full, tongue foul, belly bound. Taken ill, 20 June 1800, at sea. Still on the sick list at the end of this journal, 9 July 1800.

Folio 46: John Howard, aged 24, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, violent headache, great pain in his bowels, frequent desire to go to stool with no result, tongue foul, pulse 96 and strong. Taken ill, 26 June 1800, at sea. Discharged to duty, 8 July 1800.

Folio 47: John Cleary, aged 27, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, headache, cough, pain in his breast, dyspnoea, pulse 104 full, belly regular. Taken ill, 1 July 1800, at sea. Still on the sick list at the end of this journal, 9 July 1800.

Folio 47: Abstract of the preceding journal, being a summary of all the cases contained therein. Continued fevers, 26, of which, 8 were sent to the hospital, and 2 died on board; Fluxes, 21, of which, 2 were sent to the hospital, and 2 died on board; Scurvy, 3; Ulcers, 2; Wounds and accidents, 11, of which, 1 was sent to the hospital; Pulmonic inflammation, 21, of which, 1 was sent to the hospital, and 1 died on board; Lues venerea, 5, of which, 4 were sent to the hospital; Catarrhs, 2, of which, 1 was sent to the hospital; Jaundice, 2; Other complaints, 3.

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