Folios 18-20: Surgeon's General remarks. Discusses the three men who died of scurvy,...

ADM 101/88/2/7

1827

Folios 18-20: Surgeon's General remarks. Discusses the three men who died of scurvy, two were of ‘very bad habits of body’, one had several attacks of scurvy before and the other of fever. They died while the ship was on a mission to the coast of Africa and the Red Sea with the Tamar and the Pandora. There was a disposition to scurvy in the crew and the surgeon does not know what to attribute it to ‘except unwholesome water, bad biscuit, short allowance of spirits and provisions, and deficiency of vegetable diet, as the atmosphere was pure and the sky transparent, it being the North East monsoon’. As soon as they had ‘soft bread, eggs, sausages, fruit, vegetables etc’, as well as the ship’s provisions, the symptoms disappeared. Those on the sick list were getting half a dozen limes daily besides lemon juice and syrup. The complaint did not originate from living on salted provisions, as there were plenty of fresh fish. The ship’s water is discussed. The tanks had been whitewashed and the Captain of the Hold was throwing handfuls of lime into them ‘with a view of killing the animaliculae’. The Surgeon complained to the Captain that quicklime was a corrosive and drinking it might dissolve flesh. There were many other sick cases not included in the journal because they were not sufficiently interesting, there were no accidents requiring invaliding. There was no unnecessary wastage of lint or calico but there was difficulty in getting bandages washed after being used. The Surgeon and Assistant Surgeon had difficulty in getting assistance since Mr Aitken was appointed to succeed Mr Conway on his being invalided. The Captain would not appoint anyone on a permanent basis, so whenever help was needed they had to apply for assistance, eventually someone was provisionally appointed. Mr Aitken was appointed over Mr Daly by the Commodore, as there was no Assistant Surgeon who had passed the Surgeon’s examination on the station. When the Surgeon joined the vessel the medicine chest was kept on the main deck because the heat in the cockpit caused perspiration to fall on the medicine. A dispensary was eventually built and the Surgeon recommends that all ships should be fitted with one. The Captain gave orders that Mr Aitken was not to trust his own opinion but should consult with Mr Daly, the Assistant Surgeon, who had more experience, and issued orders that both of them were to report the state of the sick to him every morning. Captain Murray also occasionally ordered that all of the crew should take a draught of sea water, in spite of Mr Aitken’s protest that in general it only created thirst and griping, and ordered Mr Aitken to stand by the tub while the crew drank it. The Surgeon protests against these orders to the Medical Commissioners, as undermining his authority and position in the ship, and the impossibility of reconciling conflicting opinions if he has to consult his assistant in every case. Having the Assistant Surgeon reporting the sick to the Captain every day, as well as the Surgeon, also undermines the confidence which should exist between them. It implies the Surgeon is deficient in knowledge and is no compliment to the Surgeon, the Commodore who appointed him, or the gentlemen of the College of Surgeons or the Victualling Board.

Folio 20: Copy of a memo from [Captain] James A Murray to Mr Aitken, Surgeon, HM Ship Atholl, dated 5 February 1826, directing that whenever anyone is taken ill the surgeon or Mr Daly [Assistant Surgeon] should report it immediately [to Captain Murray], in case of any dangerous attack. With a note to say a similar memo has been supplied to Mr Daly.

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