Journal of HM Schooner Pickle by S G Britton, Assistant Surgeon, for 23 January to...

ADM 101/112/8A

1805

Journal of HM Schooner Pickle by S G Britton, Assistant Surgeon, for 23 January to 31 December 1805, during which time the ship was employed in the West indies, off the Coast of Spain and Portugal.

[Note: ADM 101/112/8, 8A-8B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/112/8].

Folios 1-5: John Johnston, aged 30, gunner's mate; taken ill off Cumberland harbour, Lat. 19º 39’ N; disease or hurt, tumour on the inside of the left thigh about six inches above the knee; taken ill, 16 March 1805, discharged 8 April 1805 to duty.

Folios 2-4: John Pearce, aged 24, seaman; taken ill at Port Royal; disease or hurt, dysentery, in consequence of going overboard with four others to bathe Complained of costiveness, accompanied with wandering pains in the bowels and severe griping pain; taken ill, 20 March 1805, discharged 29 March 1805 to duty.

Folios 2-3: Joseph [Frepler?], aged 22, seaman; taken ill at Port Royal; disease or hurt, dysentery, another one of the four men who went overboard to bathe with J.Pearce complained of griping, accompanied with loose muceous [mucous] stools; taken ill, 21 March 1805, discharged 27 March 1805 to duty.

Folios 3-4: Finn Eldridge, aged 23, seaman; taken ill off Jamaica; disease or hurt, dysentery, this is the third case of dysentery in consequence of improper bathing. Complained of pain in the abdomen with frequent desire of going to stool discharging but little tenemus, nausea, vomiting and fever; taken ill, 23 March 1805, discharged 31 March 1805 to duty.

Folios 3-4: Adam Anderson, aged 22, seaman; taken ill Lat. 17º 18' N, Lon 75º 36' W; disease or hurt, dysentery, this is the fourth person who went overboard to bathe. Complained of severe griping pain in the hypogastric region; taken ill, 24 March 1805, discharged 4 April 1805 to duty.

Folios 4-5: John Johnston, aged 30, gunner mate; taken ill Lat. 26º 48' N, Lon 76º 33' W; disease or hurt, complained of a small tumour similar to that described on 16 March 1805; taken ill, 14 April 1805, discharged 1 May 1805 to duty.

Folio 6: Thomas Murphy, aged 27, seaman; taken ill off [Terefa?]; disease or hurt, fever complained of languor, debility and sense of chilliness caused by sudden change from a warm and dry to cold and soggy atmosphere; taken ill, 20 July 1805, discharged 31 July 1805 to duty.

Folios 6-7: William Eastor, aged 22, seaman; taken ill off Falnt [Falmouth?]; disease or hurt, fever, complained of languor, uneasiness and cold shivering, he has bilious vomiting accompanied with pain in the head and part of the body; taken ill, 6 August 1805, discharged 25 August 1805 to duty.

Folios 7-10: Adam Anderson, aged 22, seaman; taken ill off Cadiz; disease or hurt, syphilis, inflamed phymosis, considerable quantity of discharge from chancres on the glans penis, he is much debilitated in consequence of symptomatic fever; taken ill, 28 September 1805, discharged 4 November 1805 to duty.

Folios 7-10: James Mugridge, aged 19, seaman; taken ill off Cadiz; disease or hurt, catarrh, complained of headache, discharge from the eyes and nose, frequent shivering, soreness of the trachea and cough; taken ill, 10 October 1805, discharged 27 October 1805 to duty.

Folios 8-9: John Barditon, aged 21, seaman; taken ill off Cadiz; disease or hurt, catarrh, was seized with headache, shivering, discharge from the eyes and nose, some cough accompanied with full throbbing pulse; taken ill, 12 October 1805, discharged 19 October 1805 to duty.

Folios 8-9: James Rowden, aged 32, boatswain's mate; taken ill off Cadiz; disease or hurt, enteritis, has a fixed pain in the abdomen with heat tension, costiveness and considerable pyrexia, the abdomen is sore to the touch, the pain is more particularly acute about the umbilicus; taken ill, 12 October 1805, discharged 24 October 1805 to duty.

Folio 9: Jean Mellier one of the inferior officers of the French ship L'Achille picked up from the sea with 160 others by the boats of the Pickle, after L'Achille had taken fire. In the action [Battle of Trafalgar] he received a splinter wound in the outside of his left thigh which divided half the substance of the rutus femoris, cut entirely through the vastus exterous and carried with it at [?] 3 inches of its substance. He was very faint when brought on board in consequence of a loss of blood from the division of two small arteries.

Folio 9: In consequence of going on board the Victory on the evening of the 21 [October 1805] to assist Mr. Beatty (the surgeon of that ship) in his operations after the Trafalgar action, nothing was done for the sick in the Pickle till my return on the 24 [October 1805].

Folio 9: 24 October 1805, Jean Mellier, his wound is considerably inflamed beginning to slough he is discharged this day to the Euryalus.

Folios 10-13: Patrick Towtrig, aged 36, seaman; taken ill at Plymouth; disease or hurt, rheumatismus chronicus, severe pain in the shoulders, elbows and knees particularly on motion; taken ill, 4 November 1805, discharged 2 December 1805 to duty.

Folios 10-13: William Smith, aged 33, seaman; taken ill at Plymouth; disease or hurt, syphilis, several chancres upon the glans penis highly inflamed accompanied with paraphymosis; taken ill, 8 November 1805, discharged 2 December 1805 to duty.

Folio 10: Michael Connol, aged 28, seaman; taken ill at Plymouth; disease or hurt, syphilis, several chancres upon the glans penis attended with an enlargement of the glands in each groin; taken ill, 8 November 1805.

Folios 10-12: Samuel Hutchins, aged 20, seaman; taken ill at Plymouth; disease or hurt, gonorrhoea virulenta, complained of yellow discharge from urethra accompanied with dysuria; taken ill, 9 November 1805, discharged 25 November 1805 to duty.

Folio 13: The circumstance of going to London to pass the required examination prevents my giving a full history of this [Michael Cannol] case, previous to leaving the vessel, I furnished him with what medicine he would be likely to want.

Folio 14: Blank.

Folio 15: Numerical abstract of the medical cases mentioned in the journal.

Folio 15:The foregoing journal comprises the history of every natural disease which appeared on HM Schooner Pickle between 22 January to the 31 December 1805. As in this journal the Schooner has been almost constantly at sea with very few opportunities of obtaining the requisite quantity of vegetable refreshments for the crew, so precaution has been needing to prevent the disease that might consequently have been expected. To make up for the deficiency of vegetables in the most effectual manner Lime Juice was occasionally mixed with the daily proportion of spirits, and sometimes a preparation of flour was substituted for part of the Beef and Pork. In the West Indies this [plan?] became especially necessary when [?] scorbutic symptoms were observable in several of the crew, although the weather in general was fine, and the Schooner had been only nine weeks from Plymouth. In this case the Lime Juice was issued generally and with the greatest advantages out of a supply of twenty gallons which I received by order of Admiral Dacres. The little practice which the Pickle has afforded and the full manner in which the preceding cases are related under other remarks unnecessary. It only remains therefore that I should solicit indulgence for any imperfections this journal may be found to contain. Signed S G Britton.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Caribbean

Europe and Russia

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)