Medical journal of the Andromeda female convict ship from 16 May to 7 October 1834...

ADM 101/2/8A

1834

Medical journal of the Andromeda female convict ship from 16 May to 7 October 1834 by Henry Kelsall, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was on a voyage from Cork to Sydney, New South Wales.

Folios 1-2: case no 1, Margaret King, aged 27, convict; taken ill at [sea?]; sick or hurt, hysteria combined with epilepsia; put on sick list 3 June 1834, discharged 6 June 1834.

Folios 3-4: case no 2, Ellen Roche, aged 48, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, diarrhoea probably scorbutic; put on sick list 17 June 1834, died 8 July 1834 at noon.

Folio 4: [surgeon's note], having never seen a case of scurvy, the surgeon was uncertain that the above case was one, but however he stated that the gums of the patient was spongy and her mouth and teeth were foul.

Folios 5-7: case no 3, Caroline Gosney, aged 21, convict; taken ill at [sea?]; sick or hurt, chronic hepatitis; put on sick list 9 July 1834, sent 7 October 1834 to hospital at Sydney.

Folios 7-8: case no 4, Bridget Costello, aged 50, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ascites; put on sick list 9 August 1834, died 17 September 1834 at 9.30 am.

Folio 9: case no 5, Honor Molony, aged 2 ½, convict's child; taken ill in Port Jackson; sick or hurt, phthisis; put on sick list 29 September 1834, died 5 October 1834 at 7 pm.

Folio 10: numerical abstract of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folios 11-12: Surgeon's general remarks. Having embarked 175 female convicts and 21 of their infant children all under 5 years of age, for the first three weeks there were numerous complaints of slight catarrh, but disappeared once the climate became warmer. On the 8th July 1834 Ellen Roche [case no. 2] died she was a poor feeble women and having much older appearance and was given herself up to despair from the day of embarkation from having been debarred taking a farewell of her husband at the gaol. On the 17th September 1834 the Andromeda anchored in Port Jackson and on the same day Bridget Costello [case no. 4] died from ascites and was buried on shore. The prisoner swere not landed until 7th October 1834 in which during this period infant child [Honor Molony, case no. 5] died from phthisis. [Note: ADM 101/2/8, 8A and 8B, are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/2/8].

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Australia and Pacific

Children

Disease

Navy

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Sex and gender