Medical and Surgical journal of Her Majesty's convict ship Bengal Merchant for 5...

ADM 101/8/3A

1838

Medical and Surgical journal of Her Majesty's convict ship Bengal Merchant for 5 March to 28 July 1838 by Isaac Noott, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in a voyage to New South Wales. [Note: ADM 101/8/3, 3A-3B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/8/3].

Folio 1: Blank.

Folios 2-3: Sick list.

Folio 4: A nosological return of the sick and wounded of Her Majestys convict ship Bengal Merchant between the 15th of March 1838 and the 28th of July 1838 employed on the voyage from England to Sydney.

Folio 5: Remarks. The guard of 32 men of the 21st and 51st Regiments, with 6 women and 9 children, embarked at Deptford on 15 March 1838. They sailed for Sheerness the following day and on 20 March embarked 270 convicts from Chatham. They sailed on 28 March, passed the Downs on 1 April and were at Tenerife on 11 April and spent 2 days completing water and getting fresh provisions. They arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, on 21 July 1838. The weather and illnesses at various stages of the voyage are described briefly. There was only one case of decided scurvy in a Pole 'of an indolent habit'. Only half or three quarters of the prisoners were allowed on deck at the same time, so that there was room for them to exercise. They were made to walk around the deck several times a day. The prison was kept clean and as dry as possible. Nitre and vinegar was given to convalescents and lemon juice from the commencement of salt meat but the wine not until after the tropics. There were two cases of typhus among the guard, one fatal. Two children died of atrophy and are not included in this return. There were two cases of typhus and one of pneumonia among the crew, also not included in this report, neither of them had been to sea before.

Folio 5: A small table summarising high, low and average temperatures for the months of April, May, June and July [1838], measured three times each day with brief comments on the wind and weather.

Folio 6: An inserted sheet with a table listing mess numbers and divisions of prisoners against a series of columns denoting duties such as fetching water or provisions, cleaning the deck etc., with prisoner's individual numbers entered against their duties. There are 34 messes and 2 'Grand Divisions' organised into 8 Divisions. Also listed (numbers only) are 'Men employed in various situations'; 2 schoolmasters, 3 hospital men, 3 cooks, 4 barbers, 2 hair cutters, 5 [to stop on] clothes, 2 employed in the hold, 1poulterer, 1 knife cleaner and 2 musicians.

Folios 7-12: 'Meteorological journal of the convict ship Bengal Merchant commencing April 1838'. For April, May, June, July 1838 on board the Bengal Merchant and for August, September, October, November and December 1838 at New South Wales and on board the Kinnear barque. Records temperature three times a day, barometer, wind at noon, position and brief remarks.

Folios 13-14: John Franklyn, aged 35, Convict; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 1 April 1838, at sea. Discharged, 30 May 1838. He had been very subject to rheumatism, suffered severely during the autumn on board the hulk at Chatham and got very wet on the day of embarkation. He continued to suffer at intervals during the voyage.

Folio 15: Richard Culver, aged 38, Convict; disease or hurt, opthalmia. Put on sick list, 6 April 1838, at sea. Discharged, 3 May 1838. His right eye had been painful and inflamed for two days.

Folios 15-17: George Baxter, aged 31, Convict; disease or hurt, pneumonia. Put on sick list, 9 April 1838, at sea. Discharged, 20 May 1838. Had been employed as one of the cooks and was a 'stout muscular man' who had been in confinement for a year.

Folio 17: James [Guy Markelavi], aged 29, Convict; disease or hurt, vertigo. Put on sick list, 24 April 1838, at sea. Discharged, 9 May 1838. 'Of a spare habit and apparently delicate constitution', he was attacked in the evening with vertigo followed by syncope and, on recovery, pain of the cardiac region.

Folio 18: Frederick Handcock, aged 34, Convict; disease or hurt, anorexia. Put on sick list, 2 May 1838, at sea. Discharged, 7 June 1838. He had been a watchmaker by trade and had enjoyed good health, he appeared very debilitated, had a constant tremor and nausea.

Folios 18-21: James Monk, aged 34, Convict; disease or hurt, typhus. Put on sick list, 20 May 1838, at sea. Died, 9 June 1838. He complained of frequent rigors alternated with increased heat and a restless night.

Folios 21-23: William Castleden, aged 24, Convict; disease or hurt, typhus. Put on sick list, 23 May 1838, at sea. Discharged, 3 July 1838. Had been much purged for the last two days and complained of rigors followed by heat, general lassitude and anorexia.

Folios 23-25: William Denny, Private of the 21st Regiment; disease or hurt, typhus. Put on sick list, 13 June 1838, at sea. Died, 25 June 1838. Taken ill with giddiness and faintness about a week earlier while on sentry duty and had not felt well since. Complained of giddiness, pain in the loins and calves.

Folios 25-26: William White, aged 20, Convict; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 12 June 1838, at sea. Discharged, 13 July 1838. 'Apparently of a sickly constitution', he complained of pain about the shoulders and limbs, slight pyrexia, confined bowels with anorexia.

Folios 26-28: George Williams, aged 22, Convict; disease or hurt, erysipelas. Put on sick list, 17 June 1838, at sea. Discharged to the convict hospital, 21 July 1838. His right knee had been swollen and painful for two days. He remained in the convict hospital on 18 August with little improvement.

Folio 29: John Turner, aged 27, Convict; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 1 July 1838, at sea. Discharged with the other prisons, 28 July 1838. He had enjoyed good health during the voyage until he was attacked with acute pains in the soles of his feet.

Folios 30-31: Thomas Morgan, aged 22, Convict; disease or hurt, typhus. Put on sick list, 7 July 1838, at sea. Died, 17 July 1838. 'Of a delicate constitution', he was subject to sore throats and haemorrhoids and had suffered an attack of dyspepsia in May. Two days previously he had complained of a slight cough and sore throat, he also suffered pyrexia, giddiness, anorexia, debility and depression of spirits.

Folios 31-32: John Henderson, aged 20, of the 21st Regiment; disease or hurt, typhus. Put on sick list, 7 July 1838, at sea. Discharged, 22 July 1838. Complained of giddiness and nausea with lassitude and anorexia, he had felt ill for two days before complaining.

Folios 32-33: August Piotrowski, aged 23, Convict; disease or hurt, scurvy. Put on sick list, 8 July 1838, at sea. Discharged to the convict hospital, 22 July 1838. He had complained of a pain in his right leg, stiffness in the ham and spongy gums and was treated but remained debilitated.

Folio 34: Blank.

Folio 35: A nosological synopsis of the sick book kept during the period of this journal, in conformity with the 30th article of the Surgeon's Instructions.

Folios 36-37: Surgeon's general remarks. For the most part this repeats the comments made in folio 5.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Clothing

Army

Trade and commerce

Australia and Pacific

Children

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Prisons

Sex and gender