Medical and surgical journal of Her Majesty?s steam tender Pioneer for 28 February...

ADM 101/113/1A

1850-1851

Medical and surgical journal of Her Majesty’s steam tender Pioneer for 28 February 1850-9 December 1851 by Thomas Russel Pickthorn, Assistant Surgeon, during which time the said tender was employed in the Arctic Regions.

[Note: ADM 101/113/1A and 1B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/113/1].

Folios 1-2: Copy of the daily sick book. Folios 2-3: Joseph Henderson, aged 55, ice quartermaster; case number 1; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 8 May 1850 in the North Sea. Discharged 3 June 1850 to duty.

Folio 4: Joseph Henderson, aged 53; case number 2; disease or hurt, abscess in the perineum with irritability of the urethra and general debility. Put on sick list, 15 June 1850, Whale-fish Islands. Discharged 17 June 1850 invalided and sent home on the Emma Eugenia on 20 June 1850.

Folio 4A: William Fenning, aged 21, officer’s steward; case number 3; disease or hurt, syphilis. Put on sick list, 14 May 1850, Sheerness. Discharged 30 June 1850 to duty.

Folio 5: Mr Harwood, aged 25, assistant Engineer second class; case number 4; disease or hurt, epilepsia. Put on sick list, 2 July 1850, at Baffin’s Bay. Discharged 5 July 1850 to duty.

Folios 6-7: William Fenning, aged 21, officer’s steward; case number 5; disease or hurt, febris intermittens. Put on sick list, 17 July 1850, at Baffin’s Bay. Discharged 6 August 1850 to duty.

Folios 7-8: Nicholas Holton, aged 23, stoker; case number 6; disease or hurt, dyspepsia. Put on sick list, 2 September 1850, at Beechey Island. Discharged 14 September 1850 to duty.

Folios 8-10: John Lamb, aged 26, gunner’s mate; case number 7; disease or hurt, pneumonia. Put on sick list, 23 January 1851, at Winter Quarters. Discharged 2 April 1851 to duty.

Folios 10-11: Benjamin Bradshaw, aged 32, boatswain’s mate; case number 8; disease or hurt, frost bitten on both hands as high as the wrists. Put on sick list, 7 February 1851, at Winter Quarters. Discharged 19 March 1851.

Folio 11: A nosological synopsis of the sick book.

Folio 12: A list of men who have received wounds or hurts, during the period of the journal. Benjamin Bradshaw, number on ship’s book, 53; boatswain’s mate, no pension certificate granted, frostbite of both hands 6 February 1851 when in a state of intoxication, returning from leave, motion of left hand is considerably impaired.

Folios 12-18: Surgeon’s general remarks. 50 cases of disease or injury have been put on the sick list during the period of the journal. Superficial frostbites of the face was treated with glycerine. Precautions taken to prevent snow blindness (folios 12-13), although some cases were still recorded, for example that of Lieutenant Osborn and his party. Makes reference to William Fenning having lived a long time at Plumstead on the banks of the Thames, and the benefits for a patient of using a ‘respirator’ (folio 14). Table of temperatures recorded for June to September 1850, (folio 15). Description of the ship, facilities on board and the methods used for its heating (folios 15-18). Mention is also made to ‘amusements…of various kinds, such as theatrical performances, masked balls and concerts in the ships of the expedition through the winter’ (folio 16).

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Performing arts

Pay and pensions

Polar

Disease

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)