Medical and surgical journal of HMS Cockatrice for 14 September 1852 to 1 January...

Medical and surgical journal of HMS Cockatrice for 14 September 1852 to 1 January 1853 by James F. Stoddart, Assistant Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in the Pacific station. [Note: ADM 101/94/3, 3A-3B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/94/3].

Folio 1: Copy of the sick book (names and details follow): Folio 1: James Coglan, aged 26, marine; disease or hurt, chronic pleuritis. Put on sick list, 15 September 1852. Discharged 27 September 1852.

Folio 1: John Smith, aged 22, ordinary seaman; disease or hurt, Rheumatism. Put on sick list, 15 September 1852. Discharged 5 October 1852.

Folio 1: William Eccles, aged 20, ordinary seaman; disease or hurt, Rheumatism. Put on sick list, 21 September 1852. Discharged 28 September 1852 to hospital.

Folio 1: William Taylor, aged 19, boy 1st class; disease or hurt, [bubo?]. Put on sick list, 26 September 1852. Discharged 9 October 1852.

Folio 1: Thomas Law, aged 24, able seaman; disease or hurt, (gonorrhoeal) Rheumatism. Put on sick list, 9 October 1852. Discharged 9 October 1852.

Folio 1: Patrick Polland, aged 21, able seaman; disease or hurt, syphilis. Put on sick list, 13 October 1852. Discharged 26 October 1852.

Folio 1: George Sherman, aged 28, captain M.J; disease or hurt, gonorrhoea. Put on sick list, 14 October 1852. Discharged 20 October 1852.

Folio 1: Joseph Arnold, aged 32, able seaman; disease or hurt, chronic enlargement of.Put on sick list, 14 October 1852. Remaining on sick list.

Folio 1: Owen Francis, aged 23, able seaman; disease or hurt, phlogosis. Put on sick list, 14 October 1852. Discharged 20 October 1852.

Folio 1: Thomas Aylett, aged 24, able seaman; disease or hurt, gonorrhoea. Put on sick list, 16 October 1852. Discharged 27 October 1852.

Folio 1: John Rabbage, aged 22, marine; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 16 October 1852. Discharged 28 November 1852.

Folio 1: John Nemohard, aged 21, able seaman; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 20 October 1852. Discharged 26 October 1852.

Folio 1: Owen Francis, aged 23, able seaman; disease or hurt, phlogosis. Put on sick list, 24 October 1852. Discharged 6 November 1852.

Folio 1: George Clark, aged 15, boy 2nd class; disease or hurt, paronychia. Put on sick list, 31 October 1852. Discharged 6 November 1852.

Folio 1: George Brener, aged 26, marine; disease or hurt, contusion. Put on sick list, 10 November 1852. Discharged 12 November 1852.

Folio 1: John Mahony, aged 30, cook; disease or hurt, phlegmon. Put on sick list, 11 November 1852. Discharged 18 November 1852.

Folio 1: James Honny, aged 24, marine; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 12 November 1852. Discharged 22 November 1852.

Folio 1: Hugh Hughes, aged 27, able seaman; disease or hurt, indigestion. Put on sick list, 25 November 1852. Discharged 28 November 1852.

Folio 1: John Rabbage, aged 22, marine; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 10 December 1852. Discharged 30 December 1852.

Folio 1: John Mahony, aged 30, cook; disease or hurt, contusion. Put on sick list, 16 December 1852. Discharged 19 December 1852.

Folio 1: John Nemohard, aged 21, able seaman; disease or hurt, paronychia. Put on sick list, 16 December 1852. Remaining on sick list.

Folio 1: William Calliford, aged 19, ordinary seaman; disease or hurt, phlogosis. Put on sick list, 16 December 1852. Discharged 20 December 1852.

Folio 1: George Brewer, aged 26, marine; disease or hurt, erysipelas over patella. Put on sick list, 22 December 1852.Remaining on sick list.

Folio 1: Henry Mardon, aged 30, marine; disease or hurt, phlogosis. Put on sick list, 29 December 1852. Remaining on sick list.

Folios 2-3: James Coglan, aged 26, marine; case number 1; disease or hurt, chronic pleuritis and pleurodynia. Put on sick list by predecessor and brought forward for survey and invalided on 27 September 1852.

Folio 3: William Eccles, aged 24, ordinary seaman; case number 2; disease or hurt, rheumatism and pericarditis. Put on sick list by predecessor and brought forward for survey and recommended to be sent to hospital on 28 September 1852.

Folios 4-5: Joseph Arnold, aged 32, able seaman; case number 3; disease or hurt, febris. Put on sick list, 14 October 1852. Still remains on sick list.

Folio 6: A nosological synopsis of the sick book kept during the period of the journal.

Folio 7: A list of men who have received wounds or hurts, during the period of the journal. [No names recorded].

Folios 7-10: Surgeon's general remarks. I received directions from the Commander in Chief to attend to the state of the sick at Pitcairns Island and especially to Mary Christian, [the wife of Fletcher Christian's grandson] said to labour under ascites. HMS Cockatrice left Valparaiso on 18 Oct 1852 and arrived at Pitcairn Island on 18 November 1852. The Surgeon comments on ‘the remarkable degree of intelligence evinced by the inhabitants. The appearances of comfort that met us on every side were not less gratifying. Their houses were observed to be scrupulously clean, built in a simple and unpretending style and well ventilated or rather aerated by means of sliding panels that served the two fold purpose of admitting air and light. In the valleys and along the slopes their plantations of Tarro Ti [?] bore the vast testimony to an industry that cannot be too highly esteemed', (folio 7). There follows a description of the Island and details of the fruit and crops grown, and details of the natives' diet (folios 7-8). The Surgeon mentions some cases of epilepsy specifically that of John Adams and his son George, and grandsons John Adams and John Evans (folios 8-9). He also describes how the women ‘not to be outdone in any variety of labour' to the men, engage in fishing in the summer months near rocks where they ‘are drenched by the spray and surf for many hours in the day'. The Surgeon then states how this activity led to ‘irregular menstruation' which the women ‘did not appear aware of the importance of the disease' and in some cases had existed ‘for more than one year', (folio 9). He also mentions that supplies of medicine were deficient in emmenagogues, (folio 9). Reference is made to Dolly Young, aged 56, ‘one of the oldest persons on the Island' who suffered with recurring attacks of haemoptysis and who had been subject to asthma and for a long period from auscultation. The Surgeon then describes how he vaccinated 11 adults and several young children using a lymph he had procured from his friends Doctors Ancram and Page.

Topics

Australia and Pacific

Race relations

Children

Disease

Navy

Fishing

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Sex and gender