Medical and surgical journal of Her Majesty's Ship Miranda for 1 January to 31 December...

ADM 101/238/1B

1862

Medical and surgical journal of Her Majesty's Ship Miranda for 1 January to 31 December 1862 by Mr Henry Slade, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed on the Australian Station.

[Note: ADM 101/238, 1A-1B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/238].

Folios 1-2: Donald McTeggart, aged 24, Carpenter's Crew; disease or hurt, phthisis pulmonalis. Put on sick list, 15 January 1862, at [Manukuu] Harbour. Invalided, 25 April 1862, and discharged for passage to England, 21 May 1862. He had been on the sick list in the previous year's journal and spent some time in the Military Hospital at Sydney, afterwards rejoining the ship apparently recovered.

Folio 3: James Evenden, aged 40, Captain of the Afterguard; disease or hurt, iritis. Put on sick list, 4 February 1862, on passage from New Zealand to Sydney. Discharged, 26 February 1862.

Folio 3: George Cook, aged 36, Able Seaman; disease or hurt, phlegmon. Put on sick list, 27 February 1862, at Sydney. Discharged, 13 March 1862. The most severe of 19 cases which occurred in the quarter.

Folio 3: George Adams, aged 23, Private Marine; disease or hurt, catarrh and rheumatism. Put on sick list, 21 March 1862, on passage from Sydney to Auckland. Discharged, 6 May 1862.

Folio 4: Charles Hall, aged 21, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, syphilis. Put on sick list, 24 March 1862, near Auckland. Discharged, 7 May 1862. He was 'not a robust man' and had been in the Military Hospital in Sydney the previous year for 'an obscure affection of the lumbar region'.

Folio 4: Robert Notten, aged 21, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, rheumatism. Put on sick list, 4 April 1862, at Auckland. Discharged, 9 May 1862.

Folio 5: William Todman, aged 26, Gunner Royal Marine Artillery; disease or hurt, psoriasis. Put on sick list, 7 May 1862, at Melbourne. Discharged, 30 May 1862. Also mentions treatment for another man suffering psoriasis named Harland.

Folio 5: William Craddock, aged 19, Boy 1st Class; disease or hurt, catarrhal rheumatism. Put on sick list, 29 May 1862, at Sydney. Discharged, 6 July 1862.

Folio 6: James Ball, aged 46, Quarter Master; disease or hurt, rheumatic (gout). Put on sick list, 7 June 1862, at Sydney. Discharged, 20 July 1862. Suffered pains in his wrists and knees and had lost all power over his legs and could only move his arms with difficulty.

Folios 7-8: John Parsons, aged 21, Private Marine; disease or hurt, phthisis pulmonalis. Put on sick list, 13 June 1862, at Sydney. Died, 24 July 1862, at The Military Hospital, Sydney. With a short account of the post mortem examination carried out 16 hours after his death.

Folios 8-9: James Andrews, aged 21, Private Royal Marines; disease or hurt, vulnus. Put on sick list, 18 July 1862, at Tolonga, Island of Ovalau, Fiji. Discharged to duty, 30 August 1862. In an accident while loading a cask of rum into the spirit room, his right foot was trapped and the first toe almost severed and had to be amputated. He was given a pension certificate and sent to HMS Orpheus on 21 November 1862.

Folio 9: George Varney, aged 20, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, phlegmon. Put on sick list, 29 July 1862, at Tolonga, Island of Ovalau, Fiji. Discharged, 3 September 1862.

Folio 9: George Cook, aged 20, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, vulnus. Put on sick list, 30 July 1862, at Tolonga, Island of Ovalau, Fiji. Discharged, 30 September 1862. The ends of the second and third toes were snipped off by the gun carriage while exercising the guns.

Folios 9-10: Archer J W Musgrave, aged 20, Sub Lieutenant; disease or hurt, catarrh. Put on sick list, 28 October 1862, at Melbourne. Discharged, 18 November 1862. Regarded as 'an uncommon case' involving buboes in the groin.

Folio 10: Patrick Coleman, aged 27, Ordinary Seaman; disease or hurt, varicose veins. Put on sick list, 30 October 1862, at Melbourne. Invalided, 27 November 1862, at Hummock Island, Bass' Straits, and sent to HMS Fawn for passage to England.

Folio 10: Reginald G Fairfax, aged 18, Midshipman; disease or hurt, eczema. Put on sick list, 2 October 1862, on HMS Fawn, and continued on HMS Miranda, 26 November 1862, at Hammock Island. Discharged, 28 December 1862.

Folios 10-11: George Mead, aged 36, Leading Stoker; disease or hurt, pleuritis. Put on sick list, 26 November 1862, Hummock Island, Flinders Island, Bass' Straits. Discharged, 17 December 1862.

Folio 11: Thomas Ranson, aged 17, Boy 2nd Class; disease or hurt, opthalmia. Put on sick list, 26 November 1862, Hummock Island, Bass' Straits. Discharged, 28 December 1862.

Folio 11: Table I, 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.

Folio 12: Table II, A list of men who received wounds or hurts which might disqualify them for the Public Service or interfere with their earning a livelihood. James Andrews, aged 21, Private Royal Marines, certificate granted 21 November 1862, joints of first and second toes cut off by a rum cask.

Folios 12-13: Table III, All cases between 1 January 1862 and 31 December 1862. Mean numerical strength of the Ship's Company 186 ½.

Folios 13-14: Table IV, not completed.

Folios 14-23: Surgeon's general remarks. Gives an account of the travels of the ship during the year with comments on a number of subjects with headings in the margin and mentions the main cases of disease. On folio 31 is listed the names of five invalided men conveyed to Melbourne in April 1862; William J Robertson, aged 33, Able Seaman HMS Fawn; Charles Parker, aged 38, Able Seaman HMS Fawn; Charles Grant, aged 23, Able Seaman HMS Fawn; Charles Hankey, aged 34, Private Royal Marines HMS Fawn; George McKenzie, aged 33, Captain of the Forecastle HMS Harrier; along with Donald McTeggart of the Miranda. They were taken home on the Lincolnshire a merchant vessel. Folios 17 to 18 have a description of Melbourne, its hospital and public library, and the colony of Victoria. Folios 18 to 21, describe the Island of Ovalau, Fiji; the coral reefs on the Fijian islands; the Fijian people; cannibals; King Thakombau; Fijian dress; interest in surgery (the King insisted on holding James Andrews' leg when his toes were amputated) and lack of a medical man; a native remedy for dysentery and treatment of leprosy by smoke; the local custom of cutting off the first joint of the little finger of the right hand when a near relative or chief dies; kava and its preparation; the Island of Lakemba. On folio 22, Hummock Island and wallaby hunting is described. Patrick Coleman's cases is mentioned and it is said that he would have been rejected had he been seen by the surgeon when fitting out the ship rather than received as part of a draft. The surgeon mentions the arrival in Melbourne of William Landsborough and Mr Bourne, the first Europeans to cross the continent with all their party alive, and Mr McKinley who arrived in Melbourne while they were there having made a north to south crossing. On folio 23 he concludes by comparing the sick list with the previous year's list, when there were nearly twice as many cases.

Folio 24-28: Daily sick list.

Folio 29: Blank.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Archives and libraries

Clothing

Trade and commerce

Pay and pensions

Australia and Pacific

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)