Medical journal of HMS Phoenix for 1 March to 25 October 1853 by J F Charlton, Surgeon,...

ADM 101/112/7A

1853

Medical journal of HMS Phoenix for 1 March to 25 October 1853 by J F Charlton, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in the Arctic Regions. (Described at item level).

[Note: ADM 101/112/7, 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/112/7].

Folios 1-2: Copy of daily sick list.

Folio 3: case no 1, Charles Tillbrook, aged 38, Ship's Cook; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; put on sick list, 11 March 1853, sent 15 March 1853 to Hospital at Woolwich.

Folio 3: case no 2, Joseph Fisher, aged 27, Royal Marine; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list, 24 March 1853, sent 24 March 1853 to Hospital.

Folio 4: case no 3, Henry Miskin, aged 24, Able Seaman; sick or hurt, contusion of the left hand; put on sick list, 22 April 1853, sent 7 May 1853 to Hospital.

Folio 4: case no [4], Henry Miskin, aged 24, Able Seaman; sick or hurt, contusion of the left hand; put on sick list, 22 April 1853, sent 7 May 1853 to Hospital.

Folio 4: case no [4a], William Wallace, aged 29, Able Seaman; sick or hurt, syphilis; put on sick list, 29 May 1853, sent 1 June 1853 to the Barracouta for passage to hospital.

Folio 4: case no 5, George Rowling, aged 33, Carpenter's Crew; sick or hurt, syphilis; put on sick list, 30 May 1853, sent 1 June 1853 to Barracouta for passage to hospital.

Folio 4: case no 6, John Pascoe, aged 20, Able Seaman; sick or hurt, syphilis; put on sick list, 9 June 1853, invalided 11 July 1853 and sent to the Diligence for passage home.

Folio 5: case no [7], John Harvey, aged 23, Able Seaman; sick or hurt, syphilis; put on sick list, 18 June 1853, invalided 11 July 1853 and sent to the Diligence for passage home.

Folio 5: case no 8, Joseph West, aged 24, Royal Marine; sick or hurt, scrofula; put on sick list, 20 June 1853, invalided 11 July 1853 and sent to the Diligence for passage home.

Folio 6: case no [9], Henry Owen, aged 30, Royal Marine; sick or hurt, fistula; put on sick list, 22 September 1853, sent 14 October 1853 to Hospital.

Folio 6: case no [10], William Clarke, aged 27, Stoker; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; put on sick list, 21 October 1853, sent 21 October 1853 to Hospital.

Folio 7: Nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folios 8-10: Meteorological tables.

Folios 10-13: Surgeon's general remarks, Her Majesty's screw steamer Phoenix was commissioned at Woolwich on 15 February 1853 for service in the Arctic Regions, with a complement of 100 men subsequently increased to 120 on account of the tender Diligence. The men were carefully selected and none allowed to enter who possessed not the physical health and strength requisite for so rigorous a climate. According to the Surgeon despite the weather not being favourable to health only a few required either medical or surgical aid. The accommodation on board appeared ample and the arrangements for ventilation, heating, drying, cooking and berthing were all satisfactory, also the space allowed for the sick as commodious as circumstances demanded and the supply of medical comforts quite adequate to their wants. The Phoenix was towed by HMS Desperate and Barracouta accompanied by the Diligence and the hired transport Breadalbane, left the Nore on 18 May 1853 and after a few days at Queenstown proceeded on their way towards Cape Farewell which they reached on 14 June 1853, and afterwards the Desperate and Barracouta returned to England. The Phoenix entered Davis's Straits and on the 25 June put into Halstenberg to refit and on 8 July Disko was made. A ship wrecked whaler's crew required assistance, it was decided that the Diligence should be sent home with them. A few days after the ship left Disko with the Breadalbane in tow, the ice of Melville Bay was entered. The Lancaster Sound was reached on 27 July but owing to a barrier of ice it was impossible till the 6 August when the ships succeeded in getting through and finally reached the destination off Beechy Island on the 8 of the same month, and at this time the North Star was in communication. The Surgeon provides a description of topography and geological formation of the coast of Greenland from Cape Farewell to Cape York

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Europe and Russia

Polar

Disease

Navy

Americas

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)