Medical journal of the Aliquis emigrant ship from 22 November 1838 to 19 March 1839...

ADM 101/1/10

1838-1839

Medical journal of the Aliquis emigrant ship from 22 November 1838 to 19 March 1839 by John William Bowler, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the ship was employed in a voyage to Sydney, New South Wales.

Folios 1-2: case no 1, Susan Barry, aged 20, married about 12 months; sick or hurt, puerperal fever, attack with labour pains [and] delivered of a male child at 2 pm. 1 January 1839, and sunk from fever; put on sick list 29 December 1838, died 4 January 1839 at 9 am.

Folio 3: case no 2, infant Barry, aged 31 days; sick or hurt, diarrhoea, the child was born at sea [on] January 1 [see case no 1] after a tedious and difficult labour; put on sick list 1 February 1839, died 1 February 1839 at 2 am.

Folios 3-4: case no 3, Henry Maroney, aged 15; sick or hurt, enteritis; put on sick list 8 January 1839, died 19 January 1839 at 1 pm.

Folios 4-5: case no 4, Margaret Sweeny, aged 4; sick or hurt, daughter of John and Mary Sweeny labourers from the parish of Quin county Clare, while amusing herself with other children on the upper deck in apparent good health was suddenly attacked with convulsive fits with great violence; put on sick list 16 February 1839, died 16 February 1839 at 5 o'clock.

Folio 5: case no 5, Mary Ann Sullivan, aged 2 years and 9 months; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; put on sick list 16 January 1839, died 1 March 1839.

Folio 6: case no 6, Thomas Sheedy, aged 22, shoemaker; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ophthalmia; put on sick list 10 January 1839, discharged 19 January 1839 cured.

Folios 7-8: case no 7, Mr Edward Kelly, aged 22, 3rd officer; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, synochus; put on sick list 25 January 1839, discharged 25 February 1839 to duty.

Folios 9-12: case no 8, James Connell, aged 22, labourer; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, typhus; put on sick list 22 February 1839, died 14 March 1839.

Folio 13: Blank.

Folio 14: nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folios 15-17: Surgeon's general remarks. At the beginning of December 1838, 286 emigrants were received on board at Cork, Ireland destined for the Colony of New South Wales, comprising of 113 male adults, 105 female adults and 78 children. The surgeon stated that the former are too far advanced in years and the latter too young and delicate to undertake a voyage of such length. During the early part of the voyage sea sickness prevailed to a great extent amongst the children but however slight. At the beginning of January [1839] on entering the Southern hemisphere ophthalmia made its appearance in the character of an epidemic spreading throughout the vessel.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Labour

Marriage and divorce

Migration

Australia and Pacific

Ireland

Children

Disease

Navy

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)