Medical journal of the Emily , convict ship from 4 June to 27 November 1844 by John...

Medical journal of the Emily, convict ship from 4 June to 27 November 1844 by John Munro MD, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the ship was employed in conveying convicts to Hobart Town.

Folio 1: contains a copy of the daily sick book, [names and details follow]:

• Folio 1: William Norris, aged 22, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, vulnus; put on sick list 17 June 1844, discharged 27 June 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: William Dewhurst, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, hemoptysis; put on sick list 30 June 1844, discharged 20 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Patrick Nowlan, aged 43, sergeant 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, febris tertiana; put on sick list 20 July 1844, discharged 10 August 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Richard Fleet, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, phlegmon; put on sick list 7 August 1844, discharged 10 August 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: J Mapleston, aged 22, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, gumboil; put on sick list 15 August 1844, discharged 19 August 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: John Armstrong, aged 28, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; put on sick list 16 August 1844, discharged 20 August 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: J Longman, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, abscess; put on sick list 17 August 1844, discharged 20 August 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Nathanial Willet, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 20 August 1844, discharged 2 September 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: John Ingate, aged 20, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, cynanche tonsillaris; put on sick list 9 September 1844, discharged 18 September 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Edward Tully, aged 24, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, pneumonia; put on sick list 9 September 1844, discharged 6 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Nicholas Hayes, aged 30, prisoner; sick or hurt, hemoptysis; put on sick list 9 September 1844, discharged 9 October 1844.
• Folio 1: Peter Tighe, aged 30, prisoner; sick or hurt, vulnus; put on sick list 14 September 1844, discharged 20 October 1844.
• Folio 1: William Bennet, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, cynanche; put on sick list 14 September 1844, discharged 23 September 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Henry Leach, aged 22, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, cynanche; put on sick list 19 September 1844, discharged 27 September 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: James Lennon, aged 19, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 25 September 1844, discharged 7 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: James Carty, aged 20, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 26 September 1844, discharged 2 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: James Irwin, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, scald; put on sick list 26 September 1844, discharged 9 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: John Timney, aged 19, prisoner; sick or hurt, ischuria; put on sick list 26 September 1844, discharged 28 September 1844.
• Folio 1: J Searl, aged 22, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 6 October 1844, discharged 9 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: John Inman, aged 28, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, ulcers; put on sick list 9 October 1844, discharged 20 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Hugh Hopkins, aged 23, private 58th Regiment; sick or hurt, cynanche; put on sick list 12 October 1844, discharged 14 October 1844 to duty.
• Folio 1: Henry Rivers, aged 25, prisoner; sick or hurt, concussion; put on sick list 17 October 1844, discharged 22 October 1844.
• Signed: John Munro MD, surgeon and superintendent.

Folios 2-4: William Dewhurst, aged 21, private 58th Regiment; taken ill at Kingstown Harbour; sick or hurt, hemoptysis, 16 ounces of blood was drawn from the arm by a large orifice inducing nausea when the flow of blood stopped, the cough still remained but little or no bloody expectoration, had a diaphoretic draught of tincture of opium with antimonial wine; put on sick list 30 June 1844, discharged 20 October 1844 to duty.

Folio 4: Patrick Nowlan, aged 43, sergeant 58th Regiment; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, febris tertiana, subject to tertian fever some years ago when serving in Ceylon but has not had any attack for several years, 35 drops of landanum were given him in a glass of hot spirit of water; put on sick list 20 July 1844, discharged 10 August 1844 to duty. His duty consisted in looking after the prison and prisoners and he did not keep night watch, he kept well until 20 September 1844 when he had another severe attack of intermittent fever from exposure to cold and moisture he had an opiate in warm drink and the bowels were cleaned by calomel and colocynth.

Folio 5: John Inman, aged 28, private 58th Regiment; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ulcers; put on sick list 6 October 1844, discharged 20 October 1844 to duty.

Folios 5-6: Edward Tully, aged 24, private 58th Regiment; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, pneumonia; put on sick list 9 September 1844, discharged 6 October 1844 to duty.

Folio 6: Nicholas Hayes, aged 30, prisoner; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, hemoptysis; put on sick list 9 September 1844, discharged 9 October 1844.

Folio 6: Peter Tighe, aged 30, prisoner; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, vulnus; put on sick list 14 September 1844, discharged 20 October 1844.

Folio 7: John Timney, aged 18, prisoner; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ischuria; put on sick list 30 August 1844, discharged 28 September 1844.

Folios 7-8: Henry Rivers, aged 24, prisoner; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, injury of the head (concussion), of late 4th Dragoon Guards, while employed serving out water to other prisoners was thrown from the top of the cask by a heavy lurch of the ship hitting his head upon a spar, was found in a state of insensibility; put on sick list 17 October 1844, discharged 22 October 1844.

Folio 9: nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folios 10-13: Surgeon's general remarks. The Guard consisted of 51 men, two officers and 18 of the families were embarked on 14 June 1844, and she [Emily] sailed on the 15th June for Kingstown Harbour, Dublin, where the prisoners were to be embarked. On arriving there the prisoners had not arrived from the county jails, we were detained there until 13 July when the last of the prisoners were embarked (205 male and 1 child). On proceeding to sea most of the prisoners were very severely affected with sea sickness, so much so that for several days, it was with the greatest difficulty the lower deck could be kept in any degree of cleanness. Some of the old men in particular from the interior of Ireland, never having seen the sea or a ship before suffered extremely, and were in such a state of despondency that I was afraid they would sink altogether, they required much nursing and encouragement to enable them to bear up against their position, they seemed to suffer much from the loss of their tobacco, to which all of them had been accustomed. Two old men in particular, without the occasional use of tobacco, I am of the opinion would not have reached their destination. The most troublesome amongst the prisoners was John Flannery, a military convict, transported for mutiny and insubordination. He was constantly making frivolous complaints and endeavouring to excite discontent among the prisoners. He was a person who had great influence over the other prisoners and had encouraged them in some absurd ideas as to capturing the ship

Topics

Shipping

Army

Nursing

Ireland

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Prisons