Medical and surgical journal of W Morgan Price, Surgeon, from Cove of Cork to New...

ADM 101/51/1

1818-1819

Medical and surgical journal of W Morgan Price, Surgeon, from Cove of Cork to New South Wales in the transport ship Martha between the 18 August 1818 and the 4 January 1819. The journal takes the form of a daily diary recording names of men in the sick berths, thermometer readings, numbers of prisoners allowed on deck and any comments. Also with treatment and observations of symptoms of any men still in the sick berths.

Folio 1: Blank.

Folio 2: Sea victualling between 4 August 1818 and 4 January 1819. First entry headed, Transport ship Martha at sea August 1818. 120 convicts received from two small brigs where they had been for some time. Many imagine they have fever, they are washed and cleaned before being admitted to the prison. Also lots of psora and scorbutic eruptions and general debility. Three to five patients with malignant fever but all were convalescent by time of sailing on 18 August.

Folio 3: 19-22 August 1818. R W Vigneaux, aged 28; disease or hurt, symptoms of typhus fever. Taken ill, 19 August 1818. John Watts, aged 22; disease or hurt, headache, pulse quick and small, trembling of the lower extremities. Taken ill, 21 August 1818.

Folio 3A: 23-26 August 1818. William Keenan, aged 50; disease or hurt, febrile symptoms with pungent pain in the thorax. Taken ill, 25 August 1818. A great many prisoners very debilitated, several with catarrhal complaints.

Folio 4: 27-30 August 1818. Several cases of pneumonia and eruptions of reddish appearance. 2 men punished with 2 dozen lashes each for fighting in the prison. School established, several prisoners making good progress in reading and reciting from the testament.

Folio 5: 30 August - 4 September 1818. Prisons and hospital cleaned and fumigated whenever possible and general health of the prisoners improved. Three patients doing well and with the exception of a few scorbutic cases all others are doing well.

Folio 6: 5-8 September. John Watts and William Keenan discharged 5 September 1818. Anchored off St Iogo for water. Francis Bell, aged 29; disease or hurt, glandular enlargements of the neck attended with febrile symptoms. Taken ill, 5 September 1818.

Folio 7: 9-11 September 1818. R W Vigneaux discharged 9 September 1818. 10 September 1818, several prisoners and crew have alarming febrile symptoms, attributed to the great heat, better the next day. 11 September 1818, Lemon juice and sugar has been issued for some time to scorbutic patients.

Folio 8: 12-17 September 1818. Hugh Kennedy, aged 37; disease or hurt, febrile symptoms, difficult of respiration and 'of a phithisical habit of body'. Stoves used below decks because of water coming to the hospital and prison.

Folio 9: 18-25 September 1818. Hospital very wet on account of the water coming through the ship's bows. 22 September, several prisoners with scorbutic eruptions.

Folio 10: 26 September - 3 October 1818. Several prisoners complain of difficult and oppression of respiration, bleeding and laxative medicines adopted.

Folio 11: 4-10 October 1818. William Sloan, aged 40; disease or hurt, Febris. Taken ill, 5 October 1818. Francis Bell discharged 7 October 1818. A prisoner punished with 2 dozen lashes for theft, 4 October 1818. Heavy sea overnight and lots of water in the hospital, 8 October 1818.

Folio 12: 11-18 October 1818. Kennedy and Sloan improving. No new patients.

Folio 13: 19-25 October 1818. Hugh Bradley, aged 32; disease or hurt, eruptions and debility. Taken ill, 22 October 1818. Bernard Goulding, aged 44; disease or hurt, enlargement of the body and odematous swelling of the lower extremities. Taken ill, 22 October 1818. J O'Neil, aged 40; disease or hurt, fell down to the main hold, laceration of the scalp. Taken ill, 23 October 1818. Delirium from 24 October. Hugh Kennedy discharged 24 October 1818.

Folio 14: 26-31 October 1818. William Sloan discharged 30 October 1818. Hugh Bradley discharged 30 October 1818.

Folio 15: 1-6 November 1818. William Dunshea, aged 52; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Taken ill, 4 November 1818. William Kneenan, aged 50; disease or hurt, pneumonia. Taken ill, 4 November 1818. Matthew Kempsey, aged 40; disease or hurt, swelling of the lower extremities. Taken ill, 6 November 1818. Archibald Dick, aged 39; disease or hurt, strangulated hernia humoralis. Taken ill, 6 November 1818.

Folio 16: 7-12 November 1818. William Beagham, aged 50; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Taken ill, 11 November 1818. Bernard Goulding discharged 8 November 1818. J O'Neil discharged 8 November 1818. Archibald Dick discharged 9 November 1818. William Kneenan discharged 11 November 1818. William Dunshea discharged 12 November 1818.

Folio 17: 13-18 November 1818. Archibald Dick, aged 39; disease or hurt, hernia humoralis. Taken ill, 16 November 1818. John Martin, aged 60; disease or hurt, exceedingly debilitated and slightly delirious. Prison and hospital scraped and fumigated. Decks washed every evening when weather permits. 'The prison was kept as dry as possible and the health of the prisoners are much improved'.

Folio 18: 19-25 November 1818. William Beagham discharged 23 November 1818. 20 November 1818, very bad weather and heavy sea, the prison extremely wet. 21 November 1818, prison kept as dry as possible, weather too bad to muster prisoners.

Folio 19: 26 November - 3 December 1818. John Jackson, aged 37; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Taken ill, 30 November 1818. Bernard Goulding, aged 44; disease or hurt, slightly delirious. Taken ill, 1 December 1818. Three of the prisoners punished for fighting, 3 December 1818.

Folio 20: 4-10 December 1818. Thomas Kelly, aged 28; disease or hurt, pyrexia and considerable debility. Taken ill, 9 December 1818. William Taylor, aged 31; disease or hurt, general symptoms of pyrexia. Taken ill, 9 December 1818. Edward Simson, aged 24; disease or hurt, pyrexia and strong full pulse. Taken ill, 9 December 1818. Archibald Dick discharged 4 December 1818. Some prisoners have febrile symptoms.

Folio 21: 11-17 December 1818. Denis Gibney, aged 49; disease or hurt, extensive burn of the leg and foot. Taken ill, 17 December 1818. John Martin discharged 16 December 1818. Bernard Goulding discharged 16 December 1818. Thomas Kelly discharged 16 December 1818. William Taylor discharged 16 December 1818. Edward Simson discharged 16 December 1818. 13 December 1818, several prisoners seem to have symptoms of typhus. 14 December 1818, several prisoners have scorbutic sores, wine and lemon juice given to them alternately. 15 December 1818, patients given lemon juice and sugar.

Folio 22: 19-31 December 1818. H McQuire, age not recorded; disease or hurt, febris. Taken ill, 19 December 1818. 20 December 1818, with the exception of scorbutic sores appearing recently prisoners have done well since departure. 24 December 1818, at anchor in Sydney Cove. 30 December 1818, at 9pm prisoners mustered by Mr Secretary Campbell and Principal Superintendent.

Folio 23: 1-4 January 1819. 4 January; prisoners ordered on shore and mustered by Governor Macquarie. Signed; Morgan Price, Surgeon Superintendent. Signed and approved; L Macquarie, Governor in Chief of New South Wales. Dated; Sydney, 30 January 1819.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Australia and Pacific

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Wills and probate

Crime

Diaries

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Prisons