Medical journal of the Medina , convict ship from 15 March 1825 to 16 September 1825...

ADM 101/52/7

1825

Medical journal of the Medina, convict ship from 15 March 1825 to 16 September 1825 by William Gergor, surgeon and superintendent, on her passage from England to Van Dieman's Land. [Daily records of longitude, latitude and weather temperature readings are also recorded].

Folios 1-3: [Holl], aged 19, private of the guard, taken ill at Deptford; disease or hurt, headache, pain in his loins and in the joints of extremities languor and lassitude. Taken ill on 20 March 1825, discharged 20 April 1825 to duty.

Folio 3: remarks for April 1825; no other cases of sickness occurred during the month of March. On the morning of the 5th April the ship arrived at Sheerness and on the 6th were embarked 82 men and 28 boys from the Retribution and Bellerophon hulks stationed at that place, the rest of our complement 70 male convicts from the Dolphin being at Chatham did not arrive until the morning of the 9th when our number was completed to 180. From the period of this embarkation to the end of April the prisoners generally enjoyed good health, no disease occurring except those of a trifling description such as slight attacks of rheumatism, colds and sore throats the latter speedily removed by the spirit gagle. Signed W.G.

Folios 4-6: William Holt, aged 14, convict; disease or hurt, intermittent fever, he had been long subject at various periods. Taken ill on 13 May 1825, discharged 25 May 1825. Folio 6: remarks for May 1825; beside the above and another case of intermittent in the instance of a boy Lee of the same age and temperament and exactly similar in it progress and treatment, between 40 and 50 cases all of a trifling nature presented themselves for medical aid during the month of May, colds, constipation and slight rheumatism originating from the vicissitudes of the privation to which by the peculiarity of their situation the prisoners were unavoidable exposed.

Folios 7-8: George [Meadowcroft?], boy, convict; disease or hurt, has been for some time under surgical treatments for a scald on the inner part of the left thigh. Taken ill on 21 June 1825, sent to Colonial hospital when the ship arrived at Hobart Town. Folios 7-8: Samuel Marsden, boy, convict; disease or hurt, has been for some time under surgical treatments for an ulcer over the left inner ankle. Taken ill on 21 June 1825, sent to Colonial hospital when the ship arrived at Hobart Town.

Folios 8-9: Stephen Carnal, convict; disease or hurt, an old enfeeble man of desponding turn of mind and subject to chronic rheumatism admitted into hospital with symptoms of scurvy. Taken ill on 25 June 1825, died 19 August 1825.

Folios 9-10: remarks for June 1825; a considerable number of other cases presented themselves during the month of June but none worthy of particular notice, the boys Holt and Lee have suffered several attacks of ague similar to that mentioned in the report for the month of May, those [patients] attacks were readily overcome by similar treatment but as readily reappeared on exposure to the slightest exerting [course]. The early appearance of scurvy in the case of the boys Marsden and [Meadowcroft?] and in that of Carnal may be in some reason attributed to the state of inactivity to which they had for some time been unavoidably subjected the two former by the effects of ulcers the latter by chronic rheumatism.

Folio 10-11: remarks for July 1825; off Cape of Good Hope, towards the end of July the symptoms of scurvy become prevalent especially among the infirmities of age, rheumatism, ulcers and had rendered incapable of taking exercise in the open air so essentially necessary to the prevention of these disease.

Folios 11-13: George Dudfield, convict; disease or hurt, florid complexion, middle age and plethoric habit of body complained of pain in the region of the kidneys with frequent calls to make water which he void in small quantities. Taken ill on 1 August 1825, sent 13 September 1825 to hospital at Van Dieman's Land.

Folio 13-15: remarks for August 1825; except the death of the prisoner Stephen Carnal, the great increase of scorbutic cases nothing meriting particular notice occurred, at the end of the month not fewer than 58 were under scurvy the symptoms in those cases presented nothing new, the treatment consists principally in substituting for their allowance of biscuit and salt meat the equivalent in flour, part of which was baked into bread and part with raisins and suet made into pudding, they were allowed lime juice and sugar twice a day and a gill of wine daily, the solution of nitrate of potass [potash ?] as recommended by Mr Patterson [RN] was tried in several cases but without producing the beneficial effects experienced by his patients under similar circumstances, the only patient who sunk under the disease was Joseph Curtis a feeble old man, he complained of the prevailing symptoms on 20th August was received into hospital and every means adopted to support his strength, debility however increased and on the 6th September scorbutic dysentery supervened which resisted the effects of large doses of opium, the patient expired on the morning of the 8th day of our arrival in the Van Dieman's Land, the prisons and hospital were scraped and dried every day and almost every other day fumigated with the vapour of vinegar and well ventilated. Signed William Gregor, surgeon and superintendent.

Folios 16-19: blank yes.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Australia and Pacific

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Prisons