Medical and surgical journal of the convict ship Roslin Castle for 17 July to 21...

ADM 101/64/4

1828

Medical and surgical journal of the convict ship Roslin Castle for 17 July to 21 December 1828 by James Anderson, surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying convicts from England to Van Dieman’s Land.

Folios 1-3: Charles Denton, aged 31, convict; case number 1; disease or hurt, synoche. Put on sick list, 12 August 1828 at Sheerness. Discharged 28 August 1828 cured.

Folios 3-4: Emanuel Lowen, aged 38, convict; case number 2; disease or hurt, dysenteria. Put on sick list, 14 August 1828 at Sheerness. Discharged 25 August 1828 cured.

Folio 4: Thomas Reed, aged 21, convict; case number 3; disease or hurt, dysenteria. Put on sick list, 17 August 1828 in the Downs. Discharged 23 August 1828 cured.

Folios 4-6: John Calton, aged 32, convict; case number 4; disease or hurt, phthisis pulmonalis. He claims to have caught a severe cold last June while on board the Dolphin hulk which terminated in thoracic inflammation; that he was bled and continued under medical treatment until about a fortnight before he was embarked on board this ship; that he was anxious to proceed to New South Wales and in consequence concealed his complaint from the surgeon until the ship put to sea. Put on sick list, 20 August 1828 at sea. Died 7am on 26 September 1828.

Folio 6: Thomas Dunn, aged 33, convict; case number 5; disease or hurt, dysenteria. Put on sick list, 22 August 1828 at sea. Discharged 30 August 1828 cured.

Folios 7-8: John Hughes, aged 23, convict; case number 6; disease or hurt, dysenteria. Put on sick list, 4 September 1828 at sea. Died 19 September 1828.

Folios 9-10: Pat [Patrick?] Dolphin, aged 21, soldier; case number 7; disease or hurt, pneumonia. Put on sick list, 17 September 1828 at sea. Discharged 6 October 1828 cured.

Folio 11: Robert Thomson, aged 23, soldier; case number 8; disease or hurt, phrenitis. Put on sick list, 29 September 1828 at sea. Discharged 9 October 1828 cured.

Folios 11-13: George Shorthose, aged 40, convict; case number 9; disease or hurt, phthisis incipiens. ‘Ever since he has embarked has become emaciated …and is continually talking about his children when he often sheds tears’. Put on sick list, 4 October 1828 at sea. Discharged 16 December 1828 to Hobart Town hospital.

Folios 13-14: Thomas Blake, aged 20, convict; case number 10; disease or hurt, enteritis. Put on sick list, 6 October 1828 at sea. Discharged 18 October 1828 cured.

Folios 14-15: William Parfitt, aged 18, convict; case number 11; disease or hurt, synocha. Put on sick list, 20 October 1828 at sea. Discharged 24 October 1828 cured.

Folio 15: John Donahough, aged 28, convict; case number 12; disease or hurt, fractured clavicle. When washing decks this morning fell and fractured the left clavicle. Put on sick list, 2 November 1828 at sea. Discharged 24 November 1828 cured.

Folio 15: John Dewey, aged 25, convict; case number 13; disease or hurt, pneumonia. Put on sick list, 6 November 1828 at sea. Discharged 12 November 1828 cured.

Folios 15-17: Pat[rick?] Dolphin, aged 21, soldier; case number 14; disease or hurt, phthisis pulmonalis. Put on sick list, 7 November 1828 at sea. Discharged 16 December 1828 to Hobart Town hospital, Van Dieman’s Land.

Folios 17-18: John Robinson, aged 25, convict; case number 15; disease or hurt, diseased urethera. Put on sick list, 7 November 1828 at sea. Discharged 12 December 1828 cured.

Folios 18-19: Charles [King?], aged 20, convict; case number 16; disease or hurt, rheumatismus. Put on sick list, 7 December 1828 at sea. Discharged 15 December 1828 cured.

Folio 19: a numerical abstract of the medical cases mentioned in the journal.

Folio 20: Surgeon’s general remarks. The accommodation on board as far as regarded the two prisons were unexceptional, but the hospital in my opinion was in the worst possible situation, being both dark and damp. During a great part of the passage, namely from the Cape of Good Hope to Australia nothing but the fear of infection can induce the surgeon to remove those under medical treatment to a place so badly adapted for the recovery of health. In those high southern latitudes where almost constant gales of wind with showers of rain prevail, the hospital being in the bows of the vessel is constantly wet. Ventilation under such circumstances is quite out of the question and having recourse to the airing stove is of but very temporary benefit. I would suggest the expediency of appropriating to an hospital the situation now occupied by the boys prison and placing the boys before the main prison. 166 prisoners were embarked at Sheerness. 75 from the Retribution Hulk and 101 from the Dolphin and Euryalus. 2 of the members died on the passage and 174 landed in the River Derwent after a 4 month passage. For many days after their embarkation and while we remained in the River nothing but strong gales and rainy weather prevailed, which rendered it necessary to keep the convicts in the prisons, where they breathed a warm, damp and impure atmosphere. Several cases of dysentery soon occurred, one of which proved fatal. The other case which terminated fatally was one of phthisis pulmonalis. It is worthy of remark that all the cases of dysentery took place among the Chatham division while the Retributions remained healthy, evidently showing that the former were predisposed to disease. I was induced to make some enquiry as to the employment of the convicts at the two places and found that those from Chatham had worked for some time in very wet and exposed situations while those from Sheerness had at least always been dry footed. We commenced serving lemonade after we had been three weeks at sea. Sometimes mixing the allowance of wine with it and at others giving them separately. No cases of scurvy occurred, but the slightest scratch towards the conclusion of the voyage became difficult to heal.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Labour

Australia and Pacific

Children

Disease

Food and drink

Navy

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Prisons