Medical journal of HMS Dauntless , for 1 January to 31 December 1855 by Edward Heath,...

ADM 101/96/2

1855

Medical journal of HMS Dauntless, for 1 January to 31 December 1855 by Edward Heath, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in the Black Sea.

Folios 1-9: copy of daily sick list.

Folio 10: James Ward, aged 19, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, bubo; put on sick list 25 November 1854, sent 17 January 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folios 10-11: James Makint, aged 30, Stoker; sick or hurt, cephalagia; put on sick list 27 November 1854, sent 17 January 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 11: Job Vincent, aged 20, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 18 January 1855, sent 2 February 1855 to Hospital.

Folio 11: Henry King, aged 32, Stoker; sick or hurt, pleurodynia; put on sick list 16 February 1855, sent 14 March 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 11: John Riley, aged 22, Stoker; sick or hurt, bubo; put on sick list 27 February 1855, sent 14 March 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 11A: Thomas Huggins, aged 20, Engineer’s Steward; sick or hurt, syphilis; put on sick list 14 March 1855, sent 14 March 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 11A: James Callis, aged 22, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, contusion; put on sick list 5 March 1855, sent 10 July 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 11A: Joseph Gain, aged 35, Marine; sick or hurt, myopia [nearsightedness]; put on sick list 22 March 1855, invalided 23 March 1855.

Folio 11A-12: Joseph Woodley, aged 21, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, ulcus; put on sick list 20 March 1855, sent 7 May 1855 to Malta Hospital.

Folio 12: James Ryan, aged 26, Stoker; sick or hurt, opthalmia; put on sick list 11 April 1855, sent 7 May 1855 to Malta Hospital.

Folio 12: William Giles, aged 39, Marine; sick or hurt, rheumatism; put on sick list 27 April 1855, sent 7 May 1855 to Malta Hospital.

Folio 12: Mr White, aged 50, Gunner; sick or hurt, tonsillitis; put on sick list 14 May 1855, sent 15 May 1855 to Malta Hospital.

Folio 13: James Harris, aged 26, Marine; sick or hurt, vulnus; put on sick list 14 May 1855, sent 15 May 1855 to Malta Hospital.

Folio 13: Michael McCarthy, aged 30, Boatswain’s Mate; sick or hurt, gastro enteritis; put on sick list 18 May 1855, sent 18 May 1855 to Malta Hospital.

Folio 13: George Brown, aged 26, Marine; sick or hurt, cholerine; put on sick list 19 June 1855, discharged 25 June 1855 to duty.

Folio 14: John Livingstone, aged 19, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, diarrhoea and ague; put on sick list 22 June 1855, sent 14 August 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 14: Andrew Fullar, aged 22, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, diarrhoea and sprained back; put on sick list 4 July 1855, sent 14 August 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folios 14-15: Thomas White, aged 25, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, diarrhoea and phthisis; put on sick list 11 July 1855, sent 14 August 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 15: Benjamin Alford, aged 21, Carpenter's Crew; sick or hurt, rheumatism and stone in the bladder; put on sick list 17 July 1855, sent 14 August 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 15: Edward Bromley, aged 19, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 19 August 1855, invalided 1 October 1855.

Folio 15: James Simms, aged 19, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, rheumatism; put on sick list 25 August 1855, sent 3 October 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 16: William Sipless, aged 26, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, hemoptysis; put on sick list 25 August 1855, invalided 1 October 1855.

Folio 16: John Brown, aged 21, Captain Main Top; sick or hurt, vulnus, brought on board from Tendra Spit near Kinburn, where he formed one of the fishing party, suffered from acute pain and swelling of his hand and arm, caused by a Ray fish, which he foolishly taken into his hand, the wound about a quarter of an inch in depth, it caused severe pain almost immediately after the infliction and at the same time swelling and discolouration took place and he began to feel faint and sick; put on sick list 13 September 1855, discharged 18 September 1855 to duty.

Folios 16-17: Mr Owen, aged 17, Midshipman; sick or hurt, phthisis, a scrofulous diathesis, was received on board this ship in February last from the Ceylon at Malta, where he sent from his ship the London for the cure of a scrofulous abscess near the left knee joint; brought forwards for survey and invalided on 1 October 1855.

Folio 17: William Haycroft, aged 21, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, congestion of the brain, according to the Surgeon, on the 4 December three men, William Haycroft, Joseph Nicholson and Thomas Picard were precipitated into the water, owing to the breaking of the first cutters falls, in which boat they were employed, whilst the boat was being hoisted up, they were immersed for at least fifteen minutes in water of the temperature of -24° (the external air being as low as -15°) before they were rescued… they all complained of numbness they were all relieved by friction and warm clothing, but however Haycroft exhibited more appearance of shock, he spat out at intervals a large quantity of mucus, tinged with blood from a small wound on his lip caused by his having been struck by oars and pieces of the wrecked boat whilst he was struggling in the water; put on sick list 4 December 1855, died 5 December 1855.

Folio 18: Robert Greenacre, aged 37, Coast Guard; sick or hurt, catarrh; put on sick list 7 December 1855, sent 31 December 1855 to Therapia Hospital.

Folio 18: John Livingstone, aged 19, Ordinary Seaman; sick or hurt, palpitation of heart; put on sick list 7 December 1855, invalided 31 December 1855.

Folio 18: William Knight, aged [68?], Quarter Master; sick or hurt, rheumatism; put on sick list 24 December 1855, invalided 31 December 1855.

Folio 19: Nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folio 20: List of men who received wounds or hurts during the period of this journal. Number on ship’s book 45, William Angus, aged 46, Captain's Coxswain; pension not granted; nature of hurts, lacerated wound on the head, received on 22 April 1855. Number on ship’s book 9, John Dowling, aged 38, Leading Stoker; pension not granted; nature of hurts, lacerated wound of the scalp and incised wound of the thigh.

Folios 20-21: tables of medical statistics.

Folios 21-23: Surgeon's general remarks. The buboes were partly owing to the change of climate and in some cases caused by the irritation of gonorrhoea. The Surgeon made a passing remark about the wrecks of the vessels driven on shore at Eupatoria, during the storm of the 14 November 1854, in which the ship's carpenter and crew were sent to break them up. According to the surgeon the interior of these wrecks were in a condition very detrimental to health, owing to the quantity of very offensive bilge water, which emitted a most noisome effluvia, which led the Surgeon to issue one ounce of Quinine to each of the breaking up party. Also included in the journal are remarks on the action at Sebastopol on the night of 21 April 1855, and details of first aid instruction.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Clothing

Europe and Russia

Pay and pensions

Disease

Navy

Fishing

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)