Medical and surgical journal of HMS Gladiator for 18 February 1808 to 26 April 1809...

Medical and surgical journal of HMS Gladiator for 18 February 1808 to 26 April 1809 by D Cowan, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in Portsmouth Harbour as a convalescent receiving ship.

Folio 1: Mr Lewis, aged 44, Gunner; disease or hurt, difficult respiration, disturbed sleep, loss of strength and appetite. Taken ill, 19 February 1808. Discharged to Haslar Hospital,23 February 1808.

Folio 2: J Murphy, aged 28, Seaman; disease or hurt, pain in lower part of left breast accompanied by cough. Taken ill, 20 February 1808. Discharged to Haslar Hospital, 22 February 1808.

Folio 2: J Cannon, aged 28, Seaman; disease or hurt, ulcer on his right leg. Taken ill, 20 February 1808. Discharged to Haslar Hospital, 22 February 1808.

Folio 2: J Egan, aged 28, Seaman; disease or hurt, headache and loss of appetite. Taken ill, 13 March 1808. Discharged to Haslar Hospital, 16 March 1808.

Folios 3-4: Mr Young, aged 47, Carpenter; disease or hurt, oppression of breast, headache and a troublesome cough. Taken ill, 5 April 1808. Discharged to duty 17 April 1808.

Folio 4: Alexander Crail, aged 50, Seaman; disease or hurt, pain of left side with frequent cough and oppression. Taken ill, 15 May 1808. Discharged to Haslar Hospital, 18 May 1808. Had previously been invalided for harbour duty for the same complaint.

Folios 5-6: George Knight, aged 26; disease or hurt, giddiness and pain across forehead, bad taste, loss of appetite and strength. Taken ill, 2 June 1808. Discharged to duty 20 July 1808.

Folios 7-9: Mr [name not recorded], aged 28, an Officer; disease or hurt, venereal chancre. Taken ill, July. Note in margin ‘Never confined’, no date of discharge recorded. With the story of how the officer's infection may have been passed on to a young woman, although she has no symptoms. Her keeper is then repeatedly infected with gonorrhoea, the only apparent source being the young woman. The officer having symptoms of syphilis and the keeper of gonorrhoea, as an 'experiment', the officer has 'connexion' with her several times to see if he catches gonorrhoea; but again only gets a small chancre. Eventually the young woman is treated and 'the girl's keeper renewed connexion without gonorrhoea being produced and the Officer of the Gladiator prosecuted his amour with impunity.'

Folios 10- 11: J Lemmon, aged 32, Seaman; disease or hurt, soreness, nausea and a slight cough. Taken ill, 24 December 1808. Discharged to duty 15 January 1809.

Folios 11-12: J Barrington, aged 26, Seaman, 'a black'; disease or hurt, pain across forehead, giddiness and much thirst, preceded by chilliness and nausea. Taken ill, 1 March 1809. Discharged to duty 11 March 1809.

Folio 13: Abstract of the preceding journal being a summary of all the cases contained therein; Continued Fevers, 1; Rheumatism, 1; Pulmonic Inflammation, 4; Intermittent Fevers; 1; Venereal, 1.

Folio 13: Surgeon's general remarks. States that convalescent cases and those awaiting discharge spend so little time on the ship that it is not possible to report on their cases. The case of the officer, whose name is omitted out of delicacy, can be taken as proof that the same infection gives rise to chancres and gonorrhoea although that is against current opinion. Signed, D Cowan, Surgeon, dated, 27 April 1809.

Topics

Children

Disease

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)