Journal of HMS Osprey for 30 September 1810 to 1 October 1811 by W R Gamble, Surgeon,...

ADM 101/111/4

1810-1811

Journal of HMS Osprey for 30 September 1810 to 1 October 1811 by W R Gamble, Surgeon, during which time the ship has been employed in cruising principally in the North Sea station. Folios 1-2: Jeremiah O'Connell, aged 27, seaman]; sick or hurt, venereal affection chancres on the glans and prepuce with two glandular swelling one in each groin; taken ill on 8 October 1810, discharged 1 November 1810 to duty. Folio 2: John Smith, aged 21, seaman; sick or hurt, pain in the right side increased much by pressure and deep inspiration attended with nausea and sickness at stomach; taken ill on 4 November 1810, discharged 16 November 1810 to duty. Folios 2-3: John Perkins, aged 32, seaman; sick or hurt, pain in the breast with difficult respiration and dry trickling cough; taken ill on 20 November 1810, discharged 10 December 1810 to duty. Folios 3-4: William Stevenson, aged 29, lieutenant; sick or hurt, chancres of considerable size on the glans and prepuce; taken ill on 26 December 1810, discharged 18 January 1811 to duty. Folios 4-5: John Beaty, aged 35, seaman; sick or hurt, slight giddiness at stomach attended with chilliness all over the body with lassitude and pain in the loins and thigh; taken ill on 8 January 1811, discharged 10 February 1811 to duty. Folios 5-6: John Walters, aged 25, marine; sick or hurt, slight cough with tickling pain about the [face], nose much stiffed, with occasional chilly fits, appetite bad, or rather a sort of nausea at the stomach; taken ill on 20 January 1811, discharged 2 February 1811 to duty. Folio 5: 20 January 1811; the duty in which our crew now employed namely completing the ship with water at Sandy Island where the spring is very tardy the well deep [bank] extremely shoal and the distance so considerable that the people are generaly wet through greatest part of their cloathing. The severity of the weather where the thermometer stands but little above the freezing point winds southerly and southerly and westwardly with moist damp thick and chilling brieses [breeze], must sufficiently account the number of catarrhal affections which show themselves among the company of the Osprey, … every possible means was taken by Captain [Ch.. ] for the obviating of any inflammatory affections particularly in the article of cloathing as no man was allowed to go out of the ship without banyans and pr [pair?] of flannel drawers. Folio 6: 30 January 1811; catarrhal affection showed itself in the latter part of January, February and the beginning of March through the Osprey the catarrh affections occurs on those under a middle age or those addicted to a free use of spiritous liquors as well as those above middle age. Folios 6-7: William Stevenson, aged 29, lieutenant; sick or hurt, dis[?] affection which he has laboured under for a long time but seems now to get much worse in all probability from confinement in a small vessel with a want of fresh provisions; when taken ill [?], sent 9 March 1811 to hospital at Yarmouth. Folios 7-8: William Wilcocks, aged 24, seaman; sick or hurt, cough with slight pain in the chest and slight discharge of blood by expectoration; taken ill on 4 March 1811, discharged 20 March 1811 to duty. Folio 8: Duncan Crawford, aged 32, seaman; sick or hurt, severe wounded by a falling heavy object which fractured the first metatarsal bone of the toe; taken ill on 20 March 1811, discharged 17 May 1811 to duty. Folios 8-9: George Vernon, aged 49, seaman; sick or hurt, who by repeated wounds in the long service in the Navy of 19 years is now beginning to lose his sight; taken ill on 15 April 1811, sent 15 June 1811 to hospital ship at Sheerness. Folios 9-10: John McCumly, aged 24, seaman; sick or hurt, sorness in his throat some slight degree of external swelling, difficulty and pain in swallowing with uneasiness in breathing; taken ill on 24 May 1811, sent 28 May 1811 to hospital at Yarmouth. Folio 10: James Miller, aged 15, boy; sick or hurt, falling from the gangway of the ship in to a boat his leg stricking against gunwall had the fibula [fractured] above the ankle; taken ill on 10 June 1811, discharged 27 July 1811 to duty. Folio 11: John Anthony, aged 27, seaman; sick or hurt, paronychia or commonly called [whittor?]; taken ill on 2 August 1811, discharged 4 September 1811 to duty. Folios 11-12: Thomas Davies, aged 30, marine; sick or hurt, glandular swellings in the throat and side of the neck; taken ill on 12 August 1811, discharged 30 September 1811 to duty. Signed W R Gamble, surgeon. Folios 13-14: numerical abstract of the medical cases mentioned in the journal and general remarks about the benefit to the crew's health being ordered to wear flannel banyans and drawers. Signed W R Gamble, surgeon.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Clothing

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)