Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's ship Revenge for 1 June 1840 to 31...

ADM 101/117/4

1840-1841

Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's ship Revenge for 1 June 1840 to 31 May 1841 by William West, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in the Mediterranean.

Folios 1-14: A copy of the sick list.

Folio 1: Title and cover page of the sick book.

Folios 15-16: David Sidberry, aged 35, seaman; case number 1; disease or hurt, paralysis of the right side. Put on sick list, 29 June 1840 at Lisbon. Discharged 6 August 1840 to duty.

Folios 16-17: Frederick Frankland, aged 16, Volunteer 1st Class; case number 2; disease or hurt, crushed and lacerated wound of the last phalanx of the thumb resulting in an amputation of the thumb. Put on sick list, 14 July 1840 at Lisbon. Discharged 11 September 1840 to duty.

Folio 17: John Williams, aged 29, seaman; case number 3; disease or hurt, dysentery. Put on sick list, 7 September 1840 at Beyrant. Discharged 23 September 1840 to duty.

Folio 18: John Liston, aged 24, seaman; case number 4; disease or hurt, febris remittens. Put on sick list, 13 October 1840 at Beyrant. Discharged 8 November 1840 to duty.

Folios 18-19: Edward Henty, aged 24, seaman; case number 5; disease or hurt, febris remittens. Put on sick list, 13 October 1840 at sea. Discharged 8 November 1840 to duty.

Folio 19: William Waters, aged 21, seaman; case number 6; disease or hurt, dysentery. Put on sick list, 16 October 1840 at sea. Discharged 25 November 1840 to duty off Alexandria.

Folio 20: William K O'Price, aged 25, mate; case number 7; disease or hurt, gun shot wound in the right fore arm at the attack on Sidon. Put on sick list, 27 September 1840. Discharged to duty off Acre.

Folios 20-22: William Wiggins, aged 22, marine; case number 8; disease or hurt, dysentery. Put on sick list, 19 October 1840 off Acre. Discharged 10 December 1840 to hospital at Marmorice Bay.

Folios 22-23: James Raikes, aged 21, marine; case number 9; disease or hurt, febris. Put on sick list, 20 October 1840 off Acre. Died 24 October 1840 off Acre.

Folios 23-24: William Luscombe, aged 22, marine; case number 10; disease or hurt, dysentery. Put on sick list, 21 October 1840 off Acre. Discharged 12 December 1840 to duty at Marmorice Bay.

Folios 25-26: Charles Campion, aged 22, marine; case number 11; disease or hurt, dysentery. Put on sick list, 22 October 1840 off Acre. Died 11 November 1840.

Folio 26: John Beasley, aged 25, seaman; case number 12; disease or hurt, gun shot wound (both hands blown off, right arm fractured, both eyes destroyed, face and scalp scorched and contused. Accident occurred by the cartridge exploding in his face as he was ramming his gun. Put on sick list, 3 November 1840 off Acre. Died 3 November 1840.

Folio 26: James Dole, aged 20, drummer; case number 13; disease or hurt, gun shot wound, struck by a cannon shot in the right side. Put on sick list, 3 November 1840, bombardment of Acre. Died 3 November 1840.

Folio 27: Thomas Davis, aged 24, seaman; case number 14; disease or hurt, gun shot wound, during the bombardment of Acre was struck by a round shot on the anterior and upper part of the left thigh. Put on sick list, 3 November 1840. Discharged 12 November 1840 to hospital.

Folio 27: James Allen, aged 37, seaman; case number 15; disease or hurt, gun shot wound, during the bombardment of Acre had the last phalanx of his left thumb blown off from the premature explosion of the cartridge. Put on sick list, 3 November 1840. Discharged 1 December 1840 to duty off Alexandria.

Folio 27: Richard [Zamutt?], aged 23, seaman; case number 16; disease or hurt, gun shot wound, during the bombardment of Acre had the last phalanx of the right great toe got crushed under the truck of the gun which had recoiled on it. Put on sick list, 3 November 1840. Discharged 8 January 1841 to duty Marmorice Bay.

Folio 27: Andrew Donkin, aged 40, marine; case number 17; disease or hurt, gun shot wound, was slightly wounded in the temple from a splinter. Put on sick list, 3 November 1840. Discharged 15 November 1840 to duty, Marmorice Bay.

Folio 28: John Smart, aged 20, drummer; case number 18; disease or hurt, hurt left eye knocked out. Put on sick list, 23 November 1840 off Alexandria. Discharged 10 December 1840 to duty, Marmorice Bay.

Folios 28-29: Patrick Murphy, aged 20, seaman; case number 19; disease or hurt, phthisis incipiens. Put on sick list, 15 November 1840 at sea. Discharged 6 January 1841 to hospital at Marmorice.

Folios 29-30: John Boon, aged 38, seaman; case number 20; disease or hurt, aneurism of the aorta. Put on sick list, 23 February 1841, Marmorice. Died 7 March 1841, Marmorice.

Folio 31: James Morrison, aged 35, seaman; case number 21; disease or hurt, left inguinal hernia. Put on sick list, 3 April 1841. Discharged 3 April 1841 to duty.

Folios 31-33: George Cape, aged 21, seaman; case number 22; disease or hurt, fracture of the left tibia. Put on sick list, 1 April 1841 at Suda Bay. Discharged 23 May 1841 to duty at Malta.

Folio 34: Pat Connor, aged 22, seaman; case number 23; disease or hurt, compound fracture of the middle finger of the right hand. Put on sick list, 13 February 1841 at Marmorice Bay. Discharged 7 April 1841 at Suda.

Folios 35-60: Blank.

Folio 61: A nosological synopsis of the sick book.

Folio 62: A list of men who have received wounds or hurts during the period of the journal (this list comprises the names of all the men mentioned in the medical cases on the preceding folios).

Folios 62-64: Surgeon’s general notes. The diseases which prevailed most on board during the period of the journal and which occasioned the greatest mortality were fever and dysentery, whilst the ship was employed on the coast of Syria in carrying on hostile operations against the Egyptian forces, we also suffered from gun-shot wounds at the attack at Sidon and in the bombardment of Acre. The Revenge arrived on the coast of Syria on 27 August 1840 and was employed there till the end of November following. She was a considerable time at anchor off the [?] of Dog River placed there that her guns might command a road it was expected the Egyptian Army would have passed. Our marines, 120 in number, were landed on the coast and encamped at D'Jaunie and many of our seamen were sent away in armed boats, dysentery and fever soon began to make their appearance particularly amongst the marines and as the cases became serious they were sent from the camp to the ship till generally they all returned. [The surgeon then describes the characteristics of these diseases and their treatment. At one time there were 80 patients on the sick list. He also stated that he had observed that the sea had gained much on the land and that several cities on the coast of Syria had been known to have been submerged, ‘Syria is intersected by the lofty mountains of the Lebanon which are covered with snow at their summits, it is probable that the melting of these snows during the heats may flood the low lands on the coasts and the intermixture of fresh and salt water forms the most deleterious description of marsh, certainly the country around Acre is of this description and I understand the mortality amongst the marines who garrisoned the place after the fall of Acre, was very considerable’. The surgeon also reported that in the months of September and October the thermometer averaged around 80 degrees fahrenheit, and that the inhabitants attributed dysentery to grapes].

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Europe and Russia

Weapons

Disease

Navy

Middle East

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns