Catalogue description Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's Convict Ship Roslin Castle for 17 May 1834...

Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's Convict Ship Roslin Castle for 17 May 1834 to 25 September 1834 by Robert Espie, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in making a passage to New South Wales.

[Note: ADM 101/64/7, 7A-7B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/64/7].

Folios 1-2: James Bond, aged 19, Convict; disease or hurt, pneumonia, superinduced by a hurt while at work in the dockyard at Chatham. Put on sick list, 18 May 1834, at Sheerness. Died, 23 May 1834.Received from the hulk Fortitude on 17 May 1834, he had got a hurt in the right side while drawing a cask in the dockyard at Chatham a short time previously. He was bled of about thirty ounces of blood on the 18th and on the following day 'a small quantity which seemed to have rather made him worse'. The surgeon was informed of his sudden death at 4am on 23rd May, there was no opportunity of opening the body because of the crowding in the ship.

Folios 2-3: William King, aged 25, 'Convict for life'; disease or hurt, pneumonia, followed by phthisis pulmonalis. Put on sick list, 20 May 1834, Sheerness. Sent to Colonial Hospital at Sydney, 16 September 1834. Received on board at Chatham on 17 May in a delicate state of health being partially recovered from an attack of pneumonia. He improved until 15 June when he had a violent nose bleed and continued to ooze blood for 36 hours when it produced most complete delirium and the surgeon expected him to die. After he resuscitated the bleeding happened again 3 times and after passing the Cape symptoms of phthisis developed. He was landed immediately on arrival.

Folios 3-4: Henry Prendergrast, aged 24, Convict; disease or hurt, syphilis. Put on sick list, 25 June 1834, at sea. Discharged, 20 July 1834. Had been receiving treatment for syphilis while in the hulk.

Folio 4: James Morris, aged 17, Convict; disease or hurt, opthalmia. Put on sick list, 28 June 1834, at sea. Discharged, 10 July 1834. 'He was seized with violent inflammation of both his eyes which threatened immediate destruction to his sight - laid him in a horizontal posture and bled him to dead faintness, this produced the desired effect - applied warm fomentations to his eyes and gave him a brisk cathartic'.

Folio 4: James Radley, aged 26, Convict; disease or hurt, pneumonia. Put on sick list, 15 July 1834, at sea. Discharged, 29 July 1834.

Folio 5: Edward Gale, aged 29, Convict; disease or hurt, spasmodic asthma. Put on sick list, 16 August 1834, at sea. Died, 16 August 1834. This man had suffered asthma a long time and the surgeon had treated him with a blister and a draught of laudanum and squills at bed time. He was seized with a longer than usual fit of coughing and when it had passed, lay down in his berth and seemed to go into a doze and died quietly. The surgeon attributes his death to an internal burst blood vessel.

Folio 5: George Turner, aged 69, Convict; disease or hurt, debilitas. Put on sick list, 15 August 1834, at sea. Died, 31 August 1834. A very healthy man when embarked, who looked considerably younger than his age. He was in good health until the ship passed the Cape of Good Hope when the weather became boisterous and cold. He developed a catarrhal affection, for which he was bled, blistered and given cathartics, the cough lingered and he was given every expectorant and all nourishment that was possible but he became more and more debilitated until he died. The ship was wet throughout and very cold, otherwise the surgeon would have expected him to recover.

Folios 6-15: Blank.

Folios 16-18: Surgeon's general remarks. The seven cases noted are the only ones of any importance. The first case, James Bond, had concealed his illness on embarkation because he was so eager to go. In the confusion of getting all the convicts on board it was a day and a half before the surgeon knew anything of his illness and the period for 'active and successful depletion' had passed. The next case on the journal [Henry Prendergrast] was of symptoms of secondary syphilis produced by living on salt provisions, he was given fresh meat and soup and nursed the whole voyage and landed in tolerable health at Sydney. The opthalmia which afflicted James Morris was of a very violent kind and the surgeon feared he would lose both his eyes. He was bled and a solution of caustic dropped into his eyes which arrested the gangrenous appearance of the conjunctiva. His was the only case in which the lancet was used but the illness was very infectious and at least 100 people suffered and were eventually cured using the caustic solution. This was a much stronger solution than the surgeon had ever dared use in the eye but the men aboard became so assured of its effectiveness that they came to the hospital requesting it and saying they had opthalmia. The case that terminated so very suddenly [Edward Gale] would probably have done so in any circumstances. 'He had been a printer in London and had run the grand rounds of all that was vicious and dissipated'. The last case recorded, George Turner, was a very healthy old man who caught cold on leaving the tropics which settled on his lungs. The surgeon does not believe that a Surgeon Superintendent has the power to refuse a man solely on account of his age but he thinks it would be prudent to send all the younger ones first. The surgeon comments that novice surgeons in charge of convicts will almost always fall into the trap of keeping the convicts in irons, and not allowing them free access to the deck, for 'apprehension lest the convicts rise and cut his throat'. This has a dispiriting effect and, combined with the lack of fresh air and exercise, gives rise to many ailments which do not occur when the convicts are free of their irons on allowed on deck and 'if a surgeon plays the superintendent well he will seldom have much to do in the way of physic'. The surgeon requests that the master and mate should afford the convicts opportunities of employment whenever it is possible. He also stresses the importance of cleanliness. In his seven previous voyages in charge of convicts, the surgeon had never before encountered sea scurvy. On this voyage there were at least 20 cases during the very damp and blowy weather after passing the Cape of good Hope. They all recovered but required all the nourishment available to the surgeon. Signed, Robert Espie, late Surgeon and Superintendent of the Roslin Castle convict ship.