Catalogue description Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's convict ship Isabella for 6 June to 15...

Medical and surgical journal of His Majesty's convict ship Isabella for 6 June to 15 November 1833 by Oliver Sproule, Surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in the convict service.

[Note: ADM 101/36/5, 5A-5B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/36/5].

Folios 1-2: Edward Williams, aged 23, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 14 June 1833, at Sheerness. Died, 16 June 1833.

Folios 2-3: James Eardly, aged 35, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 14 June 1833, at Sheerness. Died, 15 June 1833. Treatment includes bladders of warm water and rubbing ‘liniment camphor’ on ‘the spine and other affected parts’.

Folios 3-4: William Morgan, aged 29, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera. Put on sick list, 14 June 1833, at Sheerness. Discharged, 19 June 1833.

Folios 4-5: Thomas Conway, aged 38, Private; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 18 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 18 June 1833. Was attacked with severe purging at 2am and called the surgeon when vomiting started at 4am. He died at 9am.

Folios 5-6: George Johnson, aged 43, Private Soldier; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 18 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 22 June 1833. The surgeon discovered this man sick when he was called to see Conway.

Folios 6-7: Robert Jones, aged 28, Private Soldier; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 18 June 1833, Sheerness. Discharged to duty, 3 July 1833.

Folio 7: Sergeant [Murdoch], aged 34, [Soldier]; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 18 June 1833, Sheerness. Discharged to duty, 20 June 1833. Described as being of a robust habit of body ad healthy constitution.

Folios 7-8: John Crump, aged 48, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 18 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 20 June 1833.

Folio 8: Private Soldier Douglas, aged 29; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 18 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 19 June 1833. Taken ill while attending the funeral of one of his comrades.

Folio 9: George Smith, aged 36, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 19 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 19 June 1833. Taken ill at 8am, died at 8:30pm.

Folio 9: Robert Perkins, aged 26, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 19 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 19 June 1833. Taken ill at the same time as Smith and treated in exactly the same way, died at 9pm.

Folios 9-10: Benjamin Shimwell, aged 40, Convict; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 20 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 22 June 1833.

Folios 10-12: John O'Neill, aged 32, Private Soldier; disease or hurt, cholera maligna. Put on sick list, 20 June 1833, Sheerness. Died, 26 June 1833.

Folio12: Antonio Balios, aged 21, Convict; disease or hurt, gastritis. Put on sick list, 4 July 1833, Sheerness. Discharged, 7 July 1833.

Folio 12: James Canahan, aged 28, Convict; disease or hurt, fever. Put on sick list, 18 July, at sea. Discharged, 22 July 1833.

Folio 13: Edward Payne, aged 48, Convict; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 30 July 1833, at sea. Discharged, 3 August 1833.

Folios 13-14: Morris Wylde, aged 22, Convict; disease or hurt, gastritis. Put on sick list, 21 August 1833, at sea. Discharged, 4 September 1833.

Folios 14-15: Andrew Reilly, aged 28, Private Soldier; disease or hurt, venereal eruptions. Put on sick list, 28 August 1833, at sea. Discharged, 2 October 1833. His upper and lower extremities were covered with copper coloured spots and he had numerous ulcers on his legs. He had been discharged form hospital only a few days before embarking.

Folio 15: Richard Caster, aged 44, Convict; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 20 September 1833, at sea. Discharged, 2 October 1833.

Folio 16: William Brown, aged 50, Convict; disease or hurt, scorbutic diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 2 October 1833, at sea. Discharged, 8 October 1833.

Folios 16-17: James Hudson, aged 15, Convict; disease or hurt, icterus. Put on sick list, 2 October 1833, at sea. Discharged, 20 October 1833.

Folios 17-18: William Morgan, aged 30, Convict; disease or hurt, dyspepsia. Put on sick list, 8 October 1833, at sea. Discharged, 12 October 1833. A man of delicate constitution and consumptive diathesis.

Folios 18-19: Alexander Telford, aged 16, Convict; disease or hurt, tinea capitis. Put on sick list, 9 October 1833, at sea. Discharged, 8 November 1833. ‘The disease appears to be one of those species named by Dr Bateman porrigo [furfurious]’.

Folios 19-20: Richard Jackson, aged 44, Convict; disease or hurt, ulcer. Put on sick list, 16 October 1833, at sea. Discharged, 12 November 1833. Some days previously he had received a contused wound on the lower part of the tibia of the right leg, which was simply dressed and ordered to be bathed with water and vinegar. Signed, Oliver Sproule, Surgeon.

Folio 21: Abstract of the preceding journal, being a summary of all the cases contained therein, nosologically arranged.

Folios 22-23: Surgeon's general remarks. On 10 and 11 June 100 convicts received from the Justitia hulk at Woolwich, on 14 June a further 51 from the Retribution at Sheerness, one of the Woolwich men had been discharged by order, on 5 July 100 convicts were received from the Cumberland and 50 boys from the Euryalus hulks at Chatham. A further 7 were received from the Retribution to replace those who had died, making the total 300, ‘all apparently in good health and condition at the time of embarkation’. A further replacement was made when a convict from Woolwich became consumptive and was replaced with Benjamin Bailey from the Retribution hulk. Although this was nearly 100 men more than the ship was used to carrying out, the surgeon states ‘they had fully as much accommodation as they required’, due to the new way of fitting out the prison. This is borne out by the absence of any contagion or infection during the voyage, with the exception of the psora and tinea capitis. The usual preventive measures were taken to ensure cleanliness and ventilation. In addition to the cholera cases there were 12 cases of diarrhoea which could have been classed as cholera in its mild form. Most cases of this disease [cholera] were close to collapse when the surgeon saw them and he was unable to use the lancet as much as he would otherwise have done. The surgeon used stimulants, antispasmodics, frictions, fomentations, sinapisms, warm clothing and the warm bath in treatment, but without effect. ‘Calomel, if retained on the stomach so as to produce ptyalism, is pretty sure to save the patient’. Signed, Oliver Sproule, Surgeon