Catalogue description Medical journal of the Merchant Man, convict ship from 10 October 1862 to 17 February...

Medical journal of the Merchant Man, convict ship from 10 October 1862 to 17 February 1863 by William Smith, Surgeon Superintendent, during which time the ship was employed in conveying convicts to Freemantle, Western Australia. (Described at item level).

[Note: ADM 101/255, 1A-1G are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/255].

Folio 1: case no. 1, Mrs. Hamilton, aged 29, Pensioner Guard’s Wife; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, fever remittent; put on sick list 28 January 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle, daily improving, altho’ still not very strong.

Folio 1: case no. 2, Jessie Milton, aged 11, Pensioner Guard’s Daughter; taken ill at Freemantle; sick or hurt, epilepsy; put on sick list 15 February 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folios 1-2: case no. 3, Mrs. Monaghan, aged 20, Pensioner Guard’s Wife; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, syncope; put on sick list 5 November 1862, discharged 15 December 1862 cured.

Folio 2: case no. 4, Mrs. Toole, aged 29, Pensioner Guard’s Wife; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, syncope; put on sick list 1 November 1862, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle, but by no means improved in health.

Folio 2: case no. 5, William Allenson, aged 39, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, head affection, headache and giddiness with obstinate constipation of the bowels; put on sick list 15 January 1863, discharged 16 February 1863 at Freemantle, much reduced in strength.

Folio 2: case no. 6, John Slavin, aged 15 months, Pensioner Guard’s Child; taken ill in the Downs; sick or hurt, bronchitis, small and delicated and being afflicted with curvature of the spine, stated by the mother as a resulted of accident; put on sick list 22 October 1862, died 25 October 1862.

Folios 2-3: case no. 7, Mrs. Stewart, aged 30, Pensioner Guard’s Wife; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, catarrh and was on the list during the period of the voyage with diarrhoea; put on sick list 10 February 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle, daily gaining strength.

Folio 3: case no. 8, Richard Hershaw, aged 31, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, cynanche tonsillaris; put on sick list 3 February 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folio 3: case no. 9, William Lockett, aged 33, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, dysentery; put on sick list 1 January 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folio 3: case no. 10, Thereza Managhan, aged 8 months, Pensioner Guard’s Child; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, dysentery; put on sick list 4 December 1862, died 11 December 1862, evidently a victim to tabes mesenterica.

Folio 3: case no. 11, Samuel Jenkinson, aged 29, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, rheumatism (subacute); put on sick list 20 December 1862, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle, convalescent but his strength not quite restored.

Folios 3-4: case no. 12, Thomas Mayberry, aged 38, Private Pensioner Guard; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, conjunctivitis affection in the right eye and in the latter part of the voyage the left eye become affected; put on sick list 19 October 1862, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle, the Surgeon’s stated that he had no doubt that this patient was a malingerrer and reported him as such to his Commanding Officer.

Folio 4: case no. 13, John Boylene, aged 34, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, phlegmon on the right inferior extremities; put on sick list 26 January 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folio 4: case no. 14, Richard Roberts, aged 42, Private Pensioner Guard; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, phlegmon on the dorsum of the right foot; put on sick list 27 January 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folio 4: case no. 15, Catherine Bagley, aged 15 months, Pensioner Guard’s Child; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ulcer on the scalp resulted from phlegmon; put on sick list 16 January 1863, died 8 February 1863.

Folio 4: case no. 16, James Carsons, aged 41, Private Pensioner Guard; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ulcer in the front of the right shine resulted from a blow; put on sick list 22 January 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folio 4: case no. 17, Mrs. Power, aged 22, Pensioner Guard’s Wife; confined at sea; sick or hurt, parturition; put on sick list 14 February 1863, discharged 17 February 1863 at Freemantle.

Folios 5-9: Blank.

Folios 10-11: Tables of medical statistic.

Folios 12-13: Surgeon’s general remarks, the Merchant Man left Gravesend on 12 October 1862 with a convict guard consisted of 50 Pensioners accompanied by 35 of their wives and 55 children, the ship’s company amounted to 41 souls. The ship arrived at Bermuda on 18 November, and on 2 December embarked 191 male convicts, 8 Warders with 3 wives and 6 children, and sailed on the same day to Freemantle, Western Australia where the ship arrived on 14 February 1863. Between 16 and 17 February, convicts, the guard, warders with wives & families were all landed. According to the Surgeon, 98 cases were entered on the sick list – convicts 48, guards & family 43, ship’s company 7, and only 3 deaths occurred during the voyage which were details in Case nos. 6, 10, and 15, 3 of the pensioner’s wives were confined and all did well as a resulted 1 male and 2 females were added in the number on board. The Surgeon got further supplied at Bermuda of stimulants such as port, ale, brandy and sherry which was approved of and ordered by the Senior Officer Admiral Milne. The Surgeon considered the treatment of the convicts as luxurious and in some respects better than the soldiers and the sailors. The Surgeon also complained on the issue of grog and tobacco to convicts at Bermuda.

Folios 14-17: Alphabetical sick list.