Catalogue description Medical journal of the Maitland, convict ship from 3 March to 22 July 1840 by Philip...

Medical journal of the Maitland, convict ship from 3 March to 22 July 1840 by Philip Toms, surgeon superintendent, during which time the ship was employed in passage to New South Wales with 305 male convicts.

Folio 1: Copy of nosological synopsis of the sick book during the passage. Folio 2: Supplementary remarks, regarding only six prisoners were placed on the sick list from the time of their embarkation on the 8th March until the beginning of July, but as the ship nearer the destination eight or ten prisoners presented themselves with symptoms of scurvy and one of them (whose case is detailed in the journal) terminated fatally on the 14th July a few hours after the ship arrived at Sydney, and the other four not quite recovered were sent to hospital in a state of convalesced. The surgeon also stated that in addition of the above death, two of the prisoners accidentally fell over board during the passage and drowned one of them James Rhodes on the 25th April and the other Henry Windward on the 27th of the same month. The total number of prisoners landed at Sydney was 302. Signed: Philip Toms, Surgeon Superintendent.

Folio 3: copy of daily sick book, (names and details follow). Folio 3: James Anderson, aged 28, prisoner; sick or hurt, ulcus; put on sick list 24 March 1840, discharged 4 May 1840 cured. Folio 3: William Dow, aged 20, private 50th Regt one of the guard; sick or hurt, bubo; put on sick list 10 April 1840, discharged 23 May 1840 cured. Folio 3: John Green, aged 19, seaman; sick or hurt, retention of urine; put on sick list 26 April 1840, discharged 28 April 1840 cured. Folio 3: John Green, aged 19, seaman; sick or hurt, retention of urine; put on sick list 2 May 1840, discharged 4 May 1840 cured. Folio 3: William Hall, aged 24, prisoner; sick or hurt, ophthalmia; put on sick list 14 May 1840, discharged 22 May 1840 cured. Folio 3: Francis Carr, aged 30, prisoner; sick or hurt, catarrhus; put on sick list 16 May 1840, discharged 25 May 1840 cured. Folio 3: Henry Stevens, aged 19, seaman; sick or hurt, rheumatismus; put on sick list 28 May 1840, discharged 10 June 1840 cured. Folio 3: Thomas Thompson, aged 19, prisoner; sick or hurt, catarrhus; put on sick list 11 June 1840, discharged 30 June 1840 cured. Folio 3: Thomas Meachem, aged 35, prisoner; sick or hurt, ophthalmia from a wound of the eye; put on sick list 14 June 1840, discharged 8 July 1840 with the loss of sight in one eye. Folio 3: Robert Weinwright, aged 17, prisoner; sick or hurt, scorbutus; put on sick list 5 July 1840, sent 15 July 1840 to Hospital. Folio 3: Edward Courtney, aged 22, prisoner; sick or hurt, scorbutus; put on sick list 7 July 1840, sent 15 July 1840 to Hospital. Folio 3: John Hutchings, aged 20, prisoner; sick or hurt, scorbutus; put on sick list 9 July 1840, died 14 July 1840. Folio 3: John Barker, aged 20, prisoner; sick or hurt, scorbutus; put on sick list 10 July 1840, sent 15 July 1840 to Hospital. Folio 3: John Hart, aged 25, prisoner; sick or hurt, scorbutus; put on sick list 12 July 1840, sent 15 July 1840 to Hospital.

Folios 4-6: case no. 1, James Anderson, aged 28, prisoner, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ulcus, a large ulcer on the left leg about three inches above the ankle in front of tibia; put on sick list 24 March 1840, discharged 4 May 1840 cured.

Folios 6-9: case no. 2, William Dow, aged 20, private 50th Regt, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, bubo and chancre, a sore on the frenum having a character of a chancre, the ulcer had a deep pit in the centre the surrounding edges were hard & ragged with a yellowish slough on the surface; put on sick list 10 April 1840, discharged 23 May 1840 to duty.

Folio 9: case no. 3, William Green, aged 19, seaman, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, retention of urine, the symptoms were very urgent, the distended bladder distinctly felt above the hypogastrium which was exceedingly painful to the touch; put on sick list 26 April 1840, discharged 28 April 1840 to duty.

Folios 9-10: case no. 4, William Hall, aged 24, prisoner, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, ophthalmia, inflammation of the left eye from cold, conjunctiva extremely vascular and painful; put on sick list 14 May 1840, discharged 23 May 1840 cured. Folios 10-11: case no. 5, Francis Carr, aged 30, prisoner, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, catarrhus, complained of pain in his head and limbs, pulse rather frequent regular and soft, heat of skin above natural, tongue white furred in the centre, bowels opened; put on sick list 16 May 1840, discharged 25 May 1840 cured.

Folios 11-12: case no. 6, Henry Stephens, aged 19, seaman, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, rheumatismus, severe pain in his shins extending upwards to the [? Chanters?] most severe during the night; put on sick list 28 May 1840, discharged 10 June 1840 cured.

Folios 12-13: case no. 7, Thomas Thompson, aged 19, prisoner, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, catarrhus, slight tenderness of the fauces and over the fore part of the trachea with hoarseness and cough accompanied with expectoration; put on sick list 11 June 1840, discharged 30 June 1840 cured.

Folios 13-16: case no. 8, Thomas Meachem, aged 35, prisoner, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, opthalmia, inflammation of the right eye from a blow received yesterday occasioned by a sharp piece of iron hoop striking it with great force, whilst in the act of opening a cask of beef for the prisoners, conjunctiva very vascular and painful, on close examination observed a small punctured wound in the centre of the cornea, the anterior convex surface of the eye considerably flattened; put on sick list 14 June 1840, discharged 8 July 1840 with the loss of vision of the right eye.

Folios 16-17: case no. 9, John Hutchings, aged 20, prisoner, taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, scorbutus, complained of debility with stiffness of the legs and moved about with pain, he also complained of pain in the thorax immediately behind the sternum and respiration is rather harried. At 5 pm. on the 10 July, sudden change of symptoms he appeared comatose and has vomited once since taking his nourishment; put on sick list 9 July 1840, died 14 July 1840 at 2 pm.

Folios 18-25: Blank.

Folio 26: nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folio 27: Thomas Meachem, aged 35, prisoner; nature of hurts, punctured wound of the eye occasioned by a sharp piece of iron striking it with great force, on 13 June 1840.

Folios 27-28: Surgeon’s general remarks. Joined the Maitland at Deptford on the 3rd March 1840 and on the 8th after the guard embarked the ship proceeded to Woolwich and on the following day 200 male prisoners were received from the Justitia and Warrior hulks. The ship proceeded to Sheerness on the 10th,110 more prisoners were received on the 12th from the Fortitude hulk at Chatham, five of the prisoners however were afterwards disembarked by order of J. H. Capper Esquire, Superintendent of the Convict Establishment, Whitehall, leaving a total of 305 convicts on board. Six prisoners were placed on the sick list from the time of their embarkation on the 8th March until the beginning of July, but as the ship neared the destination eight or ten prisoners presented themselves with symptoms of scurvy and one of them (whose case is detailed in the journal) terminated fatally on the 14th July a few hours after the ship arrived at Sydney, and the other four not quite recovered were sent to hospital in a state of convalesce. The surgeon also stated that in addition to the above death, two of the prisoners accidentally fell over board during the passage and drowned one of them James Rhodes on the 25th April and the other Henry Windward on the 27th of the same month. The total number of prisoners landed at Sydney was 302.