Catalogue description Medical and surgical journal of the convict ship Eliza for 10 June 1828 to 22 April 1830...

Medical and surgical journal of the convict ship Eliza for 10 June 1828 to 22 April 1830 1829 by James Patton, surgeon, during which time the said ship was employed in transporting convicts from Woolwich and Sheerness to New South Wales.

[Note: ADM 101/23/5, 5A-5B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/23/5].

Folios 1-2: John Campbell, aged 30, private 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, on marching with his detachment of the 63rd Regiment from Chatham to Woolwich to join the ship met with an accident by which the skin and cellular membrane covering the tibia of the right leg was torn away in several places. Put on sick list, 11 June 1828 at Woolwich. Discharged [not stated].

Folios 2-3: George Egleton, aged 27, private 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, much debilitated and emaciated. Put on sick list, 20 June 1828 at Sheerness. Discharged [30 June 1828] to duty.

Folio 4: James Duigan, aged [not stated], private 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, general debility and seasickness. Put on sick list, 3 July 1828 at Sheerness. Discharged 21 July 1828 to duty.

Folios 5-6: George Peers, aged 19, boy, convict: disease or hurt, received from the Justitia at Woolwich along with 58 others. Although all examined with care, Peers was in 'a good way advanced in Phthisis'. Put on sick list, 17 June 1828 in the River. Died 5 August 1828.

Folio 7: William Ashton, aged 24: disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 25 June 1828 at Sheerness. Gradually recovered in a few days.

Folio 8: Charles McMahon, aged 32: disease or hurt, complains of sickness, pain in middle part of the sternum, bad cough and breathing difficult. Put on sick list, 30 June 1828 in the Channel. In the course of a few days felt better.

Folio 8: John Smith, aged 37, prisoner: disease or hurt, complains of sickness, pain in the right side, cough, difficulty in breathing. Put on sick list, 10 July 1828. By 12 July 1828 better.

Folio 9: James Webb, aged 16: disease or hurt, general debility, emaciation and heaviness of the chest. Put on sick list, 4 July 1828 at sea. From 14 July 1828 began to get better.

Folios 9-10: George Egleton, private 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, weakly constitution, sea sickness and fever. Put on sick list, 16 July 1828 at sea. Discharged [26 July 1828] to duty.

Folios 10-11: Luke Smith, aged 27, prisoner: disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 19 July 1828 at sea. From 24 July 1828 gradually got better.

Folios 11-12: William Wilson, aged 17, prisoner: disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 22 July 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folios 12-16: John Palmer, aged 21, prisoner (formerly a soldier of the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards): disease or hurt, pain in bowels, frequent purging, tenesmus. Put on sick list, 20 July 1828 near the Island of Teneriffe. Died 26 July 1828.

Folios 16-17: Charles Lee, aged 19, prisoner: disease or hurt, pain in bowels, frequent purging, tenesmus. Put on sick list, 23 July 1828 at Teneriffe. Cured.

Folios 17-18: Charles McMahon, aged 32: disease or hurt, pain in bowels, frequent purging, tenesmus. Put on sick list, 23 July 1828 at Teneriffe. Cured.

Folios 18-19: William Hammond, aged 17: disease or hurt, pain in ear, lack of sleep and other symptoms of pyrexia. Put on sick list, 27 July 1828 at sea. In a few days got quite well.

Folios 19-20: John Baker, aged [not stated]: disease or hurt, headache, giddiness, singing in ears, double vision. Put on sick list, 31 July 1828 at sea near Teneriffe. Cured.

Folio 20: John Burke, aged [not stated], private 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, fever and headache. Put on sick list, 5 August 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folio 21: John Wilson, aged 23, prisoner: disease or hurt, stiff neck, slight cold shivering, difficulty swallowing. Put on sick list, 10 August 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folio 22: Charles Mooney, aged 19: disease or hurt, catarrhal symptoms. Put on sick list, 10 August 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folio 23: John Harrison, aged 42: disease or hurt, no alvine evacuation for four days. Put on sick list, 15 August 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folios 23-24: John Crony, aged 22, prisoner (by employment a waterman): disease or hurt, feverish. Put on sick list, 18 August 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folios 25-27: John Egan, aged 24, prisoner: disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 25 August 1828 at sea. Died 4 October 1828.

Folio 28: James Holt, aged 35, prisoner: disease or hurt, swelling and stiffness of the large joints. Put on sick list, 5 September 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folios 29-30: James Scholes, aged 25, prisoner: disease or hurt, dysentery. Put on sick list, 11 September 1828 at sea. Sent to hospital at Sydney, New South Wales.

Folio 30: John King, aged 25, prisoner: disease or hurt, cynanche tonsillaris. Put on sick list, 13 September 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folio 31: John Quint, aged 20, prisoner: disease or hurt, catarrhal complaint. Put on sick list, 14 September 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folio 32: William Jones, aged 18, prisoner: disease or hurt, acute rheumatism. Put on sick list, 5 October 1828 at sea. Discharged to hospital in Sydney, 19 November 1828.

Folios 33-34: Edward Burke, aged [not stated], private, 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, pain in chest, cough and difficulty breathing. Put on sick list, 9 October 1828 at sea. Discharged to military hospital in Sydney, 18 November 1828.

Folio 35: Jones, aged [not stated], private, 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, cough, expectoration, pain in right side with difficulty in respiration. Put on sick list, 6 October 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folios 36-37: James Coulter, aged 27 (had served a considerable time in the Peninsular War as a soldier): disease or hurt, cough, looseness of bowels, cough, difficulty in breathing, bloated face. Put on sick list, 12 October 1828 at sea. Died 31 October 1828.

Folios 38-42: Between 12 October to 8 November 1828 upwards of 40 cases of dysentery (all prisoners) were placed on the sick list. The attacks of dysentery were so violent resulting in the death of several men, John Oakes, prisoner, aged 19; William Storey aged 18; George Ainsley, aged 25; John Waddington, aged 35; John Whittaker, aged 40) in the short space of four days.

Folios 42-44: Further dysentery cases, John Mosely, aged 25, prisoner; William Wilson, aged 19, prisoner, and John Smoth, aged 30, prisoner along with another 22 cases placed on the sick list.

Folios 44-44A: John Duigan, aged 23, private 63rd Regiment: disease or hurt, catarrhal affections. Put on sick list, 31 October 1828 at sea. Cured.

Folios 44A-45: William Ashton, aged 26, prisoner: disease or hurt, bowel complaint. Put on sick list, 4 November 1828 at sea. Discharged 16 November 1828 to hospital.

Folio 46: numerical abstract of medical cases mentioned in the journal, nosologically arranged.

Folio 47: Surgeon's general remarks. States that the high number of dysenteric cases was due to two causes, the unusual length of the voyage 143 days on salt provisions and the ship sailing very indifferently; and from the cold, damp and rain.