Catalogue description Medical journal of the Guildford , male convict ship, for 14 May to 14 November 1829 by...

Medical journal of the Guildford, male convict ship, for 14 May to 14 November 1829 by J Stephenson, Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in a voyage to New South Wales.

Folio 1: May 1829, during the whole of this month the ship remained at Deptford, fitting and preparing for the reception of the convicts, guard etc. on the 19th one officer and 29 men, with a portion of women and children were embarked.

Folios 1-2: 30th June 1829, in the early part of this month we arrived at Dublin and on the 16th 200 convicts were embarked as were also 3 government passengers, making the total number of persons on board 282, of these several required medical or surgical treatment, but no case of any importance was put on the list. The cases of ophthalmia are both chronic affections of longstanding with granulations on the lids. None of the other cases are worth notice except that of dropsy of the knee joint which is rather peculiar, the quantity of fluid collected in the joint cannot be less than a pint, the swelling is very great but there is little or no pain.

Folios 2-3: 31st July 1829, few patients only were put on the list in July, they all belong either to the guard or ship's company and the cause of disease in all is the same, viz drunkenness and exposure to cold and the same may be said of one of the cases of pneumonia but the other may turn out very serious as the patient has had several former attacks and seems much inclined to consumption. In the case of dropsy of the joint the absorption of fluid caused by repeated blistering and the use of ung. Tarlr. Antimonii has been very remarkable the man is now free from complaint and the swelling reduced. On 12th [July] we were permitted to sail for our destination.

Folio 3: 31st August 1829, the case of dysentery threatened at first to be severe but has been cut short in its progress the patient is a convict about 40 years old with paralysis of the lower extremities and imperfect command of the sphincters consequently a great nuisance, he is greatly debilitated but convalescent. One of the cases of pneumonia has been discharged, the other about the middle of the mouth assumed all the appearance of hepatitis though severe cough and mucopurulent expectoration with some blood.

Folios 3-4: 30th September 1829, the case of hepatitis put on the list for pneumonia has terminated very favorably after 31st ulto. no more medicine was given; the mercurial affection gradually subsided, the man rapidly gained strength and now quite well. About 12th or 13th of the month the sudden change in temperature and state of weather, became, wet, cold and blowing the convicts who poorly clad have in consequence suffered severely from dysentery, upwords of 40 being taken ill in a few days. The fatal case which occurred, in some measure fell a victim to his own imprudence he was employed as cook subject to great changes from heat to cold and on being taken ill not only drank large quantities of rum but concealed his illness for two days.

Folios 4-8: Patrick Gough, aged 23, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery severe pain in the abdomen below umbilicus, continual attempts at emptying the bowels, distressing tenesmus and trifling discharge of dark green slime mixed with blood; put on sick list 10 September 1829, died 19 September 1829.

Folio 9: 30th October 1829, between 4th and 26th of this month no dysenteric cases were putting on the list only one subsequent to this last date, but of trifling cases we had nearly 20 having been treated, they were all mild and invariably gave way to one or two doses of purgative medicine assisted by Pulo Ipecac and attention to diet. Amongst those of a more aggravated nature three terminated fatally all the other do well. Two cases of fever and two of pneumonia occurred amongst the guard and ship's company who still contrive to obtain spirits. In the following case from the great urgency of the symptoms I was induced to use the lancet freely a step of which I now much doubt the propriety.

Folios 9-14: John Reily, aged 21, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery severe purging of what he called “blood and green stuff” constant pain in his abdomen below the umbilicus and distressing tenesmus, his face was pale and shrunk and very cold on the extremities; put on sick list 19 September 1829, died 1 October 1829.

Folios 14-18: Edward McDonough, aged 19, convict; sick or hurt, the symptoms were similar to the former two cases with the same treatment; put on sick list 19 September 1829, discharged 31 October 1829.

Folio 19: Blank.

Folios 20-25: John Morriss, aged 19, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery, very severe and constant pain across the abdomen below the umbilicus, straining and discharge of blood or green slime sometimes both; put on sick list 13 September 1829, discharged 30 October 1829.

Folios 20-25: John Morriss, aged 19, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery, very severe and constant pain across the abdomen below the umbilicus, straining and discharge of blood or green slime sometimes both; put on sick list 13 September 1829, discharged 30 October 1829.

Folios 25-33: Peter Hart, aged 19, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery; put on sick list 23 September 1829, died 28 October 1829.

Folios 25-33: John McNeil, aged 20, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery; put on sick list 23 September 1829, discharged 4 November 1829.

Folios 25-33: 23rd September 1829, the first of these patients [Peter Hart] was a stout florid, very well looking young man but lazy and inanimate, the other [John McNeil] an idiot from infancy with a paralytic affection of the right hand and arm, active, bustling and very passionate, they were put on the list the same day for the same symptoms, but of the two McNeil was the more severely affected, they were both as cold as ice had intolerable pain in the bowels, constant inclination to go to stool, the dejections were almost entirely blood.

Folio 33: 17th October 1829, the following is the only case of relapse which occurred, it is remarkable on two accounts, first for being the only case in which any thing like scyballae [Scybala] were discharged, and secondly for the extraordinary irregularity of pulse with which it was accompanied.

Folios 33-36: Brain Finin, aged 23, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery, I should have remarked, that in this man's first attack, the pulse was at the commencement remarkably small and quick but as the mercurial affection of the system took place it became unusually slow beating only 58 in the minute, but never intermitted; put on sick list 17 October 1829, sent 7 November 1829 to hospital convalescent.

Folios 36-39: J Stevenson, aged 23, convict; sick or hurt, dysentery, robust young Englishman, after being costive for three days, complained of severe pain in the abdomen below umbilicus constant desire to empty the bowels and discharge of blood; put on sick list 18 September 1829, discharged 6 October 1829.

Folios 40-43: Register of weather, including latitude and longitude, temperature and wind direction readings, between 16 June 1829 and 15 November 1829.

Folios 44-45: list of 47 patients in the sick book, including names, aged, diseases, when discharged, etc.

Folios 45-50: Numerical summary of cases mentioned in the journal and the surgeon's general remarks regarding the sudden appearance of dysentery, which was attributed to the change of temperature, and in almost every instance, the patient complained of cold skin, severe pain in the abdomen, either tormina [or] knotting as the patients called it, or fixed and confined to one of the iliae regions or the hypogastric.