Catalogue description Medical journal of the Larkins , convict ship from 19 June to 31 December 1829 by Oliver...

Medical journal of the Larkins, convict ship from 19 June to 31 December 1829 by Oliver Sproule, surgeon and superintendent in which daily latitude and longitude readings are also recorded.

Folios 1-2: case no 7; William Fuller, aged 20, ordinary seaman, taken ill at Core of Cork; sick or hurt, venereal; Put on sick list 10 August 1829, discharged 30 May 1828 to duty.

Folios 3-5: case no 56; Edward Rohan, aged 16, convict, sick or hurt, [visceral] obstruction and dropsy; Put on sick list 9 September 1829, died 4 October 1829 at 7 pm. In this case having had several attacks in the bowels since his embarkation but were more or less relieved by mild doses of rheubarb and calomil and occassionally the chalk mixture, on entering the tropic he became very much debilitated the extremities became adematous and eventually ascites began to appear symptoms which rendered his cure hopeless, being thus too weak to undergo a course of mercury sufficient to restore the tone and healthy action of a diseased liver.

Folio 5: case no 102; Alexander Laing, aged 22, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, fever; Put on sick list 6 October 1829, discharged 8 October 1829 from the list.

Folio 6: case no 104; William Condon, aged 35, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, fever; Put on sick list 7 October 1829, discharged 9 October 1829 from the list.

Folios 6-7: case no 113; Sergeant Joyce, 63rd Regiment; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, pulmonic affection; Put on sick list 26 October 1829, discharged 6 November 1829 to duty.

Folio 7: case no 124; John Dowde, aged 50; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; Put on sick list 3 November 1829, discharged 8 November 1829 from the list.

Folios 8-9: case no 150; James Bowcock, aged 24, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, phlegmonous inflammation; Put on sick list 3 December 1829, discharged 22 December 1829 from the list.

Folios 9-10: case no 179; Patrick McGarry, aged 22, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, headache; Put on sick list 14 December 1829, died 17 December 1829 at 9 pm. In this case there was inflammation of the brain or its meninges it must have been of a most insidious nature as there was not one of those symptoms present.

Folio 10: case no 182; James McKenna, aged 32, private; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, thrown by a gale of wind against one of the gun carriages; Put on sick list 19 December 1829, discharged 28 December 1829 to barracks.

Folio 11: case no 188; John Charters, aged 30, convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, severely scalded on the left leg; Put on sick list 19 December 1829, discharged 31 December 1829 to prisoner barracks.

Folio 12: Blank.

Folio 13: numerical summary of the medical cases mentioned in the journal, nosologically arranged.

Folios 14-15: Surgeon's general remarks mainly regarding the general good health of the convicts.