Observations on the Diseases of SeamenBlane, Gilbert, Sir
History
Observations on the Diseases of Seamen
Blane, Gilbert, Sir
Medicine, Naval -- Early Works To 1800; Sailors -- Diseases
The Nymph frigate was the only other ship left in the West Indies
which is included in the tables. There happened only two deaths in
her from June to October, both months included. One of these was from
scurvy, the other from asthma. She was in that time upon two cruises,
each of which lasted eight weeks. During the first the weather was dry
and fine, and during the other it was wet and sultry, with the same
effect upon health as in the Prudent; for in the second cruise the
scurvy prevailed to a considerable degree, but not at all during the
first. This disease was prevented from becoming violent or fatal, on
either occasion, by the great attention of Mr. Anderson, the surgeon.
He found great benefit from the essence of malt, when given early in
the complaint; and some limes having been taken in a prize, while this
disease was at the worst, the scorbutic men were so much recovered by
the use of them, that they were all able to return to duty before the
ship arrived in port.
DECEMBER.
The whole squadron remained at anchor at Barbadoes, and nothing worth
notice occurred till the arrival of a reinforcement of eight ships
of the line, under Sir Richard Hughes, on the 8th of December. This
squadron had been detached by Lord Howe, after the relief of Gibraltar,
and the action with the combined fleets on the 20th of October. It
consisted of one ship of 90 guns, one of 80, three of 74, and three of
64. They sailed from England on the 9th of September, and from that
time till their arrival at Barbadoes they had not been in port, except
for ten days that they were at Madeira, where they were supplied with
fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables, by which means the scurvy, which
had begun to prevail to a considerable degree, was almost entirely
eradicated, and the health of the men was surprisingly restored, for so
short a time.
When they joined us, however, there was a good deal of sickness on
board of them all, except the Union and Ruby. The former had been more
than three years in commission, and in that time had never been sickly,
and had now all the advantages of a long-established and well-regulated
ship’s company. All the rest had been newly commissioned and manned
when they left England. The superior health of the Ruby was owing to
her having been manned with the crews of other ships, some of which
had just arrived from the West Indies; whereas the others had been
manned chiefly by draughts of pressed men from guardships, or by raw
volunteers, of whom a great many were raised in Ireland about this
time. The Bellona and Berwick having been somewhat longer in commission
than the rest, were less sickly.
The following tables will shew the comparative state of health of the
squadron formerly on the station with that which had newly arrived from
England.
TABLE, shewing the Prevalence of Sickness and Mortality in the old
Squadron, in December.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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