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OBSERVATIONS
ON THE
DISEASES
INCIDENT TO
SEAM
E Y
GILBERT BLANE, M. D. F. R. S.
PHYSICIAN EXTRAORDINARY TO THE PRINCE OF WALES,
PHYSICIAN TO ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITAL,
ANP PHYSICIAN TO THE FLEET IN THE LATE WAR.
LONDON:
Printed by Joseph Cooper ;
And fold by John Murray, No 32, Fleet Street, and by William Creech, in Edinburgh.
M.PCC.LXXXV.
Nee Medici, nee Imperatores, nee Oratores, quamvis artis prcecepta perceperint, quidquam magna laude dignum fine ufu et excercitatione confequi pofTunt.
Cicero,
CONTENTS.
PAR T I.
BOOK I.
CPas;e OMPREHENDING the Medical Hiftory of the
Fleet, from March 1780, till Auguft 178 1 - 15
CHAP. I.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from March 1780, till July following - - - ~ 15
CHAP. ir.v
Account of the Health of the Fleet from Auguft 1780, till December following - - - o
3
A 2 CHAP.
iv CONTENTS,
CHAP. III. Page
Account of the Health of the Fleet from January 1781, till July 178 1, both Months included - 44
BOOK II.
Continuation of the Medical Hiilory of the Fleet, from Auguft 1 78 1, till the Conclufion of the War in April 1783 ----- fa
CHAP. I.
Some Account of the interval between the Cam- paigns of 1 78 1, and the Junction of the Reinforce- ment from England in April 178a - - 6c
CHAP. II.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from the June* tion of the Squadron from England, till the gene- ral Rendezvous at St. Lucia, in the beginning of April - - - - - - --71
CHAP. III. State of Health of the Fleet in April 1782 93
CHAP.
CONTENTS. v
CHAP. IV.
Page
Account of the Health of the Fleet while it lay at Jamaica, during May, June, and part of July,
1782 -.-----'- - 104
CHAP. V.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from its leaving Jamaica on the 17th of July, 1782, till its Depar- from New York, on the 25th of October following 133
CHAP. VI.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from its Depar- ture from New York, till the Conclufion of the
War «■ 152
BOOK III.
Of the Numbers and Mortality of different Diseases fent to Hofpitals, with a General View of the whole Mortality during the War - 179
PART
v) CONTENTS.
PART II.
Pag«
Of the Causes of Sicknefs in Fleets, and the Means
of Prevention - - - - - 205
Introduction --■----_ ibid
CHAP. I.
Of Air - - - - - - - 2i8
Sedl. I. Of the noxious EfFedls of Land Air ia par- ticular Situations - , ■.'- • - 220 Sed. II. Of theErFeds of foul Air, from theNegleft of Cleanlinefs in Men's Perfons — Infection 229
3. Means of preventing the Introduaion of In-" feaion - - . - . - - - 232
2. Means of preventing the Produaion of In-
feaion - - ----- 244
3. Means of eradicating Infeaion - - 252
Sea. III. Of the foul Air generated in a Ship - 262 — — IV. Means of guarding againft Infeaion and
bad Air ------ 272
CHAP.
CONTENTS.
vu
CHAP. II. *>age
Of Aliment - - - 282
Sea. T. OffolidFood ibid
II. Of Drink - " - - . - - - 300
Of Water ----- 305
CHAP. Ill OfCloathing - - «. - - -315
CHAP. IV.
Of Exercife ------ ^t
Conclusion - - 326
Appendix - - - 329
Memorial to the Admiralty - - - ibid
Supplement to the Memorial - - - 341
PART III.
Description and Treatment of the Difeafes moil frequently occurring in Fleets in hot Climates 34^
|
C H A P. T. |
|
|
Of Fevers - - |
.. - 347 |
|
z. Of the infectious Ship Fever |
348 |
|
2. Of the Bilious remitting Fever |
" 3B6 |
|
3. Of |
viii CONTENTS.
3. Of the Yellow Fever -■-'-'- 396
4. Of the Effects of fome unufual Remedies in the Cure of obftinate intermittent Fevers - 420
CHAP. II. Of Fluxes ----- 429
CHAP. III. Of Seurvy ~ - - - - - 460
CHAP. IV.
Of the Wounds received in the Actions of April 1782 - - - 478
DEDICATION
TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
Prince WILLIAM-HENRY, S I R,
FTpi
JL H E following Work is the fruit of feveral years labour employed in the Public Service, chiefly under that great and fuccefsful Admiral, Lord Rodney, in a feries of Naval Opera- tions, which have been productive of
B events
ii DEDICATION.
events more glorious than any re- corded in the Annals of Britain. As your Royal Highnefs was prefent du- ring fome part of the fervice which is the fubject of thefe Obfervations, and as You have not only honoured the Sea Service by embracing it as a pro- feflion, and enrolling your llluftrious Name among its officers, but in un- dergoing the dangers and fatigues of actual fervice, which is fo neceffary to attain that practical Skill which Your Royal Highnefs is well known to pof- fefs, I have, upon thefe grounds, pre- fumed to lay this Work at Your feet. I (houid do this with greater fatisfaction, 2 were
DEDICATION* Ui
were it more worthy of Your accep- tance; but however inadequate my abilities may have been ta the talk, it has been my fincere aim to produce a work of fome utility to that only Bulwark of our Country, the Britifti Navy, of which Your Royal Highnefs is the Pride and the Hope.
Your Royal Highnefs's Permlflion to infcribe this work to You, and the perfonal Notice and Protection with which you have, on. fame pafl occafions, honoured me, I confide? as the firft Diftinctions of my life, and of which I hope ever to ert- B % tertaitt
j* DEDICATION,
tertain a becoming fenfe, by cheri fil- ing thofe indelible fentiments of Re- fpeft, Gratitude, and Attachment, which are due to Your Royal High- saefs from
Your Royal Highnefs's Moft faithful,
Moll obedient, and Moft devoted Servant,
Gilbert Blane.
London, May i, 1785.
PRE-
R E F A C
t± A VING been appointed by Lord Rodney Phyfician to the Fleet under his command* in the beginning of the year 1780, I deter- mined to avail myfelf, to the utmoir. of my abilities, of the advantages which this field of obfervation afforded* This 1 was led to do, in order to fatisfy my own mind as a matter of duty, as well as to find out, if poffible, the means ,of bettering the con- dition of a clafs of men, who are the bul- wark of the ftate, but whofe lot is hardfhip and difeafe, above that of all others.
B 3 A fleet.
vi PREFACE*
A fleet, convincing feldom of lefs than twenty mips of the line of battle, and fome- times exceeding forty, which I attended in the different fcenes of active fervice in that diflant and unhealthful region, for more than three years, has afforded me opportu- nities of making obfervations upon a large fcale.
My object has been prevention as much as cure ; and as the former mull: more particu- larly depend on a knowledge of the remote caufes of difeafe, I have collected and arran- ged all the facts upon this fubject that came within my reach, considering thefe as the only grounds from whence the real caufes of health and ficknefs could be deduced.
In entering upon my employment, the Commander in Chief gave an order, that every furgeon in the fleet mould fend me a monthly return, ftating the prevalence of
PREFACE* vnl
difeafe, the mortality, and whatever elfe related to the health of the refpeclive fhips. This was done with a view to enable me to regulate the reception of men into hofpitals, fo that each fhip might have a due proportion of relief, according to the degree of ficknefs on board, taking care at the fame time that the hofpitals fhould not be overcrowded ; and alio to acquaint the Commander in Chief, from time to time, of the flate of ficknefs, or the predominance of particular difeafes, in order to recom* mend fuch articles of diet, or other means, as might tend to cure them, or to check their progrefs. TJiefe returns have ferved alfo in this work as a method of collecting a multitude of well-eftabliflied facts, tending to afcertain the caufes and courfe of difeafe.
While the fleet was in port, I alfo fuper-
intended and vinted daily the hofpitals, of
which there is one at almoft every iflaud on
B 4 the
viii PREFACE,
the ftation ; and having kept an account of the different kinds of difeafe that were ad* mitted, and of their mortality, I have in this way alfo been furnifhed with a number of fads that may throw light on the hiftory of human maladies,
Neverthelefs, I do not boafl of having made great difcoveries ; and every perfon of a correct judgement mull be aware how dif- ficult it is to afcertain truths and to draw fair and folid inferences on medical fubjects. I have attempted little more than to amafs, from my own obfervation, and by the affif- tance of the furgeons of the fleet, a number of well-eftablifhed facts, and to arrange them in fuch a methodical manner, as to prove a ground work for investigation ; and I am perfuaded that others of more fagacity and enlarged knowledge than myfelf, may be able to deduce from them obfervations that may have efcaped me, efpecially if thefe
new*
PREFACE. i*
new, but imperfect, attempts fhouid come to be compared with fimilar ones that may be made by other obfervers in other climates, and in other circumftances of fervice,
I met with feveral obftacles in infHtuting inquiries purely medical to the extent I could have wimed. There is in the firfl place, from the nature of the fubjecV a great dif- ficulty attending all practical inquiries in medicine ; for in order to afcertain truth, in a manner that is fatisfactory to a mind habi- tuated to chafb inveftigation, there muft be a feries of patient and attentive obfervations upon a great number of cafes, and the dif- ferent trials mufl be varied, weighed, and compared, in order to form a proper eftimate of the real effipacy of different remedies and modes of treatment.
But berldes this difficulty belonging to the nature of the fubjecl, there were others
connected
x PREFACE.
conne&ed with the nature of the fervice ; for the hofpitals were at times fo inadequate, in point of fize, and fo ill provided with neceflary articles and accommodations, par- ticularly during the firft part of my atten- dance, that my principal care was to re- medy thefe defects by proper fuperinten- dance and representation.
A due attention to air, diet, and cleanli- nefs, is not only more effential than mere medical treatment, but the fick cannot be confidered as fit Subjects for evincing the powers of medicine till they are properly provided for in thefe refpects. Thefe in- conveniences were owing in a great mea- fure to the unufual extent of the. fervice; for there was a much greater naval force in thofe feas, at this period, than was ever before known, and there was of courfe a proportional want of accommodation for the fick. Towards the end of the war
thefe
P R E F A C E. xi
thefe difficulties were much obviated, fo that a fairer field of obfervation came to be offered.
Another obflacle to my practical inqui- ries was, that the fleets I belonged to fel- dom remained more than fix weeks or two months at any one place, fo that any feries of obfervations that might have been infti- tuted was interrupted, and I was in a great degree deprived of the fruits of them, by not feeing the event of cafes under my ma« nagement.
The peace in the fpring of the year 1 783, put an end to all my inquiries, and particu- larly prevented me from following out feme practical refearches. I have ventured, how- ever, in one part of this work, to give the refult of my experience in forne difeafes, more efpecially fuch as are peculiar to the climate. -
xif PREFACE.
Upon the whole, I have, in the following work, humbly attempted to follow what I conceive to be the only true method of cul- tivating any practical art, that is, to collect and compare a great number of fads. A few individual cafes are not to be relied on as a foundation of general reafoning, the de- ductions from them being inconclufive and fallacious, and they are liable to be turned and gloffed, according as the mind of the obfer* ver may be bianed by a favourite prepofTef- fion or hypothecs. It has been my fludy to exhibit a rigid tranfcript of truth and nature., upon a large fcale, and to take the average of numberlefs particular fads, to ferve as a ground-work for obfervation ; and I have endeavoured to analyfe and collate thefe fads, by throwing the monthly returns that were made to me into the form of Tables, as the moil certain and compendious way for finding their general refult. If the materials are not fufficiently ample, or if the me*
3 thod
PREFACE, xiii
thod mould be found faulty and imperfect, let it be remembered, that I had no example to go by in this field of obfervation. It is to be regretted, that ages have paffed with- out any attempts being made to tranfmit re- gular records of this kind to pofterity. It would not only be extremely curious, as a piece of natural knowledge, but would conduce greatly to medical improvement and public utility, were we pofTened of fuch information concerning the caufes and na- ture of the difeafes prevailing at fea, in va- rious circumfiances of weather, climate, and diet, in remote ages and countries, or even in our own age and country, as might en- able us to compare them with prefent facts, and to afcertain more precifely the means of preventing and removing fuch difeafes.
The method I propofe to follow in this work, is, Firll, to deliver the hiftory of the different voyages and expeditions, fo fat- as
%W PREFACE.
as relates to health, giving an account of the prevalence and nature of the difeafes and mortality on board of mips and in hofpitals.
Secondly, To deduce, from obfervations founded on thefe facts, and alfo from the former experience of others, the caufes of ficknefs in fleets, and the means of preven- tion.
Thirdly, To deliver fome practical obfer- vations on the cure of the mofl common difeafes incident to fleets, particularly in hot climates.
OBSE R~
OBSERVATIONS, &c
PART I.
BOOK L
Comprehending the Medical History of the Fleet, from March 1780 till Auguft 1781.
CHAP. I.
Containing an Account of the Health of the Fleet
from March 1780 till July following. Five
Ships ©f the Line arrive at Barbadoes from Europe in March — Join a large Squadron then on that Station — Their Health compared — Engagements with the Enemy in April and May producing Hardmip and Ex- pofure, but little Increafe of Sicknefs - — Method of colledting the Returns of the Surgeons — Influence of Situation upon Health in Harbours — Courfe of the Seafons., and Temperature of the Weft Indies — The Fleet reinforced in June and July with Ships from England and North America — Their Health.
JD U R I N G the war, which broke out with France in 1778, and with Spain in 1779, the Weft Indies was the principal feat of naval operations, and much greater
fleets
l6* DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I780. *ART !.
fleets were then employed in that quarter of the world than in any former period.
Though there had been a great fquadron on the Caribbee ftation during the greater part of 1779, no phyfician was appointed to it till the beginning of next year, when I arrived there in that character with my friend and protestor, Lord Rodney.
There were then fixteen mips of the line on that ftation, moft of which had been upwards of twelve months in the climate; and they were reinforced at this time by five more from England.
The fquadron which we found on the ftation was then extremely healthy, and in feveral of the fhips there was not a man unfit for duty. We were told, however, that they had all been fubject to ficknefs, particularly to the dyfentery, foon after their arrival in that climate. Of the five with which the fleet was at this time rein- forced, all but the Intrepid, left England at Chriftmas, making part of the fquadron
which
BOOK i. DiSEx^SES OF THE FLEET., I?80. l"J
which efFe&ed the firft relief of Gibraltar* under the command of Lord Rodney, who continued his route to the Weft Indies, in order to take the command on the Wind- ward ftation, where he arrived on the 16th of March. The Intrepid arrived with a convoy the day before. Thefe five fhips were all pretty healthy on their paffage* except the Sandwich and Terrible, in which a fever prevailed; but they had almoft re- covered from it before they arrived in the Weft Indies. A dyfentery broke out in April in all the (hips newly arrived, and it prevailed to the greateft degree in thofe which had been moft affected with fevers in Europe, namely, in the Terrible and Intrepid. The Sandwich and Ajax were alfo affected, though in a lefs degree ; but the Montagu, though this was her firft voyage, and though (he was juft off the flocks, had been the moft healthy of any of them from the time of leaving England, and continued fo during all this campaign* I have not obferved that new fhips are more unhealthy than others, unlefs they are built of ill-feafoned timber ; and they have this
C advantage,
lS DISEASES OF THE FLEET, iy8o. PART U
advantage, that there is no previous infec- tion adhering to them. What may have contributed alfo to the fuperior health of the Montagu was the precaution that was taken when this fhip was firft manned and fitted out, of Gripping and warning the men that were brought from the guardfhip to complete the crew.
The Intrepid, while in England, had been afflicted with fevers to a moft uncommon degree ; for, being one of the fleet in the Channel cruize the year before, almoft the whole crew either died at fea, or were fent to the hofpital upon arriving at Portfmouth. This fhip, after refitting, was pretty heal- thy for a little time ; but, probably from the operation of the old adhering infection, fhe became extremely lickly immediately after joining our fleet, and fent two hundred men to the hofpital the firft two months after arriving in the Weft Indies. Moft of thefe were ill of the dyfentery.
The Pegafus frigate arrived with the ihips from Gibraltar, and we have here an in- stance
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I?80. I£
ftance of the fuperior health commonly en- joyed by this clafs of mips over mips of the line ; for when fhe was difpatched to Eng- land in the end of April, there had not been a man taken ill from the time of her arrival on the ftation.
This feafon was a very active one in the operations of war; for, beiides the general battle of the 17th of April, there were two partial actions in May ; and, from the 15th of the former month till the 20th of the latter, our fleet was conflantly in the face of the enemy's, except for a few days that it was refitting at St. Lucia after the firfl battle. This was extremely harraffing to the men, not only from the inceflant labour neceffary in the evolutions of the fleet, but by their being constantly at quarters witri the (hips clear for action ; for, in that fituation, - they had nothing to deep upon but the bare decks, the hammocks and bedding being employed in barricading the mip, which is done by placing them in ranges on the gunwale, to cover the men from the enemy's grape and fmall mot. Thefe C 2 hard-
20 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I^So. PARTI.
hardfhips were productive of fome fick- nefs, though much lefs than might have been expected, for the weather is at all times warm, and it was at this time ex- tremely moderate and dry. Befides, we fhall fee in other inftances as well as this, that, in the ardour infpired by the prefence of an enemy, men are lefs exhaufted by their exertions than on ordinary and lefs interefling occafions.
Almoft the whole of the fick and wound- ed, to the number of 750, were put on more at Barbadoes, where all the fleet, except three mips*, arrived on the 2 2d of May.
I now began to keep regular and metho- dical accounts of the ficknefs and mortality in the fleet, though in a manner more im- perfect and lefs accurate than was afterwards adopted. I was embarked on board of the Sandwich, where the Commander in Chief had his flag, fo that I was always prefent
* Thefe were the Conqueror, the Cornwall, and the Boyne, which were fo damaged in the hattles, that they were obliged to bear away for St. Lucia.
with
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 21
with the main body of the fleet, whether at fea or in port.
A form of monthly returns * was adopted, which, as well as other points of method, was afterwards improved.
After
* The following may ferve as a fpecimen of thefe re- turns :
STATE of HEALTH of his Majefly's Ship ALCIDE. Carlifle Bay, Barbadoes, ifl June, 1781.
|
Sick now on Board. |
Died in the courfe of lift Month. |
SenttotheHofpi- talin the courfe of laft Month. |
|
Fevers - - 4 Flux - - - 5 Scurvy - - 26 Catarrh and ~) Rheumatifm j Total - 42 |
Of Fever - 1 |
Ill of Scurvy 35 V |
REMARKS.
During the courfa of laft month, we had 1 14 of th»
men, who contracted the fcurvy in the late long cruife,
recovered by the ufe of limes, which were procured at
C 3 Montferrat.
2.2 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I780. PART I.
After collecting the returns for each month, I made abfhracts of them in tables ; in one
column
Montferrat. A pint of wine, with an equal quantity of water, made agreeable with fugarand tamarinds, is ferved to each patient daily. The regimen is exactly the fame as mentioned lafl: month.
Since we came into port, very few have been feized with fcurvy, but feveral complain daily of fluxes, and feverifti complaints, none of which feem at prefent to be of any confequence.
Four patients have laft month complained of an almoft total blindnefs towards evening, accompanied with head- ach, vertigo, naufea, and a fenfe of weight about the precordia. The pupil is then extremely dilated, but contracts readily when a ftrong light is prefented to it. Two of them had the fcurvy in a high degree, one of them (lightly, and the other feemed entirely free from it. I am not well acquainted with the nature or cure of this difeafe, which I believe is called Nyctalopia, by fome fyftematic writers,
I gavethofe who were affected with it an emetic, which brought up a great deal of bile, and relieved the fymptoms both of the head and flomach. This encouraged me to a repetition of it, which feemed alfo to be attended with benefit. I likewife applied blifters behind the ears, and gave bark and elixir of vitriol, with the antifcorbutic courfe, Jo thofe that required it.
lean
£0OK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 23
column of which the complement of each fhip is fet down in order to form calculations of the comparative prevalence and mortality of different difeafes at different times. One of the abftracts is here inferted, (Table I.) by way of fpecimen, and the proportional refult of them for fourteen months is fet down in another table. (Table II.)
Though this laft exhibits a tolerably jufl view, yet it may be remarked, as one im- perfection, that there was no diflinclion made at this time in my returns, between the killed and thofe who died of difeafe ; fo that in the month of May, which jftands firft, the proportion is too high ; for there were ilxty-four killed, and two hundred wounded, in the two actions of that month.
I can form no probable conjecture concerning thecaufe of this difeafe. I have obferved a dilatation of the pupil in fcorbutic patients, and they complained of a cloud be- fore their eyes, with imperfecl: vifion, which difappeared as the fcurvy went off.
WILLIAM TELFORD.
To Dr. Blane, phyfician to the Fleet.
C4 TABLE
24 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. PART J.
TABLE
I.
ABSTRACT of RETURNS,
|
rft |
June, |
I781. |
||
|
SHIPS' NAMES. 1 |
c u g E 0 O |
T3 U ra 0 pa e 0 -0 u •0 s 3 0 s rt u J} |
u 44 « S £ * JS 0 0 s U (A |
.u u S O 2 -a — *j c 3 1* c J2 d 8 O id V Q |
|
Sandwich - |
73* |
28 |
36 |
2 |
|
Barfleur - |
767 |
•33 |
22 |
1 |
|
Gibraltar |
650 |
67 |
■8* ' ' |
10 |
|
Triumph - |
650 |
7 |
9 |
% |
|
Centaur r ? |
650 |
45 |
26 |
5 |
|
Torbay |
600 |
3» |
57 |
5 |
|
Monarch |
600 |
62 |
i '4 |
2 |
|
Terrible - |
600 |
85 |
24 |
\ |
|
Alfred |
600 |
57 |
38 |
1 |
|
RufTel - - - |
| 600 |
i 44 |
1 »34 |
7 |
|
Alcide - - - |
600 |
42 |
35 |
1 |
|
Shrewfbury |
600 |
30 |
23 |
t 5 |
|
Invincible |
| 600 |
! 5° |
63 |
9 |
|
Refolution |
600 |
107 |
54 |
3 |
|
Ajax |
1 55° |
20 |
10 |
z |
|
Princeffa |
q6o |
88 |
40 |
5 |
|
Belliqueux |
500 |
}9 |
0 |
1 |
|
Prince Wi|liam |
e;po |
■ 25 |
14 |
2 |
|
Panther |
420 |
16 |
6 |
0 |
|
Triton |
200 |
5 |
1 | |
0 |
|
Hyena - |
200 | |
H 1 |
9 |
q ' |
|
Cyclops » |
200 | |
5 1 |
2 1 |
0 |
|
Total - |
1 1979 i |
977 | |
696 | |
64 |
BOOK X. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I?8o. 2$
The main body of the fleet lay at Barba- does till the 6th of June, and the men had recruited extremely by their itay there ; for vegetables, fruit, and other refrefliments, can be procured at an eafier rate, and in much greater plenty, at this ifland, than any other on the ftation.
The fleet arrived at St. Lucia the next day after it failed from Barbadoes, and remained there till the 18th of June. The whole of this month was fhowery at this ifland, though jt is not accounted the common rainy feafon, for more rain falls here than at any of the other iflands at that time in our potTeffion, being the moil: mountainous, as well as the moll woody and uncultivated of them all. This produced fome increafe of ficknefs, but very little, when compared to what took place at the fame time in the army on fhore, and in the (hips refitting at the Carenage. There died about this time from fifty to fifty-five men every week in an army of not x|uite two thoufand men.
The
26 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. PART I.
The difference in point of health between the Carenage (which, as the word implies, is the place where fhips go to be hove down, or otherwife repaired) and Gros-Iflet Bay, where the main body of the fleet lay, affords a finking proof of the effects of fituation. The Carenage is a land-locked creek, with a xnarfh adjacent to it, whereas the other is a road open to the fine air of the fea, the only land fheltering it to windward being a fmall dry ifland, confifting of one hill of half a league in circumference, and fome of the cliffs of the main ifland of St. l_Aicia.
The increafe of flcknefs here was farther prevented by the men having little labour to perform on more, nor any haunts to en- courage intemperance, a vice which the Ad- miral endeavoured frill more effectually to prevent, by ordering all the rum-frills in the neighbourhood to be deftroyed.
It may be proper here to introduce a ge- neral account of the feafons and temperature of the Weft Indies, as there will be frequent 2 occafion
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 27
occafion hereafter to make allufions to them. With regard to the heat, though the range of the temperature is very fmall, in compa* rifon of what it is in Europe, the variations follow the fame feafons, for July and Auguft. are the hotter! months, and December and January the cooler!:. This we would natu- rally expect, as our plantations lie all in the northern hemifphere, between the ioth and 20th degree of N. latitude. The hurricanes happen in the fame feafon in which the pe- riodical rains chiefly fall, that is, in the months of Auguft, September, and October, which are called the hurricane months, and this is alfo the moll: unhealthful feafon. The time of the year which is moil: apt to be rainy, next to this, is from the middle of May to the middle or end of June, but this is not invariable. The loweft I ever ob- ferved the thermometer was at 690, it ftands very commonly at 720. at fun-rife in the cool feafon, riling to 780 or 790 in the mid- dle of the day. In the hot feafon, the common range is from 760 to 830. It fel- dom exceeds this in the made at fea, and %he greater! height at which I ever obferved
it
28 DISEASES Of THE FLEET, 1780* PART I.
it in the made on more was 870. This is far fhort of the extremes of heat which they experience at certain feafons on the continent of North America, even very far north. In Penniylvania and New York, the thermome- ter, I have been aflured, rifes frequently above 900. It does fo commonly enough in the Eaft Indies, but I believe it never was known to rife fo high in the Weft Indies, fb that the heat, comparatively fpeaking, may be called moderate and fleady.
The comparative mortality in June is fmall, owing to the fleet's having been cleared of all the bad cafes at Barbadoes before it failed from thence. Though the proportion of lick in July is lefs, that of the mortality is greater, (fee Table II.) which feems to be owing to this circumftance, that the cafes ta- ken ill in the wet weather of June, did not terminate fatally till the fucceeding month.
In the courfe of this fummer, the fleet was reinforced by feverai mips of the line from England. The Triumph arrived in May, without any fick on board ; but a flux
prevailed
BOOK I. DISEASES OP THE FLEET, 1780. 2$
prevailed a few weeks afterwards, with- out any evident caufe, except the influence of the climate, and the expofure and fatigues during the operations of May. The difeafe, however, ibon fubfided, and the fhip being kept in excellent order and difcipline, continued healthy during all the remaining time in which fhe ferved with us.
In June, the Ruffel, of 74 guns, arrived from North America, and the Shrewfbury9 a fhip of the fame rate, from England. The former left England in 1 778, but was obliged to put back by ftrefs of weather and ficknefs, and upon arriving afterwards on the coafi of America, was extremely afflicted both with fevers and the fcurvy. Thefe were removed to the hofpital, and this fhip had become free of all ficknefs before failing for the Wed: In- dies, except that a few of the men were feized with fevers, and me remained healthy after arriving there, not fufTering from any regu- lar attack of ficknefs, fuch as affe&ed the fhips in general from Europe. The Shrewfbury left England healthy, but was foon attacked 2 with
Op DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I780. PART I.
with a fever and flux, which continued to prevail till the end of the year.
The fever in thefe two mips refembled rather the low fhip fever of Europe, than the bilious one peculiar to the climate. This laft, indeed, feldom or never prevails to a great degree on board of a fhip, unlefs it has been caught on the watering duty, or from fome other expofure to the air of the land. I have, however, known a few in- ftances of bilious fevers in men who never had been on more from the time they left England ; I have even known men of the fame defcription attacked with intermittent fevers, which are fuppofed to depend rtill more on land air. This is perhaps owing either to the quantity of water in a great fhip, part of which is always more or lefs putrid, or to the frefh-cut wood of the country taken on board for fuel, the fteam of all which muft refemble a good deal the effluvia of marines, which is fuppofed to give rife to intermittents.
In
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 3I
In the beginning of July, our fleet was reinforced with the Culloden, Egmont, and Centaur, all of 74 guns, In the end of the fame month, we were joined by the Alcide and Torbay, of the fame rate, and alio di- rectly from England. The fleet was at this time at St. Chriflopher's, having arrived there on the 2 2d of the month, with a large convoy from England, which had joined it at St. Lucia, under protection of the Thun- derer and Berwick, two mips of the line, which being bound to Jamaica, I do not reckon as belonging to our fleet.
TABLE
32 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. FART I.
TABLE II.
Shewing the proportional Sicknefs tality in relation to the whole on board, for fourteen Months.
and Mor*
Numbers
|
MONTHS. |
Proportion of Sick and Wounded on board on the Firft of the Month. |
Proportion of Sick and Wounded fent to the Hofpital in the Courfe of the Month. |
Proportion of Deaths on board in the Courle of the Month. ■ |
|||
|
May, 1780 - |
"i8| |
2Q| |
' 27 |
|||
|
June - - - |
*3 |
68J |
4l8 |
|||
|
July - -- - |
i7f |
80 |
163 |
|||
|
Auguft |
t8 |
227 |
80 |
|||
|
September |
9 |
6 |
188 |
|||
|
O&ober - - |
14 |
25 |
O |
|||
|
November |
fc |
33l |
& |
192 |
fc |
265 |
|
December - * |
.« |
67 |
1-1 |
185 |
||
|
January, 1781 |
35 ' 0 x4 |
O |
6cl |
O |
316 |
|
|
February - - |
! 18 |
413 |
214 |
|||
|
March |
J5l |
3° |
201 |
|||
|
April - - - |
.- 1 |
59 |
169 |
|||
|
May - - - |
tl |
i 17 |
188 |
|||
|
June - - - |
12 |
1 40 | |
70I |
|||
|
1 |
||||||
|
Mean Proportion |
.isl |
L 93 |
.227 |
G H A Pe
t 33 ]
C H A P. II.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from Auguft 1780 till December following. — ———The Fleet di- vided—The principal Squadron goes to North Ame- rica— Fluctuation between Fevers and Fluxes— The Alcide and Torbay the moft fickly Ships —Health mended by the Climate and Diet in North America— hurricane in the Weft Indies — Sufferings in confe- rence of it— Fevers the chief Difeafe.
A HE hurricane months approaching, the feafon for active operations in the Weft Indies was now over. The whole force of the enemy, confiding of thirty-fix French and Spanim mips of the line, having gone to St. Domingo in the end of July, ten fail of the line were detached after them from our ftation, for the protection of Jamaica. The Admiral failed for North America in Au- guft, with eleven fhips of the line, leaving fix for the protection of the iflands.
There was little alteration in the general ftate of the fick during the voyage to Ame-
D rica,
34 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. TART I.
rica, and indeed we found no diminution of the Weft-India heat, which at this feafon is at the greatest height, until we came to the 23° of N. latitude.
The only material alteration in point of health was in the Alcide and Torbay, which had arrived from England with a few men ill of fevers ; but in the courfe of this voyage they became as unhealthy as any mips that ever came under my obfervaion. There was a greater number of rick on board of them than all the fleet befides, and it in- creafed to fuch a degree, that upon their ar- rival at New York, which was in the middle of September, after a pafTage of three weeks, near one half of their men were unfit for duty. In the Alcide it was a fever that raged,, in the Torbay it was a dyfentery ; and the unufual degree of ficknefs and mortality which appears in the Table for the month of September^ was owing to the very fickly ftate of thefe two mips.
We mail hereafter ieereafon for fuppofing rhat fever and dyfentery proceed from the
fame.
[To face page 35.]
TABLE III.
Shewing the Number of Fevers and Fluxes on board on the Firfl of each Month, and the Number fent to the Hofpital in the Courfe of the Month.
|
SHIPS' NAMES, AND Date of their Arrival. |
MAY, 1780. |
JUNE. |
JULY. |
AUGUST. |
SEPTEMBER. |
OCTOBER. |
NOVEMBER. |
DECEMBER. |
JANUARY, 1781. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Fever. |
Flux. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Fe |
per. |
Flux. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Fever. |
Flux. O pK |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
|||||||||||||||
|
a O |
ss |
c |
O 3 |
0 3 |
d O 86 |
0 75 |
O 3 0 5 |
5 *5 0 |
•a O 16 60 32 |
! ■7 |
T3 O |
0 3 |
G O 5 3° 7 |
«3 0 |
T3 J3 O |
2 ^E, |
-d O |
I = |
J3 O |
g K |
,0 O |
|a |
,5 O |
8 a |
13 O |
u S |
13 0 |
5 K |
O |
if |
c O |
it |
|
|
Sandwich, 1 6th March |
6 |
• |
16 |
•9 |
20 5 '4 "7 |
16 |
4 |
5 1 * |
5 |
9 |
4 |
° |
3 |
° |
5 |
0 |
S |
0 |
10 |
0 |
9 j 0 |
•3 |
0 |
||||||||||
|
Tenible, 1 6th March |
0 |
0 |
40 |
20 |
'9 |
,2 |
4> 9 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
continued cpiteheakhy. |
1 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Triumph, 7th May - |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
° |
O 3 j O |
continued healthy. |
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Rultell, 1 8th June - |
continued healthy. |
1 1 ! |
| |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Shrewibury, :6th June |
20 |
° |
20 |
0 |
No Returns, being abfent. |
° |
•1- |
' 1 ° |
7 0 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Alcide, 30th July - |
54 |
° |
3 |
22 |
20 |
■ |
59 |
37 |
0 0 |
23 |
»« |
O |
° |
14 | 0 |
6 1 5 |
■7 |
° |
||||||||||||||||
|
Torbay, 30th July - |
|
|
|
6 |
— |
3 |
0 |
3 |
O |
169 |
'43 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
6 I 0 |
5 |
I O |
• |
M 1 3° |
5 ° |
.0 |
■ |
||||||||||
|
Monarch, 2 2d Nov. - |
|
— |
— |
— |
I |
'| |
3 |
0 |
1 » | 0 |
5 '2 |
n*- |
4 s |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Alfred, 2 id Nov. - |
1 |
1 |
60 |
j 5 |
1 ° |
'5 |
16 |
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 35
fame caufe ; and as both thefe fhips arrived from England in a fimilar ftate, with regard to health, fevers would probably have been the prevailing difeafe in both ; but a part of the 87th regiment, then fervipg as marines in the fleet, was put on board of the Torbay at St. Chriftopher's, and fome of them be- ing ill of the dyfentery, gave this turn to the difeafe which after-wards prevailed on board. I have formed a Table to (hew the fluctuating ftate of thefe two difeafes, which was one of my firft and moil imperfect at- tempts towards a medical hiftory of the fleet, in a methodical way. (Table III.)
There was but little ficknefs in the reft of this fquadron, except in the Terrible, where the dyfentery prevailed a good deal. None of the fhips of the line which we found in the Weft Indies, upon our arrival there, were now in company, except the Yarmouth, and this was the moft healthy of all the fhips that went to North America.
The health of the fleet was very much re- cruited by its fhort ftay in America, for the D 2 men
3# DISEASES OP THE FLEET, I'jZo. PART I,
men were fupplied with frefh meat and fpruee beer, and they enjoyed the two fmeil months of the year in that temperate climate* The fquadroii left New York in the middle of November, and though difperfed by a violent- ftorm, all the (hips arrived fafe in the Weft Indies before, the middle of De- cember.
In October, the fleet had attained fuch a degree of health, that though the calculation in the table is made from five of the moft fickly mips, no death happened in this month on board of any of them. In November, the mortality was alfo inconfiderable, though the fhips left in the Weft Indies are included in the calculation, which had it been made upon thofe only that went to North America, the deaths would have been no more than one in 71 1 in this month, which is rather lefs than that of any other month in the table.
The improvement in health, in confe- quence of the change of climate, was moft remarkable in the Terrible, which, by the lime IJie left America, had entirely got rid
U300K I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780* 3)1
W the violent dyfentery that had prevailed for fome time onboard. This fudden change in the health of this fhip was evidently owing to the great attention of the'Captain to cleanlinefs and difcipline, and no lefs to the aflidmty and abilities of the Surgeon. The Alcide frill continued fickly, though not fo much fo as the Torbay. The former had failed on a cruife in October, and having met with very rough weather, the fick Hit was thereby increafed. The dyfentery now pre- vailed in that fhip, as well as fevers, and thole men chiefly were attacked with fevers who were ill of the fcurvy, or recovering from it. This was not very common ; and there were feveral other remarkable particu- lars with regard to the fevers in this fhip ; for her men were not only uncommonly fubject to this difeafe, both in America and the Weftlndies, but to all the various forms of it, the low infections Ihip fever of Europe, the bilious remitting, and the malignant yellow fever of hot climates. It would ap- pear from this, as well as other inftances, that a fhip may arTurne, as it were, a parti^ cula'r conftitution, or a tendency to fome
P 3 parti-
38 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1)80. PART 1.
particular difeafe, for a length of time, and this depending on fome lurking and adhe- ring infection, or the manner in which fhe may have heen victualled, watered, dis- ciplined, or manned.
The great benefit derived to the health of the fleet, from the change of climate, as well as other reafons, juftifled the Admiral in going to North America ; and there was the more merit in this meafure, as it was undertaken without precedent, and without inftru6tion. Upon our return, we found there was great good fortune in it, as well as wifdom ; for there had happened on the 10th of October a more violent hurricane "than any in the memory of man, and the ravage it made both by fea and land is perhaps unparallelled in hiftory. Several of the fhips of the line were expofed to \t ; but though they Suffered extremely, and were in the utmoft danger, none were loft. Two of them happened to be at Antigua, which was out of the track of this hurricane, as it extended only from the 12th to the i^th degree of N. latitude, fo that the only
tflands
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I780. J}
iflands that fuffered by it were Barbadoes, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Martinique. — Four frigates, aud as many {loops of waft, either foundered or were wrecked, and about one thoufand feamen perifhed in them. One of the buildings of the hofpital at Barbadoes was entirely demolifhed by the impetuosity -of the fea, which having rifen to a great height, darned a fhip againft it, and twenty- three feamen were buried in the ruins*.
The
'* Although this hurricane, in itfelf and its confequen- <ces, was fo destructive to the lives and health of men, yet with regard to the inhabitants on fliore, it had a furprifing and unexpected effect, in mending their health. I wrote an account of this hurricane to the late Dr. Hunter, who communicated it to the Royal Society, and the following pafTage is extracted from it.
" The conferences of this general tumult of nature on ** the health of man, was none of the lead curious of its '* effects. I made much inquiry on this head, not only " of the medical gentlemen who had the charge of hofpi- " pitals, and of the phyficians of the country, but of the 11 inhabitants, and every one had fome cure to relate either " of themfelves or their neighbours, in a variety of dif- " eaies. Nor could I find that either thofe who were in u health, or thofe who were ill of any difeafe whatever, *' fuffered from it, otherwife than by its mechanical D 4 " violence ;
4.0 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. PART I.
The Montague fufFered moil on this occa- sion, and was alfo molt fubject to ficknefs
and
" violence ; but, on the contrary, that there was a general " amendment of health. This is a fact, which I could nei- " ther credit, nor would venture to relate, were it not fup- " ported by fo many concurring teftimonies. It had a vU " fible good efFe6l on the acute difeafes of the climate. " The chronic fluxes, of which there were then fome at the V. naval hofpital, were cured or much relieved by it, But - " the difeafes upon which it had moft evident and fen» " fible effects, were pulmonic confumptions. Some re- " cent cafes of phthifts, and even the- acute flate of' pleu- " rify was cured by it, and in the advanced and incurable " flate of it, the hectic fever wa§ removed, and remark- " able temporary relief afforded. A delicate lady of my " acquaintance, who was ill of a pleurify ^t the time, and " pafled more than ten hours in the open air, fitting ge- f< nerally feveral inches deep in water, found herfelf free " of complaint next day, had no return of it, and when li I faw her a few weeks after, was in much better health " and looks than ufual. The people obferved that they " had remarkably keen appetites for fome time after, and *} the furviving part of them became uncommonly heal- " thy, fome of both fexes, whom I had left fallow and " thin a few months before, looking now frefh and plump,
«* It is very difficult to account for this, as well as every «' thing elfe in the animal ceconomy ; but it was probably " owing in part, at leaft, to the very great coldnefs an4
" purity
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 4%
and mortality, brought on in confequence of the great fatigue and hardships of the- men in bringing in and refitting her ; for the fhip was almofl torn to pieces, both in the rigging and hul}, and the bedding and other neceffaries and conveniencies were en- tirely deflroyed. The fever that prevailed on board at this time was of the mod: malig- nant kind known in this climate, and the worfl cafes arofe in watering, and the other neceflary duties on more, from which the men would fometimes return frantic, and die in a few hours. There was a party of foldiers on board, and as they were not called upon to perform any duties on more, they had but little ficknefs in comparifon of the failors.
" purity of the air from the upper regions of the atmpiV " phere. Great agitation of mind fometimes alfoproduces " a revolution in health ; and we know that the effecl of " external impreffions in general is very different when " the mind is vacant, from what it is when occupied and " interefted by objects, whether of pleafure and fatisfac~Hon, " or of danger and fuffering."
The
4* EIS-EASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. PARTI*
The other mips having furTered lefs from the ftorm, were alfo fo{$ fkkly, as it was not neceffary for them to remain fo long in the unhealthy Carenage to repair.
The only difeafe that prevailed at this time, in thefe two mips, was fevers, there being few or no fluxes, though they had been fo frequent in the former part of- the year. Though fevers and fluxes depend on the fame general caufes, yet when thefe caufes exift in a higher degree, it would appear that they are more apt to produce fevers. Thus the exhalations of the earth from marines are more apt to produce fevers; and mere ex- celTes of heat and cold or moifture, are more apt to produce fluxes; juft as in Europe a ca- tarrh, which may be considered as a local fe- brile affection, as well as a dyfentery, will be excited by expofure to cold or damp, with- out any fpecific bad quality in the air.
The Ajax and Montague are the only two ihips of thofe left in the Weft Indies, which are included in the eftimate of ficknefs and
mortality
JOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780* 43
mortality in November and December, and they bear a very great proportion to the whole ; for out of forty-four that died in fourteen fhips of the line in November9 twenty died in the Montague, and five in the Ajax ; and out of forty-three, the whole number of deaths in December in twenty- one fhips of the line, ten were of the Mon- tague^ and eleven of the Ajax.
:CHAP.
'HAP. III.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from January 1781 till July 1 78 1, both Months included. ■ <
Arrival of feven Ships of the Line from England — Increafe of Sicknefs in conference of a. Defcenton St. Vincent's • — Long Cruife to windward of Marti- nique— Great prevalence of Scurvy- — Difference of Health in different Ships — New Ships not more un- healthy than others — Why Frigates are more healthy than Ships of the Line — Remarkable Cure of Scurvy in two Ships — Effence of Malt —Vegetables moft anti- fcorbutic in their natural State — Advantage of fupply- ing Refreftiments on board of Ships in preference to jHofpitals,
W E are now come to that period in which pur fleet was reinforced with {even mips of the line, which arrived at Barbadoes from England on the 5th of January, 1781, un- der the command of Lord Hood. This ad- dition, wfth two which had arrived in No- vember, made the force upon this jftation again amount to twenty-one fhips of the Jine.
Tn«
TABLE IV.
[To face Pige 45.3
Shewing the Number of each Difeafe on board on the Firft of each Month, the Numbers fent to the Hofpital, and Dead, in the Courfe of the Month.
|
SHIPS' NAMES. N. B. Theft marked », arrived with 6ir S. Hood. |
I |
E B R U A R Y, 17S1. |
MARCH. |
APR |
I L. |
M A |
V. |
June. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Fever. |
Flux. |
Scurvy. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Scurvy. |
Fever. |
Flux |
icurv |
1- |
Fever. |
Flux |
Scurvy. |
Fever. |
Flux. |
Scurvy. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
O 8 8 25 |
| a 0 |
O |
0 |
J~ -- |
a |
,0 O |
Sent to the Hofpital. Dea, |
T3 O |
S S |
Q |
-6 O |
| K |
R |
^1 O |
; W |
Q |
-D O |
4: ~ 5 a |
13 |
O |
A — 5 a |
P |
T3 O |
Ja |
p |
13 .£1 O |
5 a |
Q |
•a .0 6 |
1 ™ |
q |
-6 O |
1 * |
& |
-6 Si 0 |
E K |
P |
.£3 0 |
■jj-3 |
P |
O |
l» P |
|||
|
Sandwich - — |
4 |
0 |
0 |
* |
• |
1 ° |
8 |
3 4 |
0 |
4 35 |
o |
0 |
5 |
27 |
0 |
6 24 |
0 |
O |
9 25 |
1 |
— |
33 iS |
4 |
0 |
^ |
2 |
i |
,0 |
5 |
0 |
5 |
18 |
0 |
1 |
> |
° |
3 |
O |
° |
10 |
0 |
O |
|||
|
* Gibraltar - - |
- |
2 |
4 4 |
- |
' |
3 |
» |
1 ° |
28 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
°_ |
16 |
— |
0 |
54 30 |
S |
0 4 |
20 3 |
0 |
° |
>3 |
- |
• |
58 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 8 |
0 |
S 3 |
-- |
-- |
— |
— |
0 |
6 24 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
° |
, |
0 3 |
O |
0 |
-- |
— |
0 0 |
4 |
0 0 |
O |
48 b |
5 |
■ — |
|||||||||||||||||
|
0 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Triumph - - |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Centaur - - - |
0 0 0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
8 |
7 |
0 |
o |
4 S |
0 |
0 |
5° 8 |
0 |
8 0 |
6 |
0 |
„ |
3 S |
0 |
0 |
5 5 23 |
27 |
0 |
0 5 |
— |
0 |
'3 3 |
0 4 |
0 |
44 57 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
° |
9 |
0 |
' |
'5 |
» |
« |
||
|
Torbav - - - |
t |
7 |
31 1 1 |
— |
16 4 3 |
3 |
0 |
6 4 |
0 |
3 |
9 36 |
i |
0 0 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monarch - - |
13 |
3 |
'3 10 |
0 0 |
0 |
* |
.1. |
5 |
0 |
° |
4 |
• |
° |
- |
» |
0 |
8 |
0 |
4 |
17 |
° |
° |
0 |
• |
-1 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Terrible - - |
0 |
■ |
.|. |
2 |
• |
° |
9 |
- |
* |
3 1 0 |
0 |
0 |
§ |
0 |
to |
° |
0 |
4 |
3 |
' |
5 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Montagu |
40 |
0 |
8 |
"4 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
§ |
§ |
5 |
§ |
§ |
3 |
§ | § |
■ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
0 |
° |
§ |
0 |
« |
§ |
0 |
0 |
||
|
Alfred - - - |
4 |
0 |
° |
4 |
c |
■> |
4 |
» |
■ |
>5 |
- |
0 |
S |
° |
■ |
56 |
16 |
* |
» |
0 |
0 |
26 |
0 |
■ |
116 |
44 |
4 |
'5 |
.0 |
■ |
■■ |
3 |
0 |
130 |
25 |
2 |
■4 |
■ |
5 |
10 |
0 |
O |
26 |
" |
0 |
|
Ruflel - - - |
° |
° |
0 |
7 |
0 |
- |
* |
> |
0 |
7 |
° |
0 |
s |
I |
0 |
■5 |
61 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
° |
' |
44 |
0 | 3 |
0 |
O |
0 |
8 |
0 |
— |
'3», 4" |
35 |
4 0 |
4 |
- |
0 |
19 |
. |
0 |
'4 |
■ |
||
|
Alcide - - - |
" |
0 |
■ |
9 |
■ |
° |
• |
0 |
0 |
' |
° |
0 |
■ |
0 |
° |
■ |
° |
1 4 |
0 0 |
0 0 |
3 4 8 |
0 |
|
8 4 |
16 6 |
|
2 |
» |
5 5 4 2 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
5 |
0 |
|||||||||||
|
♦Invincible - - |
• |
• |
• |
0 |
0 |
<> |
0 |
6 |
■ |
° |
• |
° |
0 |
5 |
6 |
° |
7 5 3 4 |
0 |
-- |
6 9 5 3 |
E 0 |
4 » |
3" 15 |
54 45 |
4 |
8 I |
§ |
§ 0 |
0 |
0 |
to |
1 |
0 |
||||||||||||
|
Rcfolution - - |
0 |
0 |
7 |
c |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
° |
5 |
0 |
0 |
• |
0 |
0 |
5 4 |
3 |
0 0 |
§ |
84 |
0 |
§ |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Shrewfbury - — |
8 |
0 |
0 |
' |
' |
1 5 |
t 3 |
7 |
I |
5 |
~ |
> |
6 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
O |
° |
22 6 |
§ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ajax _ |
8 |
* |
- |
t |
' |
■ |
6 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
■ |
'5 |
4 |
1 |
3° |
5 |
8 |
0 |
40 |
! |
6 |
1 54 s |
5 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
* PrincefTa - - |
8 |
0 |
> |
3 |
■ |
• |
c |
0 |
6 |
« |
5 |
« |
• |
0 |
4 |
■ 0, |
• |
6 |
• |
° |
'3 |
• |
0 |
40 |
° |
■ |
» |
0 |
• |
2 |
° |
1 |
§ |
40 |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
6 § |
||||||
|
' |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Intrepid - - - |
18 |
' |
■ |
" |
4 |
° |
■ |
c |
« |
,0 |
• |
9 |
° |
0 |
° |
p |
° |
9 |
i |
5 |
§ |
§ |
' |
§ |
5 |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
§ |
||||||||||||||
|
* Belliqueux - - |
" |
■ |
0 |
4 |
0 0 |
5 0 0 |
4 |
0 |
0 0 0 |
3 23 5 |
,: |
0 |
5- 47 |
62 |
■ |
° |
- |
» |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
° |
'- |
■ |
■ |
3 |
0 |
» |
8 |
0 |
0 |
|||||||
|
♦Prince William |
»' |
0 |
5 |
6 |
,0 |
0 |
■9 |
» |
0 |
■47 |
40 |
■ |
16 9 |
I |
0 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
53 |
5 |
• |
7 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
'3 |
3 |
■ |
; S |
7 |
0 |
||||||||||||
|
• Panther - - |
• |
0 |
0 |
° |
8 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
■ |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 | 0 |
■ |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
4 |
0 |
» |
° |
O |
3 |
■ |
° |
8 |
- |
0 |
0 '5 § 48» |
' |
— |
||||||||||
|
Triton - - _ |
7 |
0 |
0 |
'5 |
• |
'4 |
- |
3 |
O |
II |
■ |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 | |
O |
0 |
« |
0 |
« |
0 |
° |
4 |
-d |
0 |
— |
■ |
0 |
2 |
0 |
> |
. |
0 |
§ 5 |
— |
|||||
|
Hyena - - - |
0 |
■ |
0 |
- |
- |
• |
° |
■ |
0 |
I |
0 |
0 |
° |
0 |
0 |
O |
0 |
0 |
0 | |
0 |
2 |
c |
0 |
0 1 1 |
c 1 |
0 |
° |
3 § |
:; |
§ 6 |
— '49 |
5" |
|||||||||||||
|
Cyclops - . _ |
4 97 |
2 |
'9 |
3 58 |
7 |
0 |
0 93 |
■9 |
.7 |
4 '74 |
0 |
0 |
3 0 |
TT |
0 oj |
27 |
2 |
« |
9 |
■7 |
A 49 1 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
~7\ |
oj o| |
-- |
66 |
39 |
7 |
° |
0 |
1 |
T |
|||||||||||
|
Total - - |
»4 |
, |
38 1 |
67 |
02 |, |
65 1 |
"5 |
? |
9 V |
28 |
76 | |
H |
41 436 |
» |
IS' |
n |
N. B. Where the Spaces are marked thus, §, no Return was made,
&00K I* DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I^Sl* 45
The whole fleet was tolerably healthy during this month, the feafon being dry and cool ; there was, however, a fmall increafc of ficknefs at this time, and it was owing to a defcent made on St. Vincent's in De- cember. The foldiers, (of whom there was flill a regiment on board of the fleet) the marines, and fome of the feamen, had been on fhore for one night only 5 hut many of them having lain on the ground, fome ha- ving been intoxicated, or having eaten to excefs of fugar^-cane and fruit, caught fe- vers and fluxes, which increafed the pro- portion of difeafes and deaths the following months, as appears by the Table*
I have exhibited, in another Table, a view of the ficknefs and mortality of this fleet for the five fucceeding months. (Table IV.) This account, as well as moft of thofe that are to follow, is confined to three difeafes, that may be called the fea epidemics. Thefe are fever, flux, and fcurvy.
. The whole fleet met at Barbadoes on the 13th of January, and no fervice was under- taken
4$ DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1781. PART I*
taken till the accounts of the Dutch war arrived on the 30th of that month. In con- fequence of this intelligence, the greater part of the mips of war went againfr. St. Euftatius, which was taken on the 3d of February.
Ten days after this, a fquadron of feven- teen mips of the line was fent to cruife to windward of Martinique, with a view to in- tercept a French fquadron, which was then faid to be on its paffage from Europe. The cruife was there continued for fix weeks, after which, fmali divifions of the mips were fent to water and refit by turns at St. Lucia, and were relieved by the mips left for the pro- tection of that ifland.
Soon after this, the whole fquadron came to leeward of Martinique, and though the former intelligence had proved falfe, the greater part of our fleet ftill kept the fea, in order to block up the enemy in Fort Royal Bay. This they continued to do, till the 29th of April, when a French fleet, of twenty-two mips of the line, from Europe,
^joined
BOOK lo DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I^Sl, 47
joined by four from Martinique, forced their way into their own port, pufhing to leeward our fleet, confining only of eighteen iliips of the line, fo that the greater part of them did - not get into port, till they came to an anchor at Barbadoes on the 23d of May.
It was in this feafon of cruifing, and keep-* ing the fea, that the fleet contracted fuch a degree of fcurvy, as had never before been known in the Weft Indies. This difeafe is not fo apt to arife in a hot climate as in a cold one ; and the prevalence of it on this occafion was owing to the men having been for a great length of time upon fea victual- ling; for one part of the fleet had not had a frefh meal from the time of leaving America, that is, for fix months ; and that part of it which came laft from England, had been in. the fame fituation for {even months ; nor had any of them been in the way of vege- table refrefhmenis from the time they left Barbadoes, in the end of January. But though no frefh meat or vegetables could" be procured at St. Lucia or St. Euftatius, yet the fcurvy did not make fuch progrefs hi
the
48 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1781= PART I.
the fhips that lay at anchor there, as in thofe that were at fea ; and it appears, that the time in which it prevailed moft was, while the greateft number of mips was at fea, that is, in the month of March. It appears, indeed, by the table, that there was a grea-- ter number ill of this complaint on the ift of May than on the ift of April ; but it ap- pears alfo, that more were fent to the hofpi- tal in March than in April, and very near half of the May lift mult have been taken ill in March % The difference of beingJn port and at fea, confifts chiefly, ift, In there being plenty of water while in port, fo that it can be ufed freely, not only to drink, but to warn the clothes ; and we know that cleanlinefs tends greatly to ward off the fcurvy. 2dly, Though no frefh meat nor vegetables could be procured at thofe ports, fugar, which may be confidered as a very antifcorbutic article of diet, could
* In order to afcertain more exactly the degree of licknefs in each month, a column was afterwards added to the form of the returns, exprefling the number taken ill of the feveral difeafes in the courfe of the month.
always
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 49
always be procured at a very cheap rate, and the feamen, when in port, ufed to exchange their fait provisions for it. 3dly, There is at iea a difmal uniformity of life, favourable to indolence and fadnefs, and therefore tend- ing to haften the progrefs of the fcurvy, whereas the change of fcene and variety of objects, when in port, tend to chear the mind, and thereby to avert this difeafe.
- The fquadron that came from England under Lord Hood, fufFered, upon the whole, much lefs from acute difeafes, during the firfr. months of their fervice in this climate, than the mips that arrived with Lord Rod- ney, which was probably owing in part, at leafl, to the former having arrived at the drieft and cooleil: feafon of the year* The Barfleur, however, had a large proportion of all the three prevailing difeafes, and large mips are in general more fubjecl: to them than thofe of a fmaller rate. But of all the mips, the Al- fred had the greateft proportion of all the three fea epidemics. The Prince William fufFered more than any other fhip in the fleet from the flux, and ? the Princefla, from the fcurvy. In fome instances, reafons
E can
5D DISEASES OT THE FLEET, 1780. fcAKT IV
can be affigned for the prevalence of parti- cular difeafes in particular fhips, fuch as ac~ cidental infection, or the manner in which they have been victualled, manned, or dis- ciplined, but in many cafes the caufe eludes our inquiry.
The moll: healthy of the new fquadror* during - trhis campaign, were the Belliqueux and Panther; the former was a new fhip, and came from England with a very irregular and ill-difciplined crew. Soon after arri- ving in the climate, (he was- threatened with a dyfentery, which, though it fpread a good deal, did not prove fevere nor mor- tal ; but being left at St. Eu&atius on this account, while the reft of the fleet were cruifing, fhe foon became very healthy, and remained fo. This is the feeond inflance- of a new fhip being healthy.
The Panther preferved her health by be- ing on fmall feparate cruifes, and frequently in port, not being attached to the main fqua- dron. The Sandwich was the only other fhip not engaged in the long cruife.
Of
ioOK U DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. §t
Of the mips lately from England, that
were engaged in it, the Gibraltar feems to
have been the leaf* fickly. This Ihip left
England healthy, but having received a draft
of dirty men* when upon the eve of failing*
a fever of the infectious kind broke out on
the paffage, fo that fhe arrived in the Weft
Indies in a fickly ftate. This fever very
foon after difappeared, and it is proved by
this, as well as other fads, that a warm
climate, fo far from tending to generate, or
even to fofter the infe&ion of fever, tends
rather to extinguish it. The Gibraltar had
been put under excellent difcipline by her
former commander, while in the channel
fervice, and this being afterwards kept up,
the men were always clean and regular.
This was the Spanim Admiral's Ihip, taken
by Lord Rodney off Gape St. Vincent's, in
January 1780. She was then called the
Phcenixj and was of a fingular excellence
both in her materials and conftruclion.-—
Whether the cedar* of which a great part
of her timbers confifted, contributed to the
healthinefs, by its balfamic effluvia, 1 will
not pretend to determine.
E 2 The
53 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I*r8o. PART I.
The Invincible was alio uncommonly heal- thy during this cruife, which may likewife be imputed to good difcipline, and to her having been more than three years in com- miffion before failing from England, where- by the men were brought into order, and accuftomed to each other and to a fea life. This fhip was almoft fingular in having no acute difeafes for feveral months after arriving from. Europe, but at length paid the tribute fo the climate in May and June, as may be ieen in the table.
From the account of the three frigates at the bottom of the lift in the table, it ap- pears how much more healthy they are than fhips of the line. The total complements of the three is exactly equal to that of one feventy-four-gun fhip ; but their whole fick- nefs and mortality is lefs than that of any one (hip of the line of that clafs, although the Triton was uncommonly iickly for a ti igate.
There feem to be feveral caufes for the fuperior degree of health ufually enjoyed
BOOK I. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I780. $$
by this fmaller clafs of fhips. There is lefs chance^ of mixtures of men in frigates, as their complement is fmaller : it is more eafy for the captain and officers to keep an eye over a few men than a great number ; for, in a great fhip, there are generally men, who concealing themfelves in the mofr re- tired parts, no one takes cognizance of them, and they deftroy themfelves, and infect others, by their lazinefs and filth. In the next place, there is a greater propor- tion of volunteers and real feamen in frigates, and more landmen and prefTed men in mips of the line, the former being more in requeft, on account of the greater chance of prize- money. Laftly, a fmall (hip is more eafily ventilated, and the mafs of foul air iffuing from the hold, from the victuals, water, and other ftores, as well as the effluvia exhaling from the men's bodies, is lefs than in a large fhip.
Many other and more minute remarks
might be made on different mips in this fea-
fon of hard fervice ; but to do this would
be fedious, and the inflection of the tables
E 3 may
54 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, IfSo. PART ?^
may fuggefr. obfervatjons to the reader. There is a ftriking and inftru&iye fact, however, with regard to two mips, which J cannot he}p mentioning. The Alcide and Invincible, both of feventy-four guns. In working to windward, after the action, with the French fjeet, on the 29th of April, anchored at Montferrat on the nth of May, in order to water. They remained there only part of two days, and they procured no refrefhment, except a few bufhels of limes. The fcurvy was then at a great height in both (hips ; but between this time and the 23d of May, when they came to an anchor at Barbadoes, Hxty men were difcharged, as fit for duty, from the lick lif^ of the Invincible, and a hundred and four- teen from that of the Alcide. Thefe were the only two fhips that had the advantage of the limes, and during thefe twelve days the fcurvy continued to increafe in all the other fhips. Dr. Lind is the firfr. author who gives a decided preference to lemons, limes, and oranges, over every other anti- fcorbutic ; and the above-mentioned fa£t proves as demonftrably aspoffiblethe infinite advantage of this fort of acid in fcurvy.
The
fiOOKl. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. 'SS
The fleet was fupplied with eflence of malt during all this campaign, and though it was, no douht, of fervice, it was far from having that powerful and manifeft, ef- fect that the acid fruits had, and certainly -did by no means prevent the fcurvy in all cafes. I have ftrong teftimonies, however, of its beneficial effects, from the furgeons of feveralofthe fhips, particularly the Gibral- tar, Centaur, Torbay, and Alcide, in all of which it was found. either to cure the fcurvy, in its .firfr. beginning,. or to retard its progrefs, or to mend the appearance of fcorbutic ulcers^, and difpofe them to heah
I had conceived that molaffes, being a ve« getable fweet, muft have been a very powers ful antifcorbutic ; but the greatefl part of the laft reinforcement of feven mips, came from England furnifhed with this as an ar- ticle of victualling, as a iubftitute for a cer- tain proportion of oatmeal, which was with- held agreeably to.a late very judicious order of the Admiralty. But though I am per- fuaded that this mitigated the difeafe, it was very far from preventing it, and the Prin- £efla in particular, which fuffered moll: from
E 4 the
56 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. FAK.T t,
the fcurvy, was well fupplied with this article.
There is reafon to think, that it is not in the vegetable fweet alone that the antifcor- butic principle refides, but in this in con- junction with the natural mucilage, fuch as. exifts in the malt. I fufpecl: likewife that the change which the effence undergoes in its preparation, tends alfo to rob it of fome of its original virtue. But the melaffes are ftill farther altered by being deprived of the natural mucilage, by means of quick-lime, with which all fugar is clarified in the boi- lers. Dr. Hendy, ofBarbadoes, to whom I have been obliged for feveral remarks, in- formed me, that the liquor, before it under- goes this operation, has been found by him to produce the moft falutary effects in the fcurvy ; but as this cannot be had at fea, we had no opportunity of comparing it with other antifcorbuties. It is certain alfo, that the medical effects of the native fweet juices are, in other refpecls, very different from what they are in their refined ftate ; for manna, wort, and the native juice of the
fugar-
BOOK t. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I}8o. 57
fugar-cane, are purgative, whereas fugar it* felf is not at all fo. This affords a preemp- tion, that they may be alfo different in their antifcorbutic quality, and there is reafon lo think, from experience, that the more natu- ral the ftate in which any vegetable is, the greater is its antiscorbutic quality. Vege- tables, in the form of fallads, are more powerful, than when prepared by fire; and I know, for certain, that the rob of lemons and oranges is not to be compared to the frefh fruit. Raw potatoes have been ufed with advantage in the fleet, particularly by Mr. Smith, of the Triton, who made the fcorbutic men eat them, fliced with vinegar, with great benefit. This ac- cords alfo with what Dr. Mertans, of Vienna., has lately communicated to the Royal So- ciety of London.
When the fleet arrived at Barbadoes, on the 23d of May, I found that the number of fick on board amounted to fixteen hundred, and that there was not accommodation for more than two hundred at the hofpital. As there was hardly any complaint but fcurvy,
the
&§. D-iSEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. PART I,
the Admiral, at my reprefentation, iffued an order for ferving the fick on board of their own mips with fruit and other vegetables and refreshments, fuch as milk and foft bread. This courfe of diet commenced in the begin- ning of June ; and as the greater part of the fleet was near four weeks thereafter in port, they enjoyed the advantages of it during that tkne, and the very great diminution of ^cknefs and mortality, which appears 'by jfhe tables, in that month, fufficienily evinces the benefit derived from it. In lefs than four weeks, the fleet, from being very fickly, jpecame extremely healthy.
It was remarked, that the men recovered fairer on board than on more, and it would appear that land air, merely as fuch, has no thare in the cure of the fcurvy, and that the benefit arifes from the concomitant diet, cleanlinefs, and recreation. The expedient of curing men on board of their mips, was here fuggefted by neceffity, but it fucceeded fo well, that I adopted it afterwards, in pre- ference to hofpitals, which are ufeful reliefs to a fleet, where there are contagious acute dis- orders ;
gOOK I, DISEASES OP THE FLEET, 1780. £0
orders, but with regard to fcurvy, I am, convinced, that on foreign flations, at leaft where the accommodations of the lick are more indifferent than in England, many ad-? vantages would arife from fupplying men with refreshments on board of tjieir own mips. It appears, that only four men died of this difeafe in the whole fleet in the month of June, though there were fo many ill of it ; and it appears by the books of hofpitals, that fcorbutic men die there in a much greater proportion, which is owing to other dif- eafes, particularly the flux, which they catch by infecYion, or bring on by intem- perance. It is farther \n favour of this fcheme, that great numbers of thofe fent on fhore are loft, by defertion. It is alfo a great faving to Government, the expence not being a fourth part of what it would coll at an hofpital.
The fleet left Barhadoes on the 10th and 1 2th of July, and continued healthy till the greater part of it failed for North America $a the beginning of Auguft.
JP ART
L 6o 3
PART L
BOOK II.
Continuation of the Medical History of the Fleet, from Auguft 1 781, till the Conclnfion of the War in April 1783.
C HAP. I.
Some Account of the Interval between the Campaign of of 1 78 1 and the junction of the Reinforcement from England, in April 1782.-— — The main Body of the Fleet goes to North America — Lord Rodney goes to England, and returns to the Weft Indies with twelve Ships of the Line — Health of the Fleet in England i-^Sicknefs moft prevalent in the beginning of a War — A natural Tendency to recovery in Ships and In- dividuals-— Advantages of this Squadron in point of Victualling,
W HEN the main body of the fleet went to America in Auguft, Lord Rodney went to England for the recovery of his health.—
Wifhing
BOOK ii. JplSEASES OF THE 3TLEET, I^So. 6l
Wifhing to lay before the public boards fe- veral reforms that fuggefted themfelves to me, in the courfe of the late fervice, I ac- companied the Admiral, purpoiing to return when the feafon for hoitile operations fhould have brought back the fleet from the coaii of America.
Soon after arriving in England, I prefented a memorial* to the Board of Admiralty, proposing fuch means for the prefer vation of the health of the fleet, as had occurred to me during my part fervice.
The Board of Admiralty confidered this memorial with all the attention that could be expected in the general hurry of fervice, infeparable from a great and extenfive war, and I am happy in being able to fay, that in confequence of my application, moit of the particulars recommended have fi nee been fo far carried into effect, as to produce a practi- cal conviction of their utility.
* See Appendix to Part II.
Lord
62 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I7S1. ^ASLT ft
Lord Rodney having recovered his health, hurried out to his flation with all the force that could then be equipped, as the enemy were expected at the Caribbee Iilands, with a fuperior force, after their fucceffes againfl us in the autumn campaign in America.
t had again the honoiir to accompany the Admiral. He firft failed from Portfrriouth with fix mips of the line, on the 14th of December, but having been forced into Ply- mouth, by contrary winds, was there de« tained till the 14th of January, 1 782. Du^ ring this time, more fhips were got ready, and fix were added to the fquadron ; for the public anxiety at that time called forth every exertion to ftrengthen this reinforce- ment, upon which the fate of the whole Weft Indies was fuppofed to depend*
This fleet cleared the Channel in the midft of a ftorm, and with the wind at the fame time fo fcanty, that we barely weathered Ufhant ; but Lord Rodney's perfeverance and refolution, ftimulated by the exigency of the occafion, banifhed all heiitation and
timidity e
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I^Sl. 63
timidity. The rough weather, and contrary winds, continued through the variable lati- tudes ; but having met with frefh blowing trade winds, common at that feafon, we had the good fortune to get fafe to Barba- does, with the whole fquadron, on the 19th of February.
All the twelve £hips * of this reinforce* ment had been more or lefs at fea iince their having been commiffioned, except the Anfonj which was an entirely new fhip, and the Fame and Yarmouth, which had j oft under- gone a thorough repair, and had been for a few weeks at fea in the Channel, before they were ordered on this expedition.
; The only fhip that was iickly when we left England, was the Fame, on board of which fome preffed men, with the infection about them, had been received from the Conqueftadore guardfhip, and the fever
* They were the Formidable and Namur, of 90 guns; the Arrogant, Conqueror, Marlborough, Hercules, and Fame, of 74 guns ; the Yarmouth, Repulfe,, Prothee, Ahfon, and Nonfuchj of 64 guns,
which
64 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1780. PART X.
which broke out in Plymouth Sound, where I was firft fent for to vifit that fhip, was pro- bably owing to the infection which thefe men brought with them, The other mips were upon the whole, healthy ; for it appeared by the weekly accounts delivered to the Admiral, that the mortality, including even that of the Fame, for the four weeks before we failed, had been only one in 1300, and that there had been about one in 29 on the fick lift.
An opportunity offered on this occafion of comparing the health of mips of war in England with that in the Weft Indies. The health of the fleet in general at home, was at this time about the proportion above men- tioned ; but it is to be remarked, that it was healthier then, than in the former part of the war.
Plymouth hofpital, which is calculated for twelve hundred men, was not half full, and there Were not at this time more than fix hundred men at that of Haflar, which is calculated to contain two thoufand ; but the
latter
BOOK lie DISEASES OF THE FLEET3 178X0 65
latter was generally full during the flrfl two or three years of the war, from the great fleets that put into Portfmouth, At one time, part of the lick were even obliged to be accommodated with tents in the neigh- bourhood of the hofpital, for want of room. But towards the end of the year 1781, the infectious fever, which conftitutes a great part of the licknefs in the European feas? was al- moft extirpated, and in a cruife of five weeks in the north part of the Bay of Bifcay, un- der Admiral Darby, in September and Odto- ber of this year, only fix men were buried in that time in twenty-eight mips of the line.
This was chiefly owing, as I apprehend^ to the length of time which the wgr had con- tinued;, in confequence of which the men of the refpective mips5 companies had been ufed to each other, and accuftomed to the mode of life peculiar to a man of war9 regulating themfelves according to certain rules of good order and cleanlinefs. The caufes of the fever above mentioned, as fhall be more fully illuitrated hereafter, are chiefly connect-
with the circumflances occurring in the be* F . ginnin;
66 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1781. PART J.
ginning of a war, when men of all defcriptions are mixed, without proper precautions being, taken to guard again fl the infection imported from jails or guardfliips- The flcknefs in the French fleet wasilill greater in the beginning of the war than in the Britiih, and this has been the cafe in all the wars of this century. la the fleet commanded by the Comte D'Orvil- liers, in J 779* the iieknefs was fo great, as to difable many of the mips from fervice, and great numbers of men were landed at Breft, with a fever fo malignant, as to infect the in- habitants of the town and country adjacent. I believe befides, that the general health pre- vailing at this time in the fleet in England,, was in part owing to the four crout and me- lanes, which were now fupplied more amply than had ever been done before. The entire exemption from fcurvy in particular, is to be imputed to thefe improvements in diet.
There is a tendency in acute" difeafes to Wear themfelves out, both in individuals that labour under them, and when the infection 19 introduced into a community. Unlefs- tfcere was fuch a vis medicatrix9 there would
be
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I781. 67
be no end to the fatality of thefe diftempers ; for the infectious matter would go on multi- plying itfelfwithoutend, and would neceflarily deftroy every perfon who might be actually at- tacked, and would infect every perfon who might be expofed to it. But nature has fo or- dered it, that this poifon, after exciting a cer- tain fet of motions in an animal body, lofes its effect, and recovery takes place; and thofe who happen not to be infected at firft, become in fome meafure callous to its impreffion, by be- ing habitually expofed to it. There is, there- fore, a natural pronenefs to recovery, both with regard to that indifpofition which takes place among a fet of men living together, and with regard to a fingle individual who actually la- bours under the difeafe. Thus the moft pre- vailing period of ficknefs is when men are new to their fituation and to each other, and time of itfelf may prove the means of pre- vention as well as cure.
This confederation, however, ought not to fuperfede any part of our attention, with re- gard to the fcurvy, which does not become ipontaneoully .extinct like acute difeafes.
F % During
:, .DISEASES 0% THE FLEET, • ifzi, part I,
• During the three firft weeks of this paffage from England to the Well Indies, there was- wet and boifterous weather, but it had very little effect in augmenting ficknefs, and though it not only fubjedted the men to fatigue, cold, and damp, but prevented the s from opening their lower-deck ports the 2d of February, between the 31 ft &nd 33d degree of latitude, thereby pro- ducing clofe air and moifture where the men fleep, yet there were only feven deaths
ron, from its leaving1
England till this time, four of which wen in the Fame0
The only fea epidemic that made its ap = pearance? was the infectious fhip fever, which, in many cafes, was attended with pleuritic^ rheumatic, and other inflammatory fymptoms, owing to the cold and wet, to which the men were expofed in the variable latitudes. The warm dry frefli breezes which we had during the remainder of the paflage, were probably what prevented any bad con- fequences from the former hardfhips, for there died only four men from the above- 2 mentioned
FO0K Il« DISEASES ©F THE FLEET, I?§I. _6g
mentioned date, till we arrived at Barbadoes ; and it appeared by the Admiral's weekly ac- count, that the proportion of the fick nei- ther inereafed nor diminifhed? from the time we got into the fine weather till our arrival on the 19th of February
This fquadron left England with feveral advantages in point .of victualling, which no mips had before enjoyed* They were. amply fu'pplied -with.- four crout and melafles ; they had all more or 1-efs wine, of an excellent quality ; and the Formidable had an entire fupply of it, in place of fpirits, of which none was put on board,, This fhip had hi- therto, and did for fome months afterwards^ enjoy an extraordinary, perhaps an unparal- lelled degree of health. What farther con- tributed to the health of this fhip was, that me had been long in commiffion, and moll of the recruits with which the crew had been completed, were men turned ovei: from other fhipSo There was alfo extraordinary medical attention paid, particularly in watch- ing the beginning of complaints,,
E 3 Upon
70 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1781. FART I.
Upon the arrival of the fquadron at Barba- does, it was found, that, the Britifh and French fleets having returned from North America, in the beginning of December, the campaign had opened with the fiege of St. Chriftopher's, which had been invefted by twenty-eight mips of the line, and a considerable army. Our fleet, under Lord Hood, having attempted, with great enter- prife and fkill, but without fuccefs, to re- lieve it, Lord Rodney made hafte to join them with the reinforcement he had brought from England. He remained at anchor at Barbadoes only one night, and in a few days came off Antigua, where he was informed of the furrender of St. Chriftopher's ; and here he joined the reft of the fleet in their return to windward, on the 25th of February.
CHAP,
[ 7' 3
C H A P. II.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from the June- tion of the Squadron from England, till the general
Rendezvous at St. Lucia, in the beginning of April.
The Fleet found on the Station very healthy — Health of the Ships from the American Station — Health of the Ships from England compared with that of the Ships found on the .Station — Small-pox prevalent — Inftance of the remarkable Efficacy of Lemon Juice in curing the Scurvy — ■ Additional Reinforcement from England — Watering Duty dangerous and unhealthy— The mofl healthy Ships thofe that had been Iongeft in the Climate — Lift of the Numbers taken ill of each Complaint in March — Inflammations of the Liver, not common in the Weft Indies.
X HE fleet which we found in the Weft Indies, confifted of all the fixteen that went from thence to America in Augufr. 1781, (except the Terrible, which had been loft) together with fix {hips of the line* from the
* Thefe were the Prince George, of go ; the Bedford, Canada, and Royal Oak, of 74; the America and Prudent, of 64 guns.
F 4 American
n DISEASES OF THE FLEET8 2781, PART T,
American flatkm, the St. Albans, which ar- rived from England in November, and the Rufiel, which had been in the Weft Indies during all the hurricane months. They were all extremely healthy, having only one man in twenty-eight on the lick lift, and very few had been fent to hofpitals.
This fleet, after arriving from America? had lain at anchor for three weeks at Barba- doess where it had the advantage of the ve- getable refreshments which that ifland affords* but during three weeks that it lay at anchor in the face of the enemy at St. Chriflopher's, the men were excluded from all commu- nication with the fhore, and had no vege- table food, except fome yams, with which they were fupplied from Antigua, in place of bifcuit, of which there was at this time a fcarcky* Thefe mips had therefore been in bo port for fix weeks*, except for a few days that they lay in the road of Antigua, refitting, and putting the lick and wounded
300K II, DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 2781* 73
The men had alfo been deprived of their natural reft, and expofed to the air during all the time that the fleet was at anchor be- fore St'. Chriftopher's ; for they had been twice attacked by the enemy in that iitu- ation, and were therefore under the necejlity of keeping the mips conftantly clear for ac= tion : yetnoincreafe of ficknefs followed* This might partly be owing to the eagernefs and alacrity of fpirits naturally excited in fuch a fituation, and alfo to the fleet not lying under the lee of any land, and having fprings upon their cables, fo that they had all the perflation and ail the purity of air which ihips enjoy when at fea. The fumigation which mips undergo in battle, has alfo been thought to contribute to their healtho
To whatever caufe it was owing, the fleet we found in the Weft Indies was at this time healthier than that which hadjuft come from England, and there was but little dif- ference in the degree of health of the dif- ferent mips that compofed it. Of thofe which left the Well: Indies in Auguft, and returned in December^ the only one that
could
74 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1781. PART I.
could be fkid to have any epidemic difeafe was the Prince William, which had never got entirely free from the dyfentery that pre- vailed in her to fuch a degree laft year. The difeafe was kept up, by the fhip never ha- ving been cleared of the men affected with it, and by the crew in general being ill provided with (lops*, a circumftance that would render them more fufceptible of whatever infection they might be expofed to.
There were alfo fome remains of the fame difeafe in the Intrepid, the feeds of it having been more or lefs continued from the fummer of 1 780, at which time it prevailed to a mofr. violent degree. The Alfred had a few of all the fea epidemics, and had been for a long time before more or lefs in the fame fituation, from a neglect of cleanlinefs, particularly of the men's perfons.
The only fhip in which there was any thing like an epidemic, was the Canada. This fhip, when at home, had for many months before me failed been in unremitting
* This is the term for the different articles of feamen's cloathing, particularly ihirts and trowfers.
fervice,
BOOK II» DISEASES OP THE FLEET, 1781. 75
fervice, and very little in port. On the paf- fage from England to America, in Augufl 1 78 1, there broke out a fevere dyfentery, to which the fcorbutic habit of the men, from being fo long at fea, probably pre-dif- pofed them. Though it had abated much in February 1782, it was then by no means extinct, and continued till April. The Prince George had been in commiffion all the war, and was a model of difcipline and cleanlinefs, and therefore of health. This continued till the paflage from America, and upon the flrft cold weather after leaving New York, a violent dyfentery appeared, of which fixteen died. This is agreeable to what Dr. Lind obferves, that the flux may be brought on by a fudden tranfition, either from cold to heat, or from heat to cold. All the men that were ill of this difeafe having been fent to the hofpital at Barbadoes, and the ufual attention to cleanlinefs having been kept up, the difeafe entirely vanimed.
All the other (hips of the American fla- tion had been more or lefs vifited with fick- nefs after they left England, except the
Bedford.
JO ^DISEASES OF THE FLEET, lj8le PART I,
Bedford, This was probably owing to this fhip having been longer in commiffion than any of the others, that is, for four years,, and all that time under the fame comman- der. This lair, circumftance falls to the lot of few mips ; but is attended with great benefit ; for the mutual knowledge and at- tachment of the captain and fhip's company is naturally productive of regularity and good difcipline, and therefore of healths
The Royal Oak, Prudent, and America, which left England with the Bedford, though they had been afflicted with the fcurvy and other complaints foon' after ar- riving in America, had been quite healthy for fome time before coming to the Weft Indies, and were fo much fo at this period9 that, though there were a few fores and flight complaints on . their nek. lifts, there was not a man confined with illnefs, fo as properly to be called lick. The Royal Oak, having been the flag fhip of Admiral Ar= buthnot, was manned with choice feamen, which is a circumftance generally conducive to health ; for thefe being accuftomed to a
300K J4U DISEASES OF "THE FLEETj I?8l«.' 77
lea life9 are more provident^ more handy and methodical in all that relates to diet;, cloathingj and cleanlinefs. The fcurvy/- which inferred her upon flrft. arriving in America^ was fuccefs fully treated on board by ferving to thofe who were ill of it a mefs compofed of foft bread, baked on pur° pofe? and mixed with -wine and efTence o£ malt.
The Prudentj though now quite healthy^ had been fickly foon after being put into commiffion in Europe, and upon fir ft ar- riving in Americao She had been uncom- monly fickly after being firfr put into com- miffion when a new (hip, and was fient to the Baft Indies during the peace0 This re- markable degree of ficknefs was probably owing to a particular experiment that was made in preparing the wood of which (he was built, The experiment confided in foaking the timber for a length of time in a ftrong pickle, ill order to make it lefs corruptible. The only other fhip on which this was tried was the Intrepid/ and we have already mentioned that this
was
?8 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1 78 1. PART U
was an extremely fickly (hip. The effect of it upon the wood was to caufe a con- ftant moifhire and mouldinefs in the orlops and holds. In the Intrepid, the ficknefs was never conquered till a practice was fol- lowed of pumping and bailing her with great care, and putting a fire into the well for fix hours every day, by which means the former dampnefs and mildew were re- moved and prevented, and the fhip ren- dered healthy.
The two fquadrons being united, and confifting of thirty-four fhips of the line, proceeded to St. Lucia, where they arrived on the 1 ft of March.
I received monthly returns as formerly, and the form of them was improved by adding a column for the numbers taken ill of the feverai difeafes in the courfe of the month. The returns of February are not complete, there being none for the ift, as we had not then arrived ; but as the re- turns of the 1 ft of March have relation to the preceding month, a judgement may be
formed
BOOK XI* DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I781.
79
formed of the ficknefs and mortality of February from the following table :
EXTRACT from the RETURNS of the iffc of March 1782.
|
DISEASES. |
Put on the Sick Lift laft Month. |
Died laft Month. |
Sent to the Hofpital laft Month. |
|
Fevers - - - |
553 |
J5 |
9 |
|
Fluxes - - - |
263 |
67 |
0 |
|
Scurvy - - - |
121 |
2 |
5 |
|
Other Complaints |
6l8 |
25 |
59 |
|
Total - - |
*555 |
109 |
13 |
This account is abflracted from the returns of twenty-nine mips of the line, and two* frigates.
The difeafes and deaths under the head of ic Other Complaints," is much more nume- rous in this month than ufual, which is chiefly owing to the preceding actions with the enemy, and to the prevalence of the
fmall-
SO DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I'/8x0 PART t,
fmall-pox. Of the deaths under this head, feventeen were in confequence of wounds, fix of fmall-pox, one of a mortification in the moulder3 and one of confumptiom
None of the epidemics affected one part of the fquadron more than another, except that the mips lafl from England had a lefs pro- portion of the flux than the reft i and the few cafes of this difeafe that were in thefe fhips, arofe after their arrival in the climate* The Conqueror and Fame, which were the two moil fickly ihipsj had no complaints but fevers.
The fevers had now begun to take on fome of the characleriitic fjmptoms of the climate ; the chief of which is a greater abundance of bile. In the Repulfe9 two men had the veliow colour of the fkin, which is fo peculiar to the fevers of this climate.
The crew of the Anfon caught an infec- tious fever from a guardfhip in England ; and when the Prothee failed, there was a fever of the fame kind on board3- but from
*OOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 178?." 8l
the change of climate, the fymptoms be- came milder, and the difeafe had difappeared in both thefe fhips in the courfe of this month.
The mortification in the moulder, men1 tioned above, was fomewhat lingular. It happened to a man in the Yarmouth, who* after being for a week ill of a fever and flux, was one day, early in the morning* feized with a pain in the upper part of the right arm, which immediately begaa to mortify. He foon after became convulfedj and died the fame day about two o'clock.
The fmall-pox prevailed more at • this time in the fleet than I have ever known it to do either before or fince, and that both in the fquadron from England and in that from North America, There were fix cafes in the Formidable, all of which did well, though two were of the confluent kind»
Though there needs, hardly any additional proof of the extraordinary efficacy of lemon
G juice
%Z DISEASES OP THE FLEET, 1782, FART U
juice in curing the fcurvy, yet it may be of fervice to imprefs fo ufeful a truth on the mind by mentioning fuch finking proofs of it as occurred. The Arrogant fpoke with a Portuguefe veffel near Madeira, from which fome of this fruit was procured, and the only fcorbutic man on board happening to have fome of the moll: defperate fymptoms, fuch as putrid gums, contracted hams, the* calves of the leg hard and livid, and fre- quent faintings, a fair opportunity offered for trying its virtues. The man was allow- ed two of them daily, and was perfectly well in fixteen days, during all which time the fliip was at fea, fo that it was impofii- ble to afcribe the cure to any other caufe.
The fleet remained at St. Lucia from the id till the 1 8th of March, completing the water, provifions and ftores, landing the lick at the hofpital, and alfo watching the mo- tions of the enemy* who arrived about the fame time at Martinico from the fiege of St» Chriftopher's, During this time we were reinforced with the Duke, of 90 guns, and the Warrior and Valiant, of 74 guns, from
England.
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. 8$
England. On the 18th the whole fleet, except the Invincible, which was detached with a convoy to Jamaica, failed on a cruife to windward of Martinico in queft. of a French convoy, expected from Europe ; which having eluded us, and got into their own harbour, the whole fleet returned to St. Lucia on the 30th of March, excepting the Prudent, which was fent to Barbadoes.
We found at St. Lucia the Magnificent, of 74, and the Agamemnon, of 64 guns, which were the laff. reinforcement of this campaign, making the Britifh fleet, on this ftation, amount to thirty-nine mips of the line, a much greater force than was ever before employed on foreign fervice. They were all copper bottomed.
The weather continued fine' all this month, yet there was fome increafe of ficknefs, ow- ing chiefly to the hardfhip the men under- went in wooding and watering. In Choc bay, where the fleet watered, there was at this time a higher furf than was ever remem- bered, which made the operation of watering G 2 (at
84 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. PART &
(at all times noxious in this climate) un- commonly toilfome and dangerous. It was, indeed, next to impracticable ; for many longboats were ftaved on the beach, by which feveral men had their limbs broken, and fome loft their lives, by being crufhed or drowned ; but the neceffity of the fervice admitted of no relaxation or delay. There was no increafe of wind to account for this furf; fo that it was owing either to fomething in the currents, or to fome fubterraneous caufe, and there had bsen feU at Barbadoes and St. Lucia about this time a flight fhock of an earthquake *,■ to which many imputed
this
* Earthquakes are frequent in the Weft Indies, and per- haps proceed from a weaker operation of the fame caufe that originally produced the iilands themfelves, which feem all. to have been raifed from the fea by fubterraneous fire. There are evident veftiges of volcanos in them all, except Barbadoes; but there are other unequivocal marks of this ifland having been raifed from the bottom of the fea, for it is entirely formed of coral, and other marine pro- ductions, of which the ftrata are broken, and the parts fefc at angles to each other, as might be expected from fuch a caufe. - There is, perhaps, at all times in the caverns of the earth, elaflic vapour, ftruggling to vent
itfelf.
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1)82. 85
this extraordinary furf. In other refpe&s, there were fewer caufes of ficknefs, than ufually occur to a fleet in port in this part of the world, for the air of the road is re- markably pure, and there were fewer temp- tations and opportunities of intemperance than at the other iflands.
The monthly returns of the furgeons were very full and complete ; but as it would be tedious to infert at length thofe of every parti- cular fhip, and as the number of mips fluctu- ated in different months, I mail do no more hereafter than fet down the general refults from calculation, fo as to fhew the propor-
itfelf, and when near the furface, it may fometimes over- come the incumbent maffes of matter, and produce cer- tain convulfions of nature. In the account of the hurri- cane, which I wrote to Dr, Hunter, I gave reafons for believing, from the teftimony of the inhabitants, that hurricanes are attended with earthquakes, and if a con- fiture might be advanced, concerning the caufe of this, it might be faid, that as the atmofphere is lighter at that time, by feveral inches of the barometer, the elaftic va- lours, confined by the weight of the incumbent earth and atmofphere, being lefs compreffed, may exert fome fec- lible effects,
G 3 tional
86
DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART j,
tional prevalence of difeafe and mortality in each month.
TABLE, fhewing the proportional Sick: nefs and Mortality in March.
|
DISEASES. |
Proportion of thofe tak6n ill in the courfe of this Month. |
Proportion of thofe who dic-d in rela- tion to the Num- bers of the Sick. |
||
|
Fevers - Fluxes - - - Scurvy - - Other Complaints |
0 |
20 35 126 33 I 9 |
0 |
■ 64 71 0 108 ! 76 |
|
General Proportion |
The firfl column is formed by dividing the whole number on board by the number taken ill. The fecond column is formed by firfl
adding
*OOK I J. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. 87
adding the number ill on board on the ift of the month, to the number taken ill during the month, fubtracting from this fum the number fent to the hofpital, and dividing the remainder by the number of deaths.
The number on the lick lift of 28 mips of the line, and two frigates, on the ill: of this month, was 845. The number put on the lifts in the courfe of the month, was 1884, and the number fent to the hofpital in the fame time was 373, and there died on board thirty-one.
The total mortality this month, in relation
to the whole number of men on board, wras one in 607.
It almoft, always happens, that mips of war are more or lefs mort of complement, and allowance is made for this in all the calculations ; for having had an opportu- nity of infpeeting the weekly -accounts deli- vered to the Admiral, it was always in my power to be informed how many there were mort of the legal complement of hiqu in each fhip.
, G 4 It
88 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1)82. PART %9
It appears, from comparing the tables, of this month with thofe of the preceding, that there had been a great increafe of fevers and fluxes, particularly of the latter. The fevers prevailed chiefly in the fhips lately from England, efpecially the Fame and Conque- ror. In the Duke, there were a great num- ber ill of fevers, but this fhip not having ar- rived from England till after the ift of the month, is not included in the calculation. The fluxes were mofc prevalent in jfcfoe mips we found on the ftation, particularly the Canada, Refolution, and Nymph frigate. — ? The fcurvy had increaied very little, but prevailed mofl in the fhips we found here. The only fhips of the new fquadron that had this difeafe to a coniiderable degree, were the Conqueror and ISFonfuch. The former had indeed a good many ill of it, but the return having been made in an imperfecl manner, this fhip is not included in the calculation.
But the mips that were by far the mofl
healthy, were thofe that had been the longefl
from England, the Aj.ax, RufTel, Montague,
, Royal Oak, and Prudent. There had been
formerly
BOOK II, DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. 89
formerly a great mortality in all thefe mips, and it would appear that this uncommon degree of health was owing, in fome meafure at leaft, to this circumftance, that the moft weakly had been fwept off by the different diflempers to which they were expofed, fo that only the more hardy and robuft had furvived,
Under the head of Ct Other Complaints,** a much fmaller number were put on the lift, and ftill fewer died in this than the prece* ding month. This difference is owing to £he number that died of wounds laid month.
There died on board, in the courfe of this mouth, thirteen of fevers, feven of fluxes, and feven of other complaints, of whom five died of fmall-pox, one of afmma, and one of wounds he received at St. Chriflo- pher?s.
In order to mow more fully and minutely what are the complaints incident to fleets in this climate, I (hall fet down a lift of the
- . numbers
<§Q ■ DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART I,
numbers taken ill of the different difeafes and accidents during this month,, extracted from the returns of 28 mips of the linea and two frigates.
|
Fevers - |
806 |
Dropfy - |
1 |
|
Fluxes - |
463 |
Ophthalmia « - |
1 |
|
Scurvy - |
130 |
Leproiy |
1 |
|
Ulcers |
129 |
Fiflula in ano |
3 |
|
Small-pox |
49 |
Hernia humoralis |
I |
|
Pectoral com-) • plaints - J |
40 |
Abfcefs Fractures * |
I 3 |
|
Venereal com-) . plaints - J |
32 |
Various flight 1 accidents, as i |
16 3 |
|
Colds - |
3° |
bruifes, cuts, j |
|
|
Rheumatifm - |
18 |
fcalds, &c. J |
|
|
Angina |
10 |
||
|
Gravel *■.••.*• |
3 |
Total i\ |
IS4. |
The number of ulcers bears here a fmaller proportion to the whole, than it does in ge- neral to the fum total of the fick liil j for being the moil tedious of all complaints, they con- fequently accumulate more than any other. Thus, many of the cafes now fet down as
flight
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I7S2. 9I
flight accidents, will, in the enfuing month, be in the ftate of obftinate ulcers.
Moft of the difeafes of one hot climate refemble thofe of another, fo far as I know \ but there is one difcafe which we hear of as being extremely prevalent all over the Eafl Indies, which is hardly ever met with in the tropical regions of the Weft. This is the inflammation of the liver, of which I remem- ber to have feen only one well-marked cafe, and it was that of a gentleman who had been in the Eaft Indies, and had been fubject to it there. Nor do I recoiled more than one, or at moft two, cafes of this fort, out of feveral thoufand cafes of various difeafes, that were reported to me. This is either ow- ing to the greater heat and drynefs of the air in the Eaft Indies, or fome other peculi- arity with which we are not acquainted.
Every other inflammatory complaint exifts more or lefs, though they are much rarer than in cold and temperate climates. The phthifis pulmonalis is not fo common as in cold climates, but proves fooner fatal to moil:
conftitu-
1)2 DISEASES Or THE FLEET, t)%2» PAXT I.
constitutions. There are certain pulmonic complaints, particularly thofeof the afthmatic kind, to which the climate of the Weft In- dies is remarkably favourable, but thofe in which there is ulceration feem to be hurried fafler to a fatal termination. The climate, from the thirtieth to the fortieth degree of latitude, feems to be beil fuited to confump- tive complaints. The rheumatifms that occur in this climate are moftly of the crn-o- nic kind*
CHAP»
[ 93 ]
C HA P. III.
State of Health of the Fleet in April 1782. — —Battles on the 9th and 12th — The fleet very healthy —-from the Quality of Provifions — from the Effects of Vic- tory — Advantages of clofe A6lion — What Difeafes moll prevalent — Extraordinary Degree of Health la the Formidable.
Jl HIS month being interesting, on account of the memorable engagements that happened In it, the remarks fhall, for this reafon,.be fomewhat more full and particular,
' Two fhips of the line having been fent to protecl a convoy to Jamaica, and one having been fent to protect another convoy to Barba- does, there remained thirty-fix at St. Lucia in the beginning of this month. By the end of the firft week their damages were repaired, their water and provifions complete, and the fick in a great meafure recovered.
An
94 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART 1.
An equal force of the enemy lay over againft us at Martinico, the two powers of Britain and France being to make this diftant quarter of the world the theatre for trying their ftrength, and deciding the fovereignty of the feas. In the view of this great event,' our commander forwarded the neceffary du- ties of the fleet with fuch zeal and diligence, and watched the motions of the enemy with fuch vigilance, that he overtook their grand fquadron a few hours after they left their own port, and engaged them two feveral days, with a fuccefs glorious and complete.
Nothing had been wantingto equip this fleet for the great and decifive exertion it was to make. Every fhip, except two, might be faid to be healthy, mofl of them were com- plete in men, well appointed with officers, and well found in ftores and provisions. -— Conformable to this was the eagernefs, the confidence, and resolution, which led them, to fuccefs and victory.
After this . battle, the whole fleet, with the prizes, bore away for Jamaica, where
part
[To face Page 9S0
TABLE V. ABSTRACT of the RETURNS for APRIL, 17S2.
|
SHITS' NAME S. |
F.E V E R. |
FLUX. |
SCURVY. |
WOUNDS. |
||||||||||||
|
; li |
6 |
a |
S3 |
6 |
13 '3 |
a |
! |
J jj 0 " |
.J |
a |
i>£ |
O |
5 |
Q |
! = |
|
|
•Formidable - |
0 |
6 8 |
5 30 S |
-7- |
-7 |
• |
37 |
° |
||||||||
|
Barfleur - - - Prince Grorgc - |
6 |
-~r |
~~ |
~f- |
0 |
37 |
8 |
« |
||||||||
|
iS 3 |
— 7 |
—7- |
;4 |
3 |
-7- |
|||||||||||
|
• Duke - - - |
S7 |
7« |
31 |
|||||||||||||
|
« Namur - - |
s |
>4 |
° |
" |
9 |
° |
||||||||||
|
Roj.il OA - - |
. |
4 |
~~ |
= |
-^- |
-'; |
° |
3 |
' |
--7- |
» |
-7- |
• |
S4 |
5 |
'! |
|
Alfred - - - Montagu |
s |
46 |
o_ |
Jl- |
• |
° |
'5 |
■ |
° |
3° |
■ |
° |
||||
|
• |
i |
• |
a |
° |
- |
-7- |
•■s 37 |
S |
||||||||
|
- - • - |
5 5 |
,0 |
— o- |
3 |
° |
0 |
■ |
§ |
— 7 |
-7- |
° |
* |
-f- |
|||
|
a. |
,0 |
' |
' |
• |
33 |
|||||||||||
|
■ W11 rior - - |
° |
a |
° |
° |
« |
» |
• |
• |
° |
° |
° |
° |
° |
14 |
-7- |
0 |
|
Centaur - - - |
«■ |
ao |
° |
± |
"T |
'S |
• |
' |
S |
■5 |
0 |
• |
||||
|
< M gnificent - Bedford - - - Ajax - - - |
~ |
~ |
— °-~ |
■ |
° |
• |
7 |
16 |
0 |
° |
0 |
ao |
<>' |
= |
||
|
? |
0 |
■ |
,0 |
0 |
° |
- |
'7 |
4 |
—7 |
|||||||
|
° |
° |
0 |
8 |
0 |
• |
« |
3° |
' |
||||||||
|
Canada - - - |
0 |
s |
• |
« |
=4 |
7. |
° |
• |
■ |
>• |
0 |
Q |
||||
|
Rciolution - - |
■ 9 |
= s |
■ |
0 |
» |
= 7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
'9 |
a |
|
|
» Herculei - - |
> |
38 |
• |
4 |
5 |
18 |
0 |
„ |
• |
~ |
° |
• |
0 |
,3 |
0 |
— 7 |
|
Ruffel - - - |
3 |
3 |
° |
0 |
s |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
o_ |
4 |
-7- |
3 |
|||
|
« Fame - - - |
j' |
50 |
° |
° |
3 |
8 |
■ |
° |
0 |
7 |
■ |
' |
||||
|
Torbay - - - PrincelTa - - - |
.0 |
— |
-— |
~ |
9 |
8 |
-7- |
° |
3 |
• |
• |
° |
0 |
3 |
" |
|
|
' |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
° |
° |
.9 |
■> |
||||||||
|
• Con ,ueror • - |
3° |
§ |
' |
„ |
6 |
33 |
0 |
» |
~T |
5 |
—7 |
" |
° |
•3 |
a |
— 7 |
|
- « Yarmouth - r- |
' |
.6 |
0 |
• |
° |
° |
" |
— ~ |
||||||||
|
7 |
19 |
0 |
... |
3 |
— "— |
= |
3 |
-|- |
— 7 |
• |
« |
16 33 |
||||
|
' |
3 |
" |
0 |
- 6 |
-f" |
— 7 |
° |
|||||||||
|
Belliqueu* - - |
43 |
Il8 |
0 |
° |
4 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
~ |
|||||||
|
Prince William - |
4 |
~ |
° |
0 |
-A- |
— - |
° |
0 |
! |
,8 |
° |
• |
-— |
|||
|
» Rcpulfc - - - |
"7" |
• |
° |
° |
0 |
3 |
« |
0 |
0 |
0 |
T-7 |
|||||
|
° |
° |
• |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
° |
||||||||
|
'3 |
0 |
° |
0 |
. |
= |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
° |
*3 |
7 |
-7- |
||
|
. - |
8 |
' |
° |
s |
49 |
» |
■ |
0 |
0 |
° |
0 |
° |
24 |
a |
||
|
America . - - |
' |
5 |
° |
0 |
3 |
■4 |
0 |
° |
= |
0 |
0 |
° |
' |
*7 |
a |
0 |
|
•Anion - - - « Nrjnfuch - - |
-f" |
6 |
~ |
— "- |
0 |
" |
» |
0 |
■ |
■ |
' |
= |
' |
'3 |
0 |
0 |
|
• |
0 |
-7- |
■ a |
-7- |
-7- |
—7 |
— ~ |
77- |
-7- |
-7- |
||||||
|
AlciJe - - - Ramillki - - |
§ |
6 |
° |
■ |
7 |
,6 |
0 |
|||||||||
|
1 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
» |
§ |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|||||||
|
Nymph - - - |
■ |
1 |
0 |
° |
s |
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
« |
0 |
° |
--7 |
|
Flora - - _ |
• |
' |
° |
» |
■ |
• |
7 |
'9 |
103 |
ao8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-~ |
||
|
Total - - |
3'* |
743 |
■5 |
tS |
■93 |
516 |
« |
iS |
8 |
6o |
N. B. The Sl.ipl marked thus, », came from England in February and March, I78a. All the Ship, named In ihe Table were in the Engagement! in April, eacept the Ramiliet and the two Fri In the Spacei, marked thui, §, no Return was made.
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I7S2. 0$
part of it arrived on the laft days of April, but the greater part of it kept the fea till after the middle of May.
As this month is more than ufually inte- refring, the tables are given at full length, and a column is added for the wounded.
The fum total of the numbers of the men on board of the thirty-fix mips that compofed the line of battle on the 12th of April, was 21,608, and the mortality in proportion to this, during the month, exclufive of wounds, was one in 862.
There was lefs ficknefs, and lefs death, from difeafe in this month, than any of the former twenty-three months, in which I kept records of the fleet, and lefs than in any fubfequent month, till the fleet got to the coaft of America.
To account for this, it is to be obferved, that the men had not been expofed to the noxious air of the more in watering, as in the preceding month : they had received
from
96 DISEASES OF THE FLEETj 1782. PARTI.
from England a frem fupply of provifions, among which was four krout, melaffes, and effence of malt, all in addition to the ordi- nary articles of victualling : many of the ihips were fupplied with wine, in place of rum, and as the weather was all along dry and fine, the men fuffered the lefs from the expofure and want of fleep, which are the neceffary confequences of keeping the ihips clear for battle for feveral days and nights together.
Might not this extraordinary degree of health have alfo been owing, in part, to the effects of fuccefs upon the fpirits of the men? It is related*, that when the fleet under Ad- miral Matthews was off Toulon, in daily expectation for fome time of engaging the combined fleet of France and Spain, there was a general flop put to the progrefs of dif- eafe, particularly of the fcurvy, from the in- fluence of that generous flow of fpirits, with which the profpecl: of battle infpires Britifh feamen. But if the mere expectation and
* Dr. Lind, on the authority of Mr. Ives, Surgeon to Admiral Matthews,
ardour
500K II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782.. 97
ardour of a battle, without any happy event, could have fuch a fenfible effect, what muft have been the effect of the exultation of vic- tory, a victory in which the naval glory of our country was revived and retrieved, after a feries of misfortunes and difgraces, which had well nigh extinguifhed the national pride in every department of fervice. The plain and honeft, though unthinking feaman, is not lefs affected by this than the more en- lightened lover of his country. Even the invalids at the hofpital demonftrated their joy, upon hearing of this victory, by hoift- ing mreds of coloured cloth on their crutches.
It would appear, that there is fomething in fituations of exertion and danger, which infufes a fort of preternatural vigour. When the mind is interefted and agitated by active and generous affections, the body forgets its wants and feelings, and is capable of a de- gree of labour and exertion, which it could not undergo in cold blood. The quantity of mufcular action employed in fighting at a great gun for a few hours, is perhaps more than what is commonly employed in a week
H in
98 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, tjSz* YA.RT ?«•
in the ordinary courfe of life, and though performed in the midft. of heat and fmoker and generally with the want of food and drink, yet the powers of nature are not ex- haufted nor overftrained ; and the future health of thofe who furvive unhurt by exter- nal violence, is fo far from being injured, that it is fometimes mended by this violent •but falutary agitation.
The lofs in action, and the number of mor- tal wounds, were not fo great as might have been expected in a battle continued for a whole day. This advantage was owing to the fuperi- ority of our fire, as well as to the clofenefs of the fight, of which the Commander in Chief fet the illuflrious example, by penetrating the enemy's line with his own fhip ; and this bold and lingular effort firft decided the event of the day. When mips in action are oppofed to each other at a fmalldiftanee, the velocity of cannon balls is fo great, that in penetrating a fhip's fide, few or no fplinters are torn off; and by thefe more men are commonly killed and wounded, than by the ballitfelf. For the fame reafon, a clofe mot does lefs damage alfo to
the
50OKIX* DISEASES OJF THE FLEET, I782. 99
the fKip itfelf than a diflant one ; for a quick-flying ball makes an aperture lefs than its own diameter* whereas a fpent one pro* duces innumerable deadly fplinters, at the fame time fhivering the object it ftrikes, and making wide and exten£ve rents in it. The proportion of the wounded tothekilled, is alfb greater in diftant than in clofe fight, on ac- count of the greater number of fmall fplin- ters ; and we have an experimental proof of this, in comparing the adYion in Fort- Royal Bay in April 1781, with that near Dominica in April 1782. In the former* the enemy having kept far to windward, and engaged at a great diftance* the pro- portion of the wounded to the killed was conliderably more than four to one*; whereas in the latter, when the greater part of the battle was clofe, the proportion of the wounded to the killed was little more than three to onef*
Though
* London Gazette*
f This is well illuflrated by the manner in which Captain Nott, of the Centaur, was killed in Fort-Royal
H % Bay*
100 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1 782. PART F*
Though it is a remark not belonging to a medical work, yet it may be obferved,that the greateft advantage that arofe to us from clofe action was, that the fire of the enemy was thereby filenced; for the advantages would be equal on both fides, on the fuppofition, thafc the French, in fuch a fituation,. were to keep the deck, and ftand to their guns equally well with the Britifh feamen.
It appears, by infpecYing. theTable, that the mips in which the fevers chiefly prevailed this month, were thofe that had come laft from England, and that thofe in which the fluxes prevailed mofr. were chiefly of the fquadron we found on the Ration, namely, the Cana- da, Refolution, and Prince William. Thelat- ter, however, recovered greatly. in the courfe
Bay. This brave man having carried his fhip nearer the enemy than the reft of the line, but neverthelefs at a great diflance, had his fignal made to keep the line, and having gone into his cabin, as is faid, to examine the import of the fignal, a cannon ball ftruck him in the groin, and it was fo far fpent, that it ftuck in his body. It tore away a whole plank of the fliip's fide, the fplin- ters of which killed a young gentleman, the only perfon near him.
of
S500K II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. IOI
of this month. Some of the mips that arri- ved laft fromEngland, namely, the Arrogant, Prothee, and Anfon, were alfo confiderably afHi&ed with fluxes, but they were of an ex- tremely mild kind, and the fmall number of deaths from this difeafe in comparifon with thofe from fevers, is a proof of a former obfervation, that this is the fafefl form in which an acute difeafe can mew itfelf. This fmall degree of mortality was alfo owing to the judicious method of treating it which was in general praclifed throughout the fleet ; and it is but juftice to the medical gentlemen to fay, that they fhewed on this, as well as every other occafion, great fkill and attention in the treatment of the fick and wounded.
The fum total of fevers and fluxes that have been put on the lift this month, is much the fame as that of the preceding month ; but the proportion of fluxes in April is much greater.
The proportion of fcurvy is fomewhat in- creafed ; which is not to be wondered at, when it is confidered, that though the fleet had not been fo long at fea as is neceflary to
H 3 produce
102 DISEASES Or THE FLEET, I782. PART I,
produce it, efpecially in this climate, yet the men having had no refrefhments when lafl in port, may be confidered as having been all that time at fea.
The fuperior degree of health in this month will appear in a frill ftronger light, if we caft our eye on the column expre£? fing the number fent to the hofpital, the proportion of which is comparatively very fmall.
The mips that had been the longefl: from England, were ftill among the moll: healthy, But of all the fleet, none was fo free from ficknefs and mortality as the Formidable. No man belonging to this fhip died of difeafe for the firfl four months after failing from Plymouth, though there were at times -900 men on board, and never lefs than the eftablifhed complement, which is 750 ; and fo few were taken lick in that time, that only thirteen were fent to hofpitals, and their complaints were fmall-pox and ulcers.
Thi£
'SpOK II. DJSE4-SES .OF TliE FLEET, 1782. IO3
This fhip ieft England provided with every thing that could be fuppofed to conduce to the health of men, and may be coniidered .as an experiment to prove what degree of ■health may be attained by proper manage.- ■ment and attention. She was furnifhed not only with abundance of four Jcrout, melafTes, and eflence of malt, in common with the .other (hips ; but what was peculiar to her, was an entire fupply of excellent wine, in place of fpirits, of which none was ufed .during the period mentioned.
H 4 CHAR
* ■ i
[ io4 ]
CHAP. IV.
Account of the Health of the Fleet while it lay at Jamaica during May, June, and Fart of July, 1782.
— French Prizes Caufes of Sicknefs — Their
Difference from the Englith in point of Cleanlinefs and Difcipline — Bad Effects of Land-wind and Watering Duty — Situation of Port Royal — Seafon uncommonly dry and windy — Fluxes more prevalent at Sea than in Harbour — Comparifon of the Sicknefs at this Time with that of the Army and with that of the Squadron under Admiral Vernon forty-one Years before — Effects of Contagion and foul Air— r Officers more afFe£ted„than the common Men.
ALL the fquadron that was left to wind* ward of Jamaica, confiding of twenty-four fhips of the line, kept the fea during great part of May, the laft divifion of it not ha- ving come to Port Royal till the 25th of that month.
The whole fleet remained in harbour du- ring the remainder of the month, and the
whole
Book n» diseases of the fleet, 1782. 105
whole of the next, except the Warrior, Prothee, and Ruffell ; the two former were fent on a cruife, in which the Warrior con- tinued quite healthy, as fhe had been ever fince her arrival from England ; and in the Prothee a great check was given to the fe- vers and fluxes which had begun to prevail at Port Royal. The Ruifell was fent to England with a convoy.
TABLE,
toS DISEASES OP THE FLEET, T782. fART I.
*FABLEr fhewing the proportional preva- lence of Sicknefs and Mortality in May*
|
■ 1 DISEASES, > i |
Proportion of thofe ta* ken ill or wounded in the Courfe of the Month. |
Proportion of thofe that died in relation to the Numbers of fick or wounded. |
||
|
| ; Fevers - - 1 |
' |
I 26. |
. |
29 |
|
5 ! Fluxes ;■ .- - - - - i |
18 |
63 |
||
|
j Scurvy - - - - |
SI |
34 ; |
||
|
ii ij Wounds - - : 1 : . Other Complaints - |
0 |
627 44 8 |
J? 0 1 |
60 ■ 127 48 |
|
j General Proportion, ■> including wounded J |
||||
|
General Proportion, i ! exclusive of Wounds j |
. 7i |
46 L |
Thi
BOOK IJ. DISEASES OP THE FLEET, 1782* IO7
The whole number of fick on board on the firft of this month, in thirty-fix mips of the line and two frigates, upon which the preceding calculation is formed, was 141 8. The whole number taken ill in the courfe of the month, was 2828 ; the number fent to the hofpital was 173, and there died on board 94.
The proportion of thofe who died this month, in relation to the whole number on board, was one in 287.
There was a confiderable increafe of lick- nefs and mortality this month in all the common difeafes, and chiefly in that part of the fquadroii which was in port. There was lefs increafe in the number of fevers than either of the other two epidemics ; but fuch was their increafed malignancy, that more died of them than of both the others. The number of fluxes was more than double wrhat it was the pre- ceding month, and the mortality from them was alfo in a much greater proportion, as maj be feen from the tables.
The
SOS DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1 782. PART I.
The fevers prevailed chiefly in port, and the fluxes at fea. A good many of the lat- ter, indeed, arofe in the Alcide, though conitantly in port ; but this feemed to be owing to contagion conveyed by fome Bri- tiihu foldiers, who were fent on board of this ihip after being re- taken in one of the French- men of war, and feveral of them were ill of this difeafe. But there were lew/ fluxes in thofe mips at Jamaica in which the moil malignant fevers appeared. There were a few in thofe in which the fevers arofe from the air of the marfhes on the watering duty ; but there were none on board of the French prizes, nor in thofe Haips In which that fort of fever was, which proceeded from a fimilar caufe, that is, filth and animal effluvia. Upon the whole, in thofe mips in which the fever was moll: ma- lignant, there the feweft fluxes were found?
Several circumflances contributed to the Increafe of ficknefs and mortality this month.
I ft. The?
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 17$ 2> I©£
ift. The infection, or rather the foul ak of the French prizes, in mod of which a very bad fever broke out among the officers and men that were fent from the (hips of our fleet to take charge of them.
The difcipline and internal oeconomy of the French fhips of war are greatly inferior to thofe of the Britifh. Their decks are never warned, and there is a great defect m every point of cleanlinefs and order. Tlae free courfe of the air is oMtrutted by lum- ber of every kind, and by bulkheads, which are not taken down even in the time of battle ; and the gratings are covered night and day with tarpaulins, even in a hot cli- mate. There are not even fcuppers openeJ. on the lower deck as outlets to the water and filth, which iveceffarUy accumulate there, and for which the only vent is a pipe contrived on purpofe, paffing from that deck along the mip's fide into the hold, which becomes thereby a common fink,' in- conceivably putrid and ofFenfive. And in addition to the ordinary caufes of corrup- tion, there was one peculiar to the occasion ;
for
HO DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART U
for the blood, the mangled limbs, and even whole bodies of men, were caft into the orlop, or hold, and lay there putrifying for fome time. The common failors among the French have a fuperfKtious averfion to the throwing of bodies overboard immediately after they are killed, the friends of the deceafed wifhing to referve their remains, in order to perform a religious ceremony over them when the hurry and danger of the day ihall be over. When, therefore, the ballafr,, or other con- tents of the holds of thefe fhips, came to be flirred, and the putrid effluvia thereby let loofe, there was then a vifible increafe of ficknefs. For the firit three weeks after the capture, the flench proceeding from the numbers of wounded men contributed alfo to taint the air.
The Ville de Paris was much more fickly than the other prizes, not only from her being larger, and thereby containing a grea- ter mafs of foul air, but by receiving the furviving part of the crew of the Santa Mo- nica, one of our frigates, which had been cait away pn the Virgin Iflands, and whofe
men
fiOOK II. DISEASES OP THE FLEET, I7S2. Ill
men were fo reduced by hardfhip and intem- perance, that mofi of them were taken ill as foon as they came to breathe the unwhole- fome air of the French prize. To what- ever caufe it was owing, the fever was much more violent here than in the other prizes, and it generally carried men off on the third or fourth day ; and what is remarkable, the officers were affected by it in a greater pro- portion than the common men. One lieu- tenant and every warrant officer, except the boatfwain, died of it. This was a proof that the ficklinefs was owing to the bad air, and not to the intemperance and irregularity fo ufual on board of prizes, which only the com- mon men give into ; and the probable caufe of the officers being moil: affected is, that they were accuftomed in common to a purer air, by living in the moil clean and airy parts of the fhip,
It is alfo remarkable, that the Vi-lle de Park was healthy when taken, and had been fo ever fmce leaving France in March 1781, nor had any other of the captured mips of the line been fickly for fome time before, 2 except
112; DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I7S2. FART X.
except the Ardent, when (Tie arrived at Mar- tinico four months before, at which time the greater part of the crew were fent to the hofpital with fevers. This, as well as other facts of the fame kind, tends to prove, that when men come to be much habituated to bad air, their health is not affeded by it.
The French (hips were purified by warn- ing and fcraping, by fumigating daily with gunpowder and vinegar, and by the ufe of wind-fails. But nothing feemed to contribute fo much to fweeten the air in them as burn-. ing fires in the hold ; for this tended both to make the putrid matter exhale, and to carry it off, by producing a perpetual change of air. Captain Curgenven, wrho at this time com- manded the Ville de Paris, had great merit, from his very afliduous and fuccefsful endea- vours in fo difficult a duty as the manage- ment and equipment of this great fhip. In confequence of the judicious meafures taken, and the men becoming more ufed to the bad air, the ficknefs ceafed in the courfe of a few weeks.
fo
»00K l\. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. II3
In the accounts given in the tables, the French prizes are not included, for the dis- orderly ftate in which they were at this time prevented yriy receiving regular returns : but having made inquiry concerning the mortality in the Ville de Paris, I found that of a crew of 312 men, there died ten. in the month of May, and there were thirty fent to the hofpital, whofe cafes were fo un- favourable, th-it about one half died. The only difeafes were fevers. The furgeon of the Ardent told me about the fame time, that one third of the crew of that Ihip was ill of fevers.
The fecond caufe of the prevalence of ficknefs, while the fleet was at Jamaica, was-, the watering duty, which was carried on at Rock-fort, about three leagues from Port Royal. It was the practice of many of the fhips to leave the water calks on more all night, with men to watch them ; and as there is a land wind in the night, which blows over fome ponds and marines, there were hardly any of the men employed on that duty who were not feized with a fever of
I a very
114 D.ISEASES OF T"HE FtEET, 1^82. PART I.
a very bad fort, of which a great many died. The mips that followed a different practice* were fomewhat longer in watering ; but this was much more than compenfated by their preferving the health and faving the lives of their men.
The land-wind which blows on the more in the night time, is a circumftance in which Jamaica differs from the fmall iflands to- windward, over which the trade wind blows, without any interruption : but though this land wind blows upon Port Royal from fome marmes at a few miles distance, it does not feem to produce fkknefs, for it is a very- healthy place, and feveral of the mips en- joyed as good health as in the bell: Situations on the windward ftation. The bay which forms this harbour is bounded towards the Tea by a peninfula of a lingular form, being more than ten miles in length, and not a quarter ' of a mile broad at any part. Great part of it is fwampy and overgrown with mangroves, and though of fuch fmall extent, we fancied that fome of the (hips that lay immediately to leeward of this part were more fickly than thofe that 2 were
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. 1 15
were clofe to the town of Port Royal, which ftands at the very extremity of this long peninfula upon a dry, gravelly foil.
The weather this month was uniformly dry in port ; but at fea the air was moifl and hazy. Between Jamaica and Hifpaniola, where part of the fquadron was left to cruife, dead calms prevailed, and this, joined to the moifture of the air, was probably what caufed the flux to prevail chiefly in this part of the fleet. At Port Royal, on the con- trary, there was a ftrong dry breeze, which fet in every day about nine o'clock in the morning, and blew all day fo frefh, that there was frequently danger in paffing from One (hip to another in boats. This is called in the language of the country, the fiery fea breeze, an epithet which it feems to have got not from its abfolute heat, but from the feverifh feeling which it occafions by drying up the perfpiration. It was remarked, that this breeze was ftronger this feafon than had ever been remembered ; and it fometimes even blew all night, preventing the land breeze from taking its ufual courfe. This
I z year
Il6 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART L
year was farther remarkable for the want of the rains that were wont to fall in the months of May and June. We mail have occafion to remark hereafter, that this was a very uncommon feafon alfo in Europe and America. The heat, by the thermome" ter this month, on board of a fhip at Port Royal, was in general, when loweft in the night, at 770, and when higheft in the day, in the (hade, at 830.
There was a confiderable increafe of fcurvy in this month, compared with the former months of this campaign ; but very inconfi* derable, compared with what had occurred in cruifes of the fame length in former years. The lafl divifion of the fleet had been at fea feven weeks all but one day when it arrived at Port Royal, and though the fcurvy had appeared in feveral of the mips, it did not prevail in any of them to a great degree, exeept in the Non- fuch. Out of fourteen deaths which hap- pened in the whole fleet from this difeafe, in May, feven of them were in this fhip, and feveral were fent from her to the hofpi-
tal
300K II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. 1 17
tal in the laft and moft defperate ftage of it. But, upon the whole, the cafes of the true fea {curvy in the fleet in general were few and flight, and a great many of thofe given in the reports under the head of fcurvy, were cutaneous eruptions or ulcers, not properly to be claffed with it.
The cruife in the preceding year to wind- ward of Marti nico, may be compared with that in May of this year ; for the fleets in both cafes had been at fea about the fame length of time. But the comparifon is very greatly in favour of the latter, which is moft probably to be imputed to the plentiful fup- ply of melaffes, wine, four krout, andeflence of malt. But no adequate reafon that I could difcover can be afligned for the preva- lence of it in the Nonfuch, to a degree fo much more violent than in the other (hips ; and it was here farther remarkable, that it attacked every defcription of men indifcrimi- nately ; for I was allured by the officers and by the furgeon, that not only the helplefs and difpirited landfman was affected, but old feamen who had never before fuffered from
I 3 it
Jl8 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. PART 1,
it on the longeft cruifes. I have been led by this, and fome other facts, to fufpecl: that there may be fomething contagious in this difeafe.
JUNE,
The greater part of the fleet remained at Jamaica during this month, refitting and watering. Twelve mips of the line were fent to feaon the 17th, under the command of Rear-admiral Drake, but not being able to get to windward, on account of the freiTi breezes that prevailed, they returned to Port Royal on the 28th. Such of thefe mips as were fickly, became more healthy while at fea, but fome bad fevers arofe, particu-' larly in the Princeffa ; and it is a curious circumftance, that thefe fevers attacked only thofe men who had been on more on the watering duty ; from which it would appear, that fomething caught or imbibed, which is the caufe of the fever, lies inactive for fome time in the constitution, fome of the men not having been affected for more than a week after they had been at fea.
The
»jQO*K H. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. H9
The weather continued dry and windy, as in the farmer month ; but the heat was in general about two degrees higher, the ther- mometer varying from 79 ? to ,841.
TABLE, mewing the proportional Sick- nefs and Mortality in June.
|
DISEASES. |
Proportion of thofe taken ill in the courfe of this Month ;. |
Proportion of thofe who died in rela- tion to the Num- bers of the Sick. |
||
|
Fevers - Fluxes - - Scurvy - - Other Complaints |
w < 0 \ 1 |
f 1 1 20 47 37 |
0 |
f 19 83 231 r 97 ■ . 39 |
|
General Proportion |
14
The
IZO DISEASES OF TttE FLEET, 1782. PAK-T 1.
The proportion of deaths in relation to the whole numbers on board, was one in 13&.
There was only one in 30 of the lick fent to the hofpital in the courfe of this month.
There was an increafe both in the numbers and fatality of fevers, This increafe was chiefly in that fort of fevers that depend on the air and climate, the greater part of which, were caught on the watering duty. There was a diminution of thofe fevers depending on infection, and the foul air of mips, which arofe in the French prizes. The care that was taken in purifying thefe mips was very effectual, for only four died this month in the Ville de Paris, and fewer alfo were fent to the hofpital than in May. The increafe of the other kind of fever was chiefly owing to. there being a greater number of mips in port, and partly, no doubt, to the increafe of heat. The (hips in which the fevers were moll: fatal were the Monarch, the Duke, the Torbay, and the Refolution. The fkknefs in the Duke was frill in a great meafure owing to the fame infection that had hitherto prevailed, for this fhip had never been cleared of the
infectious
BOOK XI. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. 121
infectious fever, for want of room at the hof- pital. That which broke out intheTorbay was alfo of the low infectious kind, few of them haying the fymptoms of that which is peculiar to the climate, which prevailed in the other fhips. This fhip, though formerly very fubject to infectious complaints, had been remarkably healthy for fome time pair. ; but it would appear that there was a large flock of latent infection, which {hewed itfelf from time to time.
Some fhips, particularly the Montague, and Royal Oak, had no increafe of fevers, or other complaints, though the one lay in port for feven, and the other for eleven weeks, and were more or lefs expofed to the caufes of licknefs which affected the reft of the fleet. This is a proof, among many others, that a particular combination of caufes is necelTary to produce a difeafe ; no tingle one, however powerful, being fufficient, without the con- currence of others. What feemed to be wanting here was the predifpofition requifite for the admiffion of difeafe into the confti- Jution, for the (hips that enjoyed this happy
exemption,
122 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 17S2. PART I.
exemption, were fuch as had long-eflablifhed and well-regulated crews, accuftomed to the fervice and climate.
There had been this month a diminution both of the numbers and mortality of flux«s, which is agreeable to what was before re- marked, that fevers were more apt than fluxes to prevail in the bad air of a harbour*. It was alfo before remarked, that there were few or no fluxes in thofe mips in w7hich the fever was moit malignant, and now that the fever began to grow more mild in the French prizes, the flux began to appear. In the Barfleur, Duke, and Namur, both difeafes feemed to prevail equally ; but the fevers,
* I have feen an account of tbe difeafes of the army at Su Lucia for a whole year, kept by Mr. Everard Home, an ingenious gentleman belonging to the army hofpital, and it appears that during ten months out of the twelve, the dyfentery was the predominant difeafe. This feems to contradict the opinion, that the land air is more apt to occafion fevers than fluxes ; but it is to be remarked that the ficknefs of the foldiers on that iiland was not fo much owing to the malignant influence of the air, the fituation of the garrifon being high and airy, as to the bad accom- atodations and prcviiions, together with hard labour.
though
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. I23
though numerous, were rather of the low nervous kind than bilious or malignant ; and the fluxes chiefly attacked thofe who were recovering from fevers. We may farther re- mark, that thefe three men of war were three- decked (hips, of po guns, with more mixed and numerous crews than fmaller mips, and therefore fubjedl: to a greater chance of infec- tion, and a greater variety of complaints. The Formidable frill remained healthy to an extraordinary degree. Some fevers were in- deed imported from the Ville de Paris by men that had been lent to that fhip, and who were taken ill after their return. Of thefe a few of the worfr. cafes were fent to the hof- pital, and two died on board, who, with one that died the preceding month, make the whole mortality of this fhip, uiice leaving England, amount only to the lofs of th ree men.
There has been little or no increafe of fcurvy this month ; for though the num- bers put on the lift appear to be greater, the mortality is much lefs. It may indeed ap- pear a matter of furprife that there mould have been any fcurvy at all, confidering that
the
124 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART J.
the greater part of the fleet was at anchor all this month. But as this was the greateft fleet that had ever vifited Jamaica, it was impoffible to find frefh provifions for the whole, and the fmall fupply they had did not amount to a frefh meal once a week. Port Royal is alfo remote from the cultiva- ted part of the ifland, fo that fruit and ve* getables were both fcarce and high priced, particularly this year, on account of the ufual rains in May and June haying failed. There was however an allowance of frefh provifions and vegetables made to the fick by public bounty ; for as the hofpital could contain but a fmall proportion of the fick and wounded, an order was given for the fupply of frefh meat, fruit, and vegetables to the fick, and five hundred pounds of Pe- ruvian bark were alfo diftributed as a public gratuity, befides fugar, coffee, and wine.
With thefe aids, and the various good articles of victualling from England, the fleet was preferved uncommonly healthy for a Weft-India campaign. For though the mortality had increafed confiderably du*-
ring
BOOlC II. DISEASES Of THE FLEET, I}§2. 12$
ring our flay at Jamaica, yet the lofs of men upon the whole was fmall, compared with that of other great fleets in this cli- mate on former occafions. The greateft fquadron next to this, that had ever been on this ftation, was that under Admiral Ver- non in the year 1741, at the fame feafon. From this fleet upwards of 11,000 men were fent to the hofpital in the courfe of that and the preceding year, of whom there died one in feven, befides what died on board of their own mips and in two hofpital fhips*. The difproportion of licknefs in the two fleets will appear ftill greater when it is considered that Admiral Vernon's con- tained only-j- 15,000 feamen and marines, whereas that under Lord Rodney contained 22,000. What added to the ficknefs of the former, was the unfortunate expedition to Carthagena in April, 1741 ; to which probably it was owing that a much greater proportion of yellow fevers were landed from the fleet at that time than from ours,
* See EfTay on the Yellow Fever, by Dr. Hume. f Campbell's Lives of the Admirals.
as
126 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART 1.
as appears by the papers left by Mr. Hume, who was then furgeon of the hofpital. The hofpltal was then at a place called Green- wich, on the fide of the bay oppofite to Port Royal, and was very large ; but it was found to be in a fituation fo extremely un- healthy, that it was foon after abandoned and demolifhed, and the hofpital has fince been at Port Royal.
It appears by the tables, that a greater number was put on the lift under the head of" ether complaints this month than laft. This was owing to the great number of ulcers which I have remarked to keep pace with feverifh as well as fcorbutic complaints ; for when the conftitution of the air is fa- vourable to difeafe, or the habit of body prone to it, wounds and fores are found then to be more difficult of cure. There were twelve deaths befides thofe occafioned by what have been called the three epide- mics. Of thefe, five periflied by drowning and other accidents, , three . died of ulcers,, one of wounds received in action, one of cholera morbus 7 and one of an abfeefs.
It
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1783. I27
It has appeared that very few mips of this numerous fleet preferved their health while lying at anchor ; and it would feem that fhort and frequent cruifes are very con- ducive to health. It was eleven weeks from the time that the firft of our fleet came to anchor at Jamaica till the main body of it failed for America on the 17th of July. Great fleets are in time of war under the ne- cefTity of being at one time longer at fea, and at another time longer in port, than is confident with the health of the men, the mips being obliged to act in concert and to co-operate with each other. This is one reafon, among others, for mips of the line being more fickly than frigates. As fhips of war muil be guided by the unavoi- dable exigencies of fervice, it would be afe- furd to confider health only ; but if this were to be the fble object of attention, a cer- tain falutary medium could be pointed out in dividing the time between cruifing and being in harbour, and it is proper that this .mould be known, that regard may be had to it, as far as may be confident with the fervice. I would fay, then, that in a cold climate men
ought
125 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, f]M, FART I.
ought not to be more than fix weeks at fea at one time, and need not belefs than five weeks, and that a fourth part of their time fpent in port would be fufficient to replenish their bodies with wholefome juices* In a warm climate, men may be at fea a conliderable time longer, without contracting fcurvy, provided they have been under a courfe of frefli and vegetable diet when in port.
Though contagion is not fo apt either to arife or to fpread in this climate as in colder ones, there were feveral circum- ftances about this time, tending to prove that it may really exift in a hot climate. Thofe (hips which had their men returned to them from the French prizes, in all of which fevers prevailed, had an increafe of licknefs not only in the men that. were re- turned, but in the reft of the crew. There was another prefumption of contagion, from the proportion of mortality among the fur- geons and their mates, who were by their duty more expo fed to the breath, effluvia, and contact of the fick. There died, during our ftay at Jamaica, three of the former
and
"v.. -
BOOK I!. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. 129
and four of the latter, which is a greater proportion than what died of any other clafs of officers or men.
It has been the opinion of fome, that fe- vers do not arife from any putrid effluvia, except thofe of the living hu man body, or fome fpecific infection generated by it while under the influence of difeafe. It has been alledged in proof of this, that the putrid air in fome great cities is breathed without any bad ef- fects ; and a celebrated profeflbr of anatomy ufed to obferve, that thofe employed in dif- fering dead bodies did not catch acute difeafes more commonly than other people. I believe this may be true, in a climate like Europe, where cold invigorates the body, and en- ables it to refifl the effects of foul air ; but I am perfuaded it is otherwife in tropical cli- mates. The external heat of the air induces great languor and relaxation, and we cannot breathe the fame portion of air for the fame length of time in a hot as in a cold climate, without great uneafinefs. The want of cool- nefs muft, therefore, be compenfated by a more frequent change of air, and by its greater purity. Any foulnefs of the air is
K accordingly
Z$0 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART 1.
accordingly more felt in a hot climate, and according to the modern theory, air already loaded with putrid phlogiftic vapour, will- be lefs qualified to abforb the fame fort of va- pour from the blood in the lungs, in which,, according to this theory the ufe of refpira- tion confifts. Be this as- it will, there is fomething in purity of air which invigorates the circulation 7 and refreshes the body ; and the contrary ftate of it depreffes and debili- tates, particularly in a hot climate -9 and in this Way foul air may induce difeafe, like any other debilitating caufe, independent of in- fection or any fpecific quality. There was no reafon to fufpect any fuch infection in the ^Ville de Paris, for there was no ficknefs on board of this fhip, when in poffeffion of the enemy, and the ficknefs that prevailed after its being captured feemed to proceed from what may be called fimple putrefaction. There was an inflance of the fame kind in one of our own mips of the line, in which a bad fever broke out in the beginning of July,, which feemed to be owing to the foul air of a neglected hold ; for there was a putrid flench proceeding from the pumps, which
pervaded
SOOK II.- DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I7§2. IJE
pervaded the whole fhip. I perceived this very fenfibly one day, when vifiting fome officers who were ill of fevers ; and before I left the fhip, ao alarm was given of two men being fuffocated in what is called the welly which is the loweft acceffible part of the hold. This fever was of a very malignant kind, and fell upon the officers more than the men, for fix of them were feized with it, of whom three died on the third day after being taken ill.
The fevers, which were of the greatefr. ma* lignity at this time, affected the officers more than the common men. Only one Captain died at Jamaica while the fleet was there, and it was of this fever* We loft five Lieu- tenants, of whom four died of it, and this was the difeafe which carried off the three Surgeons. But foul air was not the only caufe that produced this fever among the officers, feveral of whom brought it on by hard drinking, or fatiguing themfelves, by riding or walking in the heat of the fun. It cannot be too much inculcated to thofe who vifit tropical countries, that exercife in
K 3 the
SJ2 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1)82. FART I.
the fun, and intemperance, are mod perni- cious and fatal practices, and that it is in ge- neral by the one or the other that the better fort of people, particularly thofe newly ar- rived from Europe, fhorten their lives.
Before leaving Jamaica, I fent to England a Supplement to the Memorial given in lafl
year *,
* See Appendix to Part II«
CHAP.
I l33 J
CHAP. V.
Account of the Health of the Fleet, from its leaving Jamaica on the 17th of July, till its De- parture from New York on the 25th of October.
What Difeafes mod prevalent on the Paflage
to America — Rapid Increafe of the Scurvy during the laft Week of the PaiTage — Method of fupplying the Sick at New York — The Fleet uncommonly fiealthy in October — State of the Weather and of Health in America in Summer and Autumn, 1782.
A H E feafon of the hurricanes approach- ing, and all the convoys defined for Eng- land this year being difpatched, the main •body of the fleet, conllfting of twenty-four fhips of the line, left Port Royal on the 17th of July, under the .command of Ad- miral Pigot, in order to proceed to the coall of America. A great convoy for England had been fent off a few days before, pro- tected by the Ville de Paris and fix other £hips of the line, which we overtook and
K 3 pafled
^34 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART I.
palTed at the weft end of the ifland. When we arrived off the Havannah, a large fqua- dron of the enemy was feen there in readi-* nefs to fail, which induced the Admiral to wait in fight of it for the convoy, which did not come up till ten days after. Owing to this delay, and our meeting with baffling winds on the reft of the palfage, we did not arrive at New York till the 7th of Septem- ber. We found there the Invincible and Warrior, which failed after us, but got be- fore us,- by having taken the windward paffage.
TABLR
B'00'K II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1 782. 1 35
TABLE, (hewing the proportional preva- lence of different difeafes, and their mor- tality, in July, 1782.
DISEASES.
Fevers - - - Fluxes - - - Scurvy ■« - - Other Complaints
*-? . r! ,n
0=5 °
c ""' .2 c
4-1 <u
£ <* o
P o
8£
General Proportion
ft
o
24
91
20
51
2 <U 4) tJ *J ♦-
|
<u 0 |
O |
|
|
Hs c |
||
|
0 s |
09 |
|
|
1-4 ,0 |
||
|
4_l 0) |
6 y |
|
|
*- !-. |
||
|
O |
S 0 |
|
|
#■.£ |
JZTeo - |
|
|
U, |
||
|
P-. |
||
|
r |
16 ■ 49 |
|
|
ft |
■ O : |
|
|
ft O |
||
|
134 |
||
|
■ |
•5 ^ |
|
|
JJ |
The mortality this month, in relation to the whole numbers on board, was one in 1.30.
There were only one in thirty-eight of the iick fent to the hofpitals.
K
Tho
I36 DISEASES Or THE FLEET, 1782. PART I.
The fevers arofe chiefly during the firfl two weeks after leaving Jamaica, and there is reafon to think that the feeds of them were brought from thence. It could not be owing fimply to the heat ; for the tro- pical heats at this feafon of the year ex- tend to the 30th degree of latitude, which we did not crois till the 22d of Auguft, that is, near five weeks after leaving Ja- maica. The only fhips in which the fever could be imputed to infection or foul air, were the Barfleur, Alcide, and the Aimable frigate. The firft had received, as recruits, at Jamaica, men who had been confined for fome time before in a French jail, and a fe- ver of a bad kind fpread on board of her foon after. The Aimable was a prize from, the French, and the ficknefs was here fo evidently owing to fowl air, that whenever the contents of the hold were flirred fo as to Jet loofe the putrid effluvia, there was then an evident increafe of ficknefs. The fewer in the Alcide was of a peculiar flow kind, to be defcribed hereafter, and feemed to be a continuation of the fame infection which jiad fo long exifted in that fhip.
Thq
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. 1 37
The Duke, which had hitherto been by far the moft fubjecT: to fevers of any fhip in the fleet, became more and more free from them even in the moft early part of this pafTage, and might be faid to be entirely fo at the time (he arrived in America. The fever had been fo very prevalent in this fhip fmce leaving England, that there was hard- ly a man who had efcaped it. Could this have any effecT: in making them lefs liable to catch it a fecond time ?
In the courfe of this pafTage the dyfente- ries came, to prevail over the fevers, as we have found to be commonly the cafe at fea. It appears by the former table, compared with the next, that the mortality in fevers was much the fame, and that in the dyfen- tery it was greater than while the fleet was at Jamaica. This does not argue, however, that the difeafes were equally malignant, but was owing to the want of an hofpital, and of thofe comforts of diet which the lick enjoyed on board while in harbour. This laft was particularly felt in the dyfenteries, in the cure of which more depends upon
diet
I38 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART I.
diet than in mofl other difeafes. In all the calculations of mortality, the numbers fent to the hofpitais are deducted ; but thefe make a greater difference in the mortality on board than their numbers (Imply would indicate ; for only the worft cafes, and thofe therefore who were moit likely to die, ufed to be fent to the hofpital.
Tx\BLE, (hewing the proportional ficknefs and mortality in AugufL
|
' DISEASES. |
ion of thofe ill in the e of the h. |
on of deaths ation to the 3ers of the . - 1 11 |
||
|
•op.orj taken Mont |
•oport in rel Num Sick. |
|||
|
P- |
||||
|
Fevers - |
\ 31 |
a |
||
|
Fluxes - - |
46 |
35 |
||
|
Scurvy - |
< |
25 |
66 |
|
|
Other Complaints |
0 |
27 |
sl |
« |
|
General Proportion |
. 7i |
1 |
I 3l |
The
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. I39
The mortality this month, in relation to the whole numbers on board, was one in 169.
None were fent to the hofpital this month, as the fleet was at fea during the whole of it.
The fcurvy began to appear very foon upon this paftage ; for by the end of Au- guft, at which time the fleet had only been fix weeks at fea, and that in a warm cli- mate, and in dry weather, it had made coa- fiderable p'ugrefs. It firft appeared and pre- vailed moft in the Prince George and Royal Oak, though they had been ten weeks at Jamaica. This was the firft licknefs with which the latter had been affected lince ar- riving in the Weil Indies, and there was no perceivable peculiarity in either of them to account for their being mbje£t to it more early, or more violently, than the reft of the fleet. If the difeafe is contagious, as has been fufpected, there might be a few men on board of them, who, being uncom- monly prone to the difeafe, would be foon
affected^
I4O DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I7S2. PART I,
affected, and communicate it, or at lead haften the fymptoms in thofe who might be lefs predifpofed to it. But this is only con- jecture. Before the end of the voyage, the whole fleet was more or lefs afflicted with it, though it had been only feven weeks and three days at fea ; but the men had received fo few refrefhments while in port, that their constitutions were prepared to fall into this difeafe. The Barfleur, Alfred, and Prin- cefTa, were moft affected with it next to the two (hips mentioned above,
The feven teen mips which arrived from England in February and March, were much lefs affe&ed with it than the reft of the fleet, which was, no doubt, owing to the wine, melafTes, and four krout, with which they were fb amply fupplied. Though thefe articles were all expended before leav- ing Jamaica, yet the good effects of them on the conftitutions of the men were vifibfcs in the courfe of this parage.
The America was the moft free from it of all the fhips of the old fcjuadron ; and this
was
BOOK Il» DISEASES OF THE FLEET., 1782. 141
was owing to the great humanity and atten- tion of the captain, who, as foon as any of the men were taken ill, allowed them wine and other refrefhments from his private {lore. There was another proof in the Conqueror of the great importance of attending to this difeafe in its earlieft ftage. Mr. Lucas, the furgeon of this mip, by watching the firll beginnings of it, by a proper regulation of diet and the adminiftration of the effence of malt and juice of limes, not only prevented the progrefs of the difeafe, but proved that with great attention it may be cured at fea. It is of the utmoil confequence in this dif- eafe to put the men on the fick lift on the very firft appearance of the fymptoms, fo that they may early have the advantage of proper treatment and regimen. It is only at this period of it that the effects of ef- fence of malt are fenfible ; but we have feen that the juice of gertain fruits will cure it in more advanced ftages.
There is a very important remark fuggeft- ed by comparing the two preceding tables with that which follows. It appears that in the
month
142 DISEASES Off THE FLEET, 1782. PART I.
month of September a much greater number was taken ill of fcurvy, and that of thefe, a greater proportion died than in the two prece- ding months. All the mifchief from this difeafe in that month, happened in the firft week of it, during which, as many died as in the whole month of Auguft ; for the fleet came to an anchor on the 7th of September at New York, where the worfr. cafes were imme- diately fent to the hofpital, and thofe that remained on board were fupplied with every neceflary refreshment. Had the fleet re- mained longer at fea, the mortality would probably have increafed in the fame progref- flon ; and this circumftance ought to be well conlidered in undertaking cruifes. j
TABLE,
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782,
14 3
TABLE, mewing the proportional preva- lence of ficknefs and mortality in Sep- tember, 1782.
|
- .... DISEASES. |
Proportion of thofe taken ill in the courfe of the . Month. |
£ <o <u ■ a 5 " w <-> 0 0 § 2 c *.£ o> 1-. Pj. |
||
|
Fevers Fluxes - Scurvy - Ulcers - Other Complaints |
i < w 0 |
' 49 46 If* 68 62 |
0 |
31 68 39 0 226 |
|
General Proportion |
: 7 |
L ^ |
The proportion of deaths, in relation to the whole numbers on board, was -one in
About
144 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. PART I«.
About one third of all the lick were fent to the hofpital.
As the proportion of ulcers was uncom> monly great, I thought it worth while to make a calculation of it. The Barfleur had the greateft number ; and this fhip, for caufes I cannot affign, was more afflicted with bad ulcers than arty other in the fleet, for feveral months together.
The fleet having arrived at New York in this unhealthy ftate, the firft care was to make provision for the fick. There were fomewhat more than 1500 on the fick lifts of all the mips, and the hofpital could ac- commodate little more than fix hundred. In order that it might not be overcrowded, and that each fhip might have a jufl (hare of relief, I went round the fleet to afcertain the due proportion of thofe cafes that were the moll: proper objects for being fent on more. All the infectious and acute complaints, and fome of the worft fcorbutics, were accord- ingly fent to the hofpital. Thofe who were kept on board being chiefly fuch as were
affected
BOOK Hi DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 178^ 1^5
affected with the fcurvy, were fupplied with various refreshments in their refpective mips, and feemed to recover as foon as if they had been fent on fhore. They had indeed alrnofl every advantage enjoyed by thofe at the hof- pital ; for, befides frem meat thrice a week,, and fpruce beer daily in common with the other feamenj each man on the fick lift was fupplied every weelc at the public expence with four pounds of apples and half a pound of foap. There were alfo thirty cafks of limes taken in a prize, which were diftrii buted among the fcorbutic men, and proved of infinite ufei Admiral Pigot's great zeal for the good of the fervice, as well as his natural humanity, induced him to liften to whatever was propofed for the benefit of the men*
The fupply of foap was a thing entirely new in the fervice ; but the good effect of all the other articles would moll; probably have been defeated, unlefs the men had beeli furnifhed with the means of eleanlinefs, which is the molt ehential requifite of health. The advantage of this method will appear
L by
14-6 BISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. J?ART I*
by the returns of next month to have been very confpicuous, and it was on this occafion more than any other thatlfawrealifedinevery particular the plan propofed in the memorial to the Admiralty. It may be added, that the ficfe that were left on board were not even with- out the recreation of the more enjoyed by thofe at the hofpital ; for moil of the cap- tains had the attention to fend daily on more, for amufement and exercife, fuch as were able to walk. Thus there were all the ad- vantages of an hofpital obtained at much lefs expence to Government, and without the rifque of intemperance, defertion, or in- fection, which are the inconveniences con- netted with an hofpital. What farther con- tributed to health at this time was, a large quantity of excellent wine with which the fleet was fupplied.
TABLE,
BOOK II* DISEASES OP THE FLEET, I7S2. ttf
TABLE, flawing the proportional Sick* nefs and Mortality in October, 1782*
|
4-> O W |
||||
|
v£ <u <u |
2 »^a |
|||
|
6/-G A |
•■?- ♦j |
|||
|
jz *-• *■* |
c |
|||
|
<M |
«S oL* |
|||
|
S,^8 |
||||
|
crj . |
c ■** Ja |
|||
|
DISEASES, |
.2 OS-S |
e c S 0.-3 |
||
|
opor take Cou Moi |
'•5 £ • |
|||
|
u |
O n3 *3 C/3 |
|||
|
P-< |
1-1 |
|||
|
Fevers - - - - |
" 45 |
' |
'2 jo |
|
|
Fluxes - - ' * - |
61 |
69 |
||
|
Scurvy - • - |
£ |
34 |
fe |
197 |
|
Ulcers - |
181 |
|||
|
fit |
te |
|||
|
Other Complaints - |
O |
127 |
0 |
0 106 |
|
General Proportion |
L I2J |
The proportion of deaths in this Iftonth, in relation to the whole number on board* was only one in 1478.
L %
About
I48 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782- PART U
About one in 29 of the fick was fent to the hofpital.
There was, upon the whole, lefs ficknefs and mortality this month than any other during which I kept records of the fleet. This was, no doubt, owing in part to the climate, but was chiefly the effect of the extraordinary attention paid to the refresh- ments of the men. The fleet was here ex- actly in the fame Situation, and at the fame feafoiij two years before, but was not near fo healthy.
Nor were the advantages derived from the great plenty of refreshments, procured at this time at New York, merely tem- porary, for the men's constitutions were fo much improved by them, that the part of the fleet which remained under the com- mand of Lord Hood was at fea for twelve weeks without being affected by the fcurvy. This Was chiefly to be afcribed to the re- freshments ; for we have {qcu. that, in a paSTage of feven weeks from Jamaica to New York, the fleet was greatly afteded with thefcurvy, in confequenceof not having had
the
300K II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. I49
the advantages of frefh meat and vegetables when laft in port. The climate had, no doubt, alfo a (hare in keeping oft the fcurvy ; for the greater part of the twelve weeks was taken up in a cruife off St. Domingo ; and, I be- lieve, it never was known that a fleet was fo long at fea in a cold climate without being very much affected with this difeafe.
It appears that, though the proportion of fevers had increafed fomewhat this month over that of fluxes, yet the former "were lefs fatal ; and, I think, the true dyfentery is more frequent in this climate, and more apt to prove fatal in its acute ftate, than in the Weft Indies. I have indeed preferred the term flux to that of dyfentery, for this reafon, that the fymptoms in many cafes did not rife fc high as properly to conftitute dyfentery; and the difeafe proves fatal in the Wefilndies more frequently in the chronic than in the acute ftate. The fluxes were daily gaining ground when we left New York, and continued to prevail to a great degree in the Magnificent, which remained in that climate feveral weeks after us.
L3 The
I50 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782. PART I.
The climate and fltuation of the fleet had a greater erTe£t. in diminiming ulcers than any other complaints ; for the propor- tion this month is little more than one third of the laft.
The calculation for October was made upon thirteen mips of the line, which failed from New York on the 25th of that month.
The weather had then begun to grow cold ; but few or none of the difeafes pecu- liar to a cold climate had appeared. There occurred while we were at New York, fe- veral cafes of inflammation of the liver among the officers and men who came from the Weft Indies. It was remarked for- merly, that this complaint hardly ever oc- curred in the Well: Indies ; but it. would ap- pear that the rending there difpofes to an in- flammation of this organ upon changing to a colder climate.
The preceding fummer had been uncom- monly cold, not only in North America, but in the whole temperate part of the % northern,
BOOK II. DISEASES OF THE FLEET, I782. 151
northern hemifphere, fo far as I could learn by inquiry. In confequence of this, the crops failed in Europe, America, and the northern parts of Aria. The fame circum- ilance had a remarkable effect on the reign- ing difeafes of the feafon at New York ; for, inftead of the bilious complaints com- mon in the end of fummer and in autumn, a flight fever of the inflammatory kind had prevailed? An epidemic catarrh had jfpread all over Europe, and fome part of Afia, in the earlier part of the year ; and perhaps this was connected with the peculiar irate of the atmofphere about this time. It was be- fore obferved, that there was fomething un- ufual in the irate of the weather at Jamaica while the fleet lay there ; and it is poffible that this might be owing to the fame gene- ral caufe„
M PHAP,
[ *S» ]
CHAP. VI.
Account of the Health of the Fleet from its Departure from New York till the Conclufion of the War — — J?afTage to the Well Indies — Account of the Ships there during our Ab fence — Arrival of a Squadron from England — Of thefe, two Ships only were healthy — Caufes of this — Inflammatory Complaints in the Union — Probable Caufe of thefe — Com- parifon of the two Squadrons — Increafe of Sick- nefs from Recruits brought from England — from French Prifoners.
THIRTEEN fhips of the line failed from America for the Well: Indies on the 25th of October, under the command of Admiral Pigot, and the other half of the fleet was left under Lord Hood, to watch the motions of the French fquadron, which was then at Bofton.
The day on which we left the coair. of America- a ftorm came on, which lafled two
days ;
J^OOK II. pJSEASES OP THE FLEET, I782. !$£
days ; but the reft of the paflage being fair and moderate, we arrived at Barbadoes on the 20th of November, where the fleet continued for the remainder of the month.
All the above-mentioned fquadron, ex- cept two mips, is comprehended in the calculation of the following table, and alfb the Magnificent, Prudent, and Nonfuch. The two laft had continued in the Well Indies during our abfence.
TABLE,
l$4 DISEASES OF THE FLEET, 1782, PART I.
TABLE, (hewing the prevalence of Sick* nefs and Mortality in November.
|
D IS EASES. |
roportion ©f thofe taken all in the Courfe of the Month. |
oportion of Deaths in rel avion to the Number of Sick. |
||
|
Ph |
Ph |
|||
|
Fevers * - |
' 54 |
* 25 |
||
|
J Fluxes - • , - |
78 |
132 |
||
|
1 Scurvy - |
86 |
0 |
||
|
Ulcers - |
94 |
2 < w 1 55 |
0 |
|
|
Other Complaints |
0 |
46 > |
IO3 |
|
|
General Proportion |
. J5 |