Observations on the Diseases of Seamen. Blane Gilbert
of this disease a greater proportion than in the two preceding months. All the mischief from it in that month happened in the first week of it, during which as many died as in the whole month of August; for the fleet came to an anchor on the 7th of September at New York, where the worst cases were immediately sent to the hospital, and those that remained on board were supplied with every necessary refreshment. Had the fleet remained longer at sea, the mortality would probably have increased in the same progression; and this circumstance ought to be well considered in undertaking cruises.
Transcriber’s Keys:
A Proportion of those taken ill in the Course of the Month.
B Proportion of Deaths, in relation to the Numbers of the Sick.
The proportion of deaths, in relation to the whole numbers on board, was one in three hundred and ninety-eight.
About one third of all the sick were sent to the hospital.
As the proportion of ulcers was uncommonly great, I thought it worth while to make a calculation of it. The Barfleur had the greatest number; and this ship, for causes I cannot assign, was more afflicted with bad ulcers than any other in the fleet, for several months together.
The fleet having arrived at New York in this unhealthy state, the first care was to make provision for the sick. There were somewhat more than fifteen hundred on the sick lists of all the ships, and the hospital could accommodate little more than six hundred. In order that it might not be overcrowded, and that each ship might have a just share of relief, I went round the fleet to ascertain the due proportion of those cases that were the most proper objects for being sent on shore. All the infectious and acute Complaints, and some of the worst scorbutics, were accordingly sent to the hospital. Those who were kept on board being chiefly such as were affected with the scurvy, were supplied with various refreshments in their respective ships, and seemed to recover as soon as if they had been sent on shore. They had indeed almost every advantage enjoyed by those at the hospital; for, besides fresh meat thrice a week, and spruce beer daily in common with the other seamen, each man on the sick list was supplied every week at the public expence with four pounds of apples and half a pound of sope. There were also thirty casks of limes taken in a prize, which were distributed among the scorbutic men, and proved of infinite use. Admiral Pigot’s great zeal for the good of the service, as well as his natural humanity, induced him to listen to whatever was proposed for the benefit of the men.
The supply of sope was a thing entirely new in the service; but the good effect of all the other articles would most probably have been defeated, unless the men had been furnished with the means of cleanliness, which is the most essential requisite of health. The advantage of this method will appear by the returns of next month to have been very conspicuous; and it was on this occasion more than any other that I saw realised in every particular the plan proposed in the memorial to the Admiralty. It may be added, that the sick that were left on board were not even without the recreation of the shore enjoyed by those at the hospital; for most of the captains had the attention to send daily on shore, for amusement and exercise, such as were able to walk. Thus there were all the advantages of an hospital obtained at much less expence to Government, and without the risque of intemperance, desertion, or infection, which are the inconveniencies connected with an hospital. What farther contributed to health at this time was, a large quantity of excellent wine with which the fleet was supplied.
Transcriber’s Keys:
A Proportion of those taken ill in the Course of the Month.
B Proportion of Deaths, in relation to the Numbers of the Sick.
The proportion of deaths in this month, in relation to the whole number on board, was only one in fourteen hundred and seventy-eight.
About one in twenty-nine of the sick was sent to the hospital.
There was, upon the whole, less sickness and mortality in this month than in 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 refreshments of the men. The fleet was here exactly in the same situation, and at the same season, two years before, but was not near so healthy.
Nor were the advantages derived from the great plenty of refreshments, procured at this time at New York, merely temporary; for the men’s constitutions were so much improved by them, that the part of the fleet which remained under the command of Lord Hood was at sea for twelve weeks without being affected by the scurvy. This was chiefly to be ascribed to the previous refreshments; for we have seen, that, in a passage of seven weeks from Jamaica to New York, the fleet was greatly affected with the scurvy, in consequence of not having had the advantages of fresh meat and vegetables when last in port. The climate had, no doubt, also a share in keeping off the scurvy; for the greater part of the twelve weeks was taken up in a cruise off St. Domingo; and, I believe, it never was known that a fleet was so long at sea, in a cold climate, without being greatly affected with this disease.
It appears, that though the proportion of fevers had increased somewhat this month over that of fluxes, yet the former were less fatal; and, I think, the true dysentery is more frequent in this climate, and more apt to prove fatal in its acute state, than in the West Indies. I have indeed preferred the term flux to that of dysentery, for this reason, that the symptoms in many cases did not rise so high as properly to constitute dysentery; and the disease proves fatal in the West Indies more frequently in the chronic than in the acute state. 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 several weeks after us.
The climate and situation of the fleet had a greater effect in diminishing ulcers than any other complaints; for the proportion of them in this month is little more than one third of what it was in the last.
The calculation for October was made upon thirteen ships of the line, which sailed from New York on the 25th of that month.
The weather had then begun to grow cold; but few or none of the diseases peculiar to a cold climate had appeared. There occurred, while we were at New York, several cases of inflammation of the liver among the officers and men who came from the West Indies. It was remarked formerly, that this complaint hardly ever occurred in the West Indies; but it would appear that the residing there disposes to an inflammation of this organ upon changing to a colder climate.
The preceding summer had been uncommonly cold, not only in North America, but in the whole temperate part of the northern hemisphere, so far as I could learn by inquiry. In consequence of this, the crops failed in Europe, America, and the northern parts of Asia. The same circumstance had a remarkable effect on the reigning diseases of the season at New York; for, instead of the bilious complaints common in the end of summer and in autumn, a slight fever of the inflammatory kind had prevailed. An epidemic catarrh had spread all over Europe, and some part of Asia, in the earlier part of the year; and perhaps this was connected with the peculiar state of the atmosphere about this time. It was before observed, that there was something unusual in the state of the weather at Jamaica while the fleet lay there; and it is possible that this might be owing to the same general cause.
CHAP. VI
Account of the Health of the Fleet from its Departure from New York till the Conclusion of the War. – Passage to the West Indies – Account of the Ships there during our Absence – Arrival of a Squadron from England – Of these, two Ships only were healthy – Causes of this – Inflammatory Complaints in the Union – Probable Cause of these – Comparison of the two Squadrons – Increase of Sickness from Recruits brought from England – from French prisoners.
Thirteen ships of the line sailed from America for the West 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 squadron, which was then at Boston.
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