BOOK III._Observations on the Diseases of Seamen

Of the NUMBERS and MORTALITY of different DISEASES sent to

Hospitals, with a general View of the whole Mortality during

the War 185

PART II.

Of the CAUSES of Sickness in Fleets, and the Means of PREVENTION 211

Introduction _ib._

CHAP. I.

Of Air 225

Sect. I. Of the noxious Effects of Land Air in particular

Situations 227

Sect. II. Of the Effects of foul Air from the Neglect of

Cleanliness in Men’s Persons--INFECTION 237

1. Means of preventing the Introduction of Infection 240

2. Means of preventing the Production of Infection 254

3. Means of eradicating Infection 264

Sect. III. Of the foul Air generated in a Ship 281

---- IV. Means of guarding against Infection and bad Air 293

CHAP. II.

Of Aliment 300

Sect. I. Of solid Food _ib._

---- II. Of Drink 319

Of Water 324

CHAP. III.

Of Clothing 334

CHAP. IV.

Of Exercise 343

CONCLUSION 349

APPENDIX to PART II. 352

Memorial to the Admiralty _ib._

Supplement to the Memorial 364

PART III.

DESCRIPTION and TREATMENT of the Diseases most frequently

occurring in Fleets in hot Climates 368

CHAP. I.

Of Fevers 370

1. Of the infectious Ship Fever 371

2. Of the bilious Remitting Fever 415

3. Of the Yellow Fever 425

4. Of the Effects of some unusual Remedies in the Cure of

obstinate Intermittent Fevers 456

CHAP. II.

Of Fluxes 466

CHAP. III.

Of Scurvy 499

CHAP. IV.

Of the WOUNDS received in the Actions of April 1782 519

APPENDIX TO PART III. 545

Assortment of Medicines to be carried to Sea 548

Formulæ Medicamentorum 550

DEDICATION.

TO HIS

ROYAL HIGHNESS

PRINCE WILLIAM-HENRY.

SIR,

The following Work is the fruit of several years labour employed in the

Public Service, chiefly under that great and successful Admiral, Lord

Rodney, in a series of Naval Operations, which have been productive

of events more glorious than any recorded in the Annals of Britain.

As your Royal Highness was present during some part of the service

which is the subject of these Observations, and as You have not only

honoured the Sea Service by embracing it as a profession, and enrolling

your illustrious Name among its officers, but in undergoing the dangers

and fatigues of actual service, which is so necessary to attain that

practical Skill which Your Royal Highness is well known to possess, I

have, upon these grounds, presumed to lay this Work at Your feet. I

should do this with greater satisfaction, were it more worthy of Your

acceptance; but however inadequate my abilities may have been to the

talk, it has been my sincere aim to produce a work of some utility to

that only Bulwark of our Country, the British Navy, of which your Royal

Highness is the Pride and the Hope.

Your Royal Highness’s Permission to inscribe this work to You, and

the personal Notice and Protection with which you have been pleased

to honour me, I consider as the first Distinctions of my life, and of

which I shall ever entertain a becoming sense, by cherishing those

indelible sentiments of Respect, Gratitude, and Attachment, which are

due to Your Royal Highness from

Your Royal Highness’s

Most faithful,

Most obedient, and

Most devoted Servant,

GILBERT BLANE.

LONDON,

May 1, 1785.

PREFACE.

Having been appointed by Lord Rodney Physician to the Fleet under his

command, in the beginning of the year 1780, I determined to avail

myself, to the utmost of my abilities, of the advantages which this

field of observation afforded. This I was led to do, in order to

satisfy my own mind as a matter of duty, as well as to find out, if

possible, the means of bettering the condition of a class of men, who

are the bulwark of the state, but whose lot is hardship and disease,

above that of all others.

A fleet, consisting seldom of less than twenty ships of the line

of battle, and sometimes exceeding forty, which I attended in the

different scenes of active service in that distant and unhealthy

region, for more than three years, has afforded me opportunities of

making observations upon a large scale.

My object has been prevention as much as cure; and as the former must

more particularly depend on a knowledge of the external causes of

disease, I have collected and arranged all the facts upon this subject

that came within my reach, considering these as the only grounds from

whence the remote causes of health and sickness could be deduced.

When I entered upon my employment, the Commander in Chief gave an

order, that every surgeon in the fleet should send me a monthly

return, stating the degree of prevalence of different diseases, the

mortality, and whatever else related to the health of the respective

ships. This was done with a view to enable me to regulate the reception

of men into hospitals, so that each ship might have a due proportion of

relief, according to the degree of sickness on board, taking care at

the same time that the hospitals should not be overcrowded; and also

to acquaint the Commander in Chief, from time to time, of the state

of sickness, or the predominance of particular diseases, in order to

recommend such articles of diet, or other means, as might tend to cure

them, or to check their progress. These returns have served also in

this work as a method of collecting a multitude of well-established

facts, tending to ascertain the causes and course of disease.

While the fleet was in port, I also superintended and visited daily the

hospitals, of which there is one at almost every island on the station;

and having kept an account of the different kinds of disease that were

admitted, and of their mortality, I have in this way likewise been

furnished with a number of facts that may throw light on the history of

human maladies.

Nevertheless, I do not boast of having made great discoveries; and

every person of a correct judgement must be aware how difficult it

is to ascertain truths, and to draw fair and solid inferences, on

medical subjects. I have attempted little more than to amass, from my

own observation, and by the assistance of the surgeons of the fleet,

a number of well-established facts, and to arrange them in such a

methodical manner, as to prove a groundwork for investigation; and I am

persuaded that others, of more sagacity and enlarged knowledge than

myself, may be able to deduce from them, observations that may have

escaped me especially if these new, but imperfect, attempts should come

to be compared with similar ones that may be made by other observers in

other climates, and in other circumstances of service.

I met with several obstacles in instituting inquiries, purely medical,

to the extent I could have wished. There is, in the first place, from

the nature of the subject, a great difficulty attending all practical

inquiries in medicine; for, in order to ascertain truth, in a manner

that is satisfactory to a mind habituated to chaste investigation,

there must be a series of patient and attentive observations upon

a great number of cases, and the different trials must be varied,

weighed, and compared, in order to form a proper estimate of the real

efficacy of different remedies and modes of treatment.

But besides this difficulty belonging to the nature of the subject,

there were others connected with the nature of the service; for the

hospitals were at times so inadequate in point of size, and so ill

provided with necessary articles and accommodations, particularly

during the first part of my attendance, that my principal care was to

remedy these defects by proper superintendence and representation.

A due attention to air, diet, and cleanliness, is not only more

essential than mere medical treatment, but the sick cannot be

considered as fit subjects for evincing the powers of medicine till

they are properly provided for in these respects. These inconveniences

were owing, in a great measure, to the unusual extent of the service;

for there was a much greater naval force in those seas, at this period,

than was ever before known, and there was of course a proportional

want of accommodation for the sick. Towards the end of the war these

difficulties were much obviated, so that a fairer field of observation

presented itself.

Another obstacle to my practical inquiries was, that the fleets I

belonged to seldom remained more than six weeks or two months at any

one place, so that any series of observations that might have been

instituted was interrupted, and I was in a great degree deprived of the

fruits of them, by not seeing the event of cases under my management.

The peace in the spring of the year 1783 put an end to all my

inquiries, and particularly prevented me from following out some

practical researches. I have ventured, however, in one part of this

work, to give the result of my experience in some diseases, more

especially such as are peculiar to the climate and mode of life.

Upon the whole, I have, in the following work, humbly attempted to

follow what I conceive to be the only true method of cultivating any

practical art, that is, to collect and compare a great number of

facts. A few individual cases are not to be relied on as a foundation

of general reasoning, the deductions from them being inconclusive and

fallacious, and they are liable to be turned and glossed, according as

the mind of the observer may he biassed by a favourite prepossession or

hypothesis. It has been my study to exhibit a rigid transcript of truth

and nature upon a large scale, and to take the average of numberless

particular facts, to serve as a groundwork for observation; and I

have endeavoured to analyse and collate these facts, by throwing the

monthly returns that were made to me into the form of Tables, as the

most certain and compendious way for finding their general result. If

the materials are not sufficiently ample, or if the method should be

found faulty and imperfect, let it be remembered, that I had no example

to go by in this field of observation. It is to be regretted, that ages

have passed without any attempts being made to transmit regular records

of this kind to posterity. 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 possessed of such information

concerning the causes and nature of the diseases prevailing at sea, in

various circumstances of weather, climate, and diet, in remote ages and

countries, or even in our own age and country, as might enable us to

compare them with present facts, and to ascertain more precisely the

means of preventing and removing such diseases.

The favourable reception which the first edition of this work has met

with, renders it necessary to offer another to the Public; and though

no new opportunities have occurred of making additional observations in

the naval service I have endeavoured, during the last two years, from

a pretty extensive experience in a large hospital, and from private

practice, to add some new information on some practical points; and I

hope this edition will be found throughout more full and correct than

the former.

The method I propose to follow in this work, is, First, to deliver the

history of the different voyages and expeditions, so far as relates to

health, giving an account of the prevalence and nature of the diseases

and mortality on board of ships and in hospitals.

Secondly, To deduce, from observations founded on these facts, and also

from the former experience of others, the causes of sickness in fleets,

and the means of prevention.

Thirdly, To deliver some practical observations on the cure of the most

common diseases incident to fleets, particularly in hot climates.

OBSERVATIONS.

PART I.

BOOK I.

Comprehending the MEDICAL HISTORY of the FLEET, from March, 1780, till

August, 1781.

CHAP. I.

Containing an Account of the HEALTH of the FLEET from March,

1780, till July following.----Five Ships of 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 Hardship and Exposure, but little Increase of

Sickness--Method of collecting the Returns of the Surgeons--Influence

of Situation upon Health in Harbours--Course of the Seasons, and

Temperature of the West Indies--The Fleet reinforced in June and July

with Ships from England and North America--Their Health.

During the war, which broke out with France in 1778, and with Spain in

1779, the West Indies was the principal seat of naval operations, and

much greater fleets were then employed in that quarter of the world

than in any former period.

Though there had been a great squadron on the Caribbee station during

the greater part of 1779, no physician was appointed to it till the

beginning of the next year, when I arrived there in that character with

my friend and protector, Lord Rodney.

There were then sixteen ships of the line on that station, most of

which had been upwards of twelve months in the climate; and they were

reinforced at this time by five more from England.

The squadron which we found on the station was then extremely healthy,

and in several of the ships there was not a man unfit for duty. We were

told, however, that they had all been subject to sickness, particularly

to the dysentery, soon after their arrival in that climate. Of the five

with which the fleet was at this time reinforced, all but the Intrepid

left England at Christmas, making part of the squadron which effected

the first relief of Gibraltar, under the command of Lord Rodney, who

continued his route to the West Indies, in order to take the command

on the Windward station, where he arrived on the 16th of March. The

Intrepid had arrived with a convoy the day before. These five ships

were all pretty healthy on their passage, except the Sandwich and

Terrible, in which a fever prevailed; but they had almost recovered

from it before they arrived in the West Indies. A dysentery broke

out in April in all the ships newly arrived, and it prevailed to the

greatest degree in those which had been most affected with fevers in

Europe, namely, in the Terrible and Intrepid. The Sandwich and Ajax

were also affected, though in a less degree; but the Montagu, though

this was her first voyage, and though she was just off the stocks, had

been the most healthy of any of them from the time of leaving England,

and continued so during all this campaign. I have not observed that

new ships are more unhealthy than others, unless they are built of

ill-seasoned timber; and they have this advantage, that there is no

previous infection adhering to them. What may have contributed also

to the superior health of the Montagu, was the precaution that was

taken when this ship was first manned and fitted out, of stripping and

washing the men that were brought from the guardship to complete the

crew.

The Intrepid, while in England, had been afflicted with fevers to a

most uncommon degree; for, being one of the fleet in the Channel cruise

the year before, almost the whole crew either died at sea, or were

sent to the hospital upon arriving at Portsmouth. This ship, after

refitting, was pretty healthy for a little time; but, probably from the

operation of the old adhering infection, she became extremely sickly

immediately after joining our fleet, and sent two hundred men to the

hospital the first two months after arriving in the West Indies. Most

of these were ill of the dysentery.

The Pegasus frigate arrived with the ships from Gibraltar, and we have

here an instance of the superior health commonly enjoyed by this class

of ships over ships of the line; for when she was dispatched to England

in the end of April, there had not been a man taken ill from the time

of her arrival on the station.

This season was a very active one in the operations of war; for,

besides 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 constantly in the face of the enemy’s, except

for a few days that it was refitting at St. Lucia after the first

battle. This was extremely harrassing to the men, not only from the

incessant labour necessary in the evolutions of the fleet, but by their

being constantly at quarters with the ships clear for action; for, in

that situation, they had nothing to sleep upon but the bare decks, the

hammocks and bedding being removed from between decks, where they might

embarrass the men in fighting, and they become useful on the quarter

deck, by serving to barricade the ship, which is done by placing them

in ranges on the gunwale, to cover the men from the enemy’s grape and

small shot. These hardships were productive of some sickness, though

much less than might have been expected; for the weather is at all

times warm, and it was at this time extremely moderate and dry. Besides

we shall see in other instances as well as this, that, in the ardour

inspired by the presence of an enemy, men are less exhausted by their

exertions than on ordinary and less interesting occasions.

Almost the whole of the sick and wounded, to the number of 750, were

put on shore at Barbadoes, where all the fleet, except three ships[1],

arrived on the 22d of May.

I now began to keep regular and methodical accounts of the sickness

and mortality in the fleet, though in a manner more imperfect and less

accurate than was afterwards adopted. I was embarked on board of the

Sandwich, where the Commander in Chief had his flag, so that I was

always present with the main body of the fleet, whether at sea or in

port.

A form of monthly returns[2] was adopted, which, as well as other

points of method, was afterwards improved.

After collecting the returns for each month, I made abstracts of them

in tables; in one column of which the complement of each ship is set

down, in order to form calculations of the comparative prevalence

and mortality of different diseases at different times. One of the

abstracts is here inserted, (Table I.) by way of specimen, and the

proportional result of them for fourteen months is set down in another

table, (Table II.)

Though this last exhibits a tolerably just view, yet it may be

remarked, as one imperfection, that there was no distinction made

at this time in my returns between the killed and those who died

of disease; so that in the month of May, which stands first, the

proportion is too high; for there were sixty-four killed, and two

hundred wounded, in the two actions of that month.

TABLE I.

+--------------------------------------------+

| ABSTRACT OF RETURNS, |

| 1ST JUNE, 1781. |

+--------------------------------------------+

| Transcriber’s keys: |

| |

| A Complement. |

| B Sick and Wounded on Board. |

| C Sent to the Hospital in the |

| course of last Month. |

| D Dead on Board in the course |

| of last Month. |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| SHIPS’ | A | B | C | D |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Sandwich | 732 | 28 | 36 | 2 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Barfleur | 767 | 133 | 22 | 1 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Gibraltar | 650 | 67 | 88 | 10 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Triumph | 650 | 7 | 9 | 2 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Centaur | 650 | 45 | 26 5 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Torbay | 600 31 | 57 | 5 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Monarch | 600 | 62 | 14 | 2 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Terrible | 600 | 85 | 24 | 1 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Alfred | 600 | 57 | 38 | 1 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Russel | 600 | 44 | 134 | 7 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Alcide | 600 | 42 | 35 | 1 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Shrewsbury | 600 | 30 | 23 | 5 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Invincible | 600 | 50 | 63 | 9 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Resolution | 600 | 107 | 54 | 3 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Ajax | 550 | 20 | 10 | 2 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Princessa | 560 | 88 | 40 | 5 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Belliqueux | 500 | 19 | 0 | 1 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Prince William | 500 | 25 | 14 | 2 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Panther | 420 | 16 | 6 | 0 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Triton | 200 | 5 | 1 | 0 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Hyena | 200 | 11 | 0 | 0 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Cyclops | 200 | 5 | 2 | 0 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

| Total | 11979 | 977 | 696 | 64 |

+----------------+--------+------+------+----+

The main body of the fleet lay at Barbadoes till the 6th of June, and

the men had recruited extremely by their stay there; for vegetables,

fruit, and other refreshments, can be procured at an easier rate, and

in much greater plenty, at this island, than any other on the station.

The fleet arrived at St. Lucia the next day after it sailed from

Barbadoes, and remained there till the 18th of June. The whole of this

month was showery at this island, though it is not accounted the common

rainy season; for more rain falls here than at any of the other islands

at that time in our possession, being the most mountainous, as well as

the most woody and uncultivated, of them all. These rains produced some

increase of sickness, but very little, when compared to what took place

at the same time in the army on shore, and in the ships refitting at

the Carenage. There died about this time from fifty to fifty-five men

every week in an army of not quite two thousand men.

The difference in point of health between the Carenage (which, as the

word implies, is the place where ships go to be hove down, or otherwise

repaired) and Gros-Islet Bay, where the main body of the fleet lay,

affords a striking proof of the effects of situation. The Carenage is

a land-locked creek, with a marsh adjacent to it, whereas the other is

a road open to the fine air of the sea, the only land sheltering it to

windward being a small, dry island, consisting of one hill, of half a

league in circumference, and some of the cliffs of the main island of

St. Lucia.

The increase of sickness here was farther prevented by the men

having little labour to perform on shore, nor any haunts to

encourage intemperance, a vice which the Admiral endeavoured still

more effectually to prevent, by ordering all the rum stills in the

neighbourhood to be destroyed.

It may be proper here to introduce a general account of the seasons

and temperature of the West Indies, as there will be frequent occasion

hereafter to make allusions to them. With regard to the heat, though

the range of the temperature is very small, in comparison of what it

is in Europe, the variations follow the same seasons; for July and

August are the hottest months, and December and January the coolest.

This we would naturally expect, as our plantations lie all in the

northern hemisphere, between the 10th and 20th degree of N. latitude,

and therefore bear the same relation as Europe does to the sun’s

annual course. The hurricanes happen in the same season in which the

periodical rains chiefly fall, that is, in the months of August,

September, and October, which are called the hurricane months, and

this is also the most unhealthy season. The time of the year which is

most 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 lowest I ever

observed the thermometer was at 69°; it stands very commonly at 72° at

sunrise, in the cool season, rising to 78° or 79° in the middle of the

day. In the hot season, the common range is from 76° to 83°. It seldom

exceeds this in the shade at sea; and the greatest height at which I

ever observed it in the shade at land was 87°. This is far short of

the extremes of heat which they experience at certain seasons on the

continent of North America, even very far north. In Pennsylvania and

New York, the thermometer, I have been assured, rises frequently above

90°. It does so commonly enough in the East Indies; but I believe it

never was known to rise so high in the West Indies, so that the heat,

comparatively speaking, may be called moderate and steady.

The comparative mortality in June is small, owing to the fleet’s having

been cleared of all the bad cases at Barbadoes before it sailed from

thence. Though the proportion of sick in July is less, that of the

mortality is greater, (see Table II.) which seems to be owing to this

circumstance, that the cases taken ill during the rainy weather of June

did not terminate fatally till the succeeding month.

In the course of this summer the fleet was reinforced by several ships

of the line from England. The Triumph arrived in May, without any sick

on board; but a flux prevailed a few weeks afterwards, without any

evident cause, except the influence of the climate, and the exposure

and fatigues during the operations of May. The disease, however, soon

subsided, and the ship being kept in excellent order and discipline,

continued healthy during all the remaining time in which she served

with us.

In June, the Russel, of 74 guns, arrived from North America, and the

Shrewsbury, a ship of the same rate, from England. The former left

England in 1778, but was obliged to put back by stress of weather

and sickness, and upon arriving afterwards on the coast of America,

was extremely afflicted both with fevers and the scurvy. These were

removed to the hospital, and this ship had become free of all sickness

before sailing for the West Indies, except that a few of the men were

seized with fevers, and she remained healthy after arriving there, not

suffering from any regular attack of sickness, such as affected the

ships in general from Europe. The Shrewsbury left England healthy, but

was soon attacked with a fever and flux, which continued to prevail

till the end of the year.

The fever in these two ships resembled rather the low ship fever of

Europe than the bilious one peculiar to the climate. This last, indeed,

seldom or never prevails to a great degree on board of a ship, unless

it has been caught on the watering duty, or from some other exposure to

the air of the land. I have, however, known a few instances of bilious

fevers in men who never had been on shore from the time they left

England; I have even known men of the same description attacked with

intermittent fevers, which are supposed to depend still more on land

air. This is perhaps owing either to the quantity of water in a great

ship, part of which is always more or less putrid, or to the fresh-cut

wood of the country taken on board for fuel, the steam of all which

must resemble a good deal the effluvia of woods and marshes, which are

supposed to give rise to intermittents.

In the beginning of July our fleet was reinforced with the Culloden,

Egmont, and Centaur, all of 74 guns. In the end of the same month

we were joined by the Alcide and Torbay, of the same rate, and also

directly from England. The fleet was at this time at St. Christopher’s,

having arrived there on the 22d of the month, with a large convoy from

England, which had joined it at St. Lucia, under protection of the

Thunderer and Berwick, two ships of the line, which being bound to

Jamaica, I do not reckon as belonging to our fleet.

TABLE II.

Shewing the proportional Sickness and Mortality, in relation to the

whole Numbers on board, for fourteen Months.

+------------------------------------------------------+

| Transcriber’s keys: |

| A Proportion of Sick and |

| Wounded on board on |

| the First of the Month. |

| |

| B Proportion of Sick and |

| Wounded sent to the |

| Hospital in the Course |

| of the Month. |

| |

| C Proportion of Deaths |

| on board in the Course |

| of the Month. |

+-----------------+-----------+----------+-------------+

| Months. | A | B | C |

+-----------------+-----------+----------+-------------+

+-----------------+-----------+----------+-------------+

| May, 1780 | 18½ | 20½ | 87 |

| June | 13 | 68½ | 418 |

| July | 17½ | 80 | 163 |

| August | 18 | 227 | 80 |

| September | 9 | 6 | 188 |

| October | 14 | 25 | 0 |

| November | 33½ | 192 | 265 |

| December | 16 | 67 | 185 |

| January, 1781 | 14 | 60½ | 316 |

| February | 18 | 413 | 214 |

| March | 15½ | 30 | 201 |

| April | 11 | 59 | 169 |

| May | 9½ | 17 | 188 |

| June | 12 | 40 | 701 |

+-----------------+-----------+----------+-------------+

| Mean Proportion | 15½ | 93 | 227 |

+-----------------+-----------+----------+-------------+

CHAP. II.

Account of the HEALTH of the FLEET from August, 1780, till December

following.----The Fleet divided--The principal Squadron goes to North

America--Fluctuation between Fevers and Fluxes--The Alcide and Torbay

the most sickly Ships--Health mended by the Climate and Diet in North

America--Hurricane in the West Indies--Sufferings in consequence of

it--Fevers the chief Disease.

The hurricane months approaching, the season for active operations in

the West Indies was now over. The whole force of the enemy, consisting

of thirty-fix French and Spanish ships of the line, having gone to St.

Domingo in the end of July, ten sail of the line were detached after

them from our station, for the protection of Jamaica. The Admiral

sailed for North America in August, with eleven ships of the line,

leaving six for the protection of the islands.

There was little alteration in the general state of the sick during the

voyage to America, and indeed we found no diminution of the West-India

heat, which at this season is at the greatest height, until we came to

the 33° 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 course of this voyage these two ships became as unhealthy as

any that ever came under my observation. There was a greater number of

sick on board of them than all the fleet besides, and it increased to

such a degree, that upon their arrival at New York, which was in the

middle of September, after a passage 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 dysentery; and the unusual degree of sickness

and mortality which appears in the Table for the month of September,

was owing to the very sickly state of these two ships.

TABLE III.

Shewing the Number of Fevers and Fluxes on board on

the First of each Month, and the Number sent to the Hospital in the

Course of the Month.

[Key:

B On board.

H Sent to the Hospital.

+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+

| SHIPS’ NAMES, +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

| Date of their +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| Arrival. | B | H | B | H | B | H | B | H | B | H | B | H |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 16th March | 6 | 0 | 16 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 3 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 16th March | 0 | 0 | 40 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 86 | 75 | 3 | 25 | 60 | 24 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 7th May | | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 17 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 18th June | | | | | | | | | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 26th June | | | | | | | | | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 22d Nov. | | | | | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 4 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

+---------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+

| SHIPS’ NAMES, +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

| Date of their +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| Arrival. | B | H | B | H | B | H | B | H | B | H | B | H |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 16th March | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 0 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 16th March | 25 | 0 | 30 | 13 | 19 | 12 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 7th May | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | continued healthy.|

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 18th June | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | continued healthy.|

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 26th June | 14 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | Ship being absent.|

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 30th July | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 59 | 37 |

+---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

| 30th July | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |169 |143 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |