(seq. 5)

Marine {Hospital} {January} 7th 1808

Johonnet Esqr.

Navy Agent Boston

Sir

There are now in this hospital three seamen
who were left sent here by the wasp, namely Thomas Daniels, Edward
Hart & James Smith. They are well enough to be dismissed, but
their distance from the ship to which they belong together with the
inclemency of the season are good reasons for my detaining
them until I know from authority what ought to be done with them. There
is another named Wm. Kennedy who will probably be well
enough to depart in three weeks being now under the
operation of mercury. There is another named Thomas
Williams belonging to the same ship who is incurable;
one eye is was destroyed by the bursting of a bottle, and the other
eye is going by sympathy into a ruinous state; so that he
will in all probability become quite blind. Peter McMann
belonged to the Constitution; he fell from one of her yards into
her hole and injured his brain in a manner that has
left such an affection behind as will forever render
him unfit for service or for getting his living. He
was I am told considered by the surgeon of the Constitution
as incurable & sent to this hospital as such. Now I
wish to know what I must do with these five men; and
with Kennedy when he should be well enough to depart?

It may be a satisfaction to you Sir to be informed, that I
have just established three [Dressers], after the manner
of the European hospitals, who go through the hospital
& that I can treble their number should 20 wounded men be brought into [?]
every day with me from between 10 & 12 oclock being
three well informed adroit young surgeons and that
I am about establishing one in the house so that the
institution will not be left as heretofore during the night
wihout some medical aid. It will doutless give you
satisfaction to hear that the three first medical characters
in the state viz. Lloyd, Danforth & Warren have kindly offered
that in case of any extraordinary emergency or my sickness to give
their advice & assitance.