ENPages
(seq. 41)
Boston 2d August 1816 To Col. [COLONEL] C. R. Gardiner
Sir, I was left in a state of uncertainty abt [ABOUT] my furlough, from an [strike]idea[/strike] opinion that as soon as my letter [expresrume?] of my determination came to hand [strike]was received[/strike] I should receive of course an order, in order to clear up this doubt by [redirection?] of Genl [GENERAL] Ripley orderd [ORDERED] [Port?] Surgeon Eaton to do some of the duties of his Junior Surgeon. However [never?] [cased?] my superindendant, although all returns were made to Dr. Eaton. This may explain my deficiency in the returns we would have been more consonant to those Heretofore presented I will nevertheless try to supply the deficiency.
This department has been speaking generaly [GENERALLY] healthy. The meteorological tables here enclosed will show that the weather has been continually cold, which has produced colds, coughs, catarrhs, but there has been no strongly marked epidemics. The Surgeons of posts have not complained for want of medicine or stores as heretofore when we had neither money nor credit. It was not thought admisable [ADMISSABLE] to purchase a capital set of instruments for the frost of [lastine?] in time of peace altho [ALTHOUGH] I mentioned its remote and lonely situation and its liability to accidents. We have had reason to lament this and I am determined that they shall be provided.
Such men as are selected for Corpsemen suffer [strike]greatly[/strike] are more indangered [ENDANGERED] in their health than the [continee?], especially since they are obliged to wait late at night for their officers in the [skarf?] or in their boots. Have recommend such to wear of [?] shirts in the winter and wollen [WOOLEN] neckcloths, and should watch [water?]
[vertical side note:] producing under [pletitions?] and [hospitals?]
(seq. 42)
watch coats be assigned to every barge. The comparative differenec between the health of cavalry infantry & bargemen justifies the advice if defending the latter from the severity of raw & cold weather after the severe [?] of rowing
I have finally denounced in my former posts to construction of some of the [underlined] blackholes [underlined], in which men are sometimes reduced nearly to death in them & two often contract complaints, that shorten their lives & render them uncomfortable while they do exist:
I speak generally when I say that I am not very well pleased with the [underlined]quality[underlined] of the medicines used by surgeons. I very rarely find the articles equal to what the British in their services. I hope the new arrangement will operate in improvement.
Presuming that Dr Euston would attend to the quarterly returns, I have been less critical with them, but as I looked over them in the apl hsp office I couldnt but notice marks of some neglect. One surgeon notes no day book, or case book because he has no paper. I propose to send a circular to the surgeons in this department pointing out the leaness of their reports & suggesting more fullness. Some of the comments of post object to the Surgeon [deletion]making[deletion] mentioning the number this garrison without reflecting then when the surgeon returns more than ten perent sick I ought to make particular enquiry into the local causes
(seq. 43)
cancer; nor do such consider that I can judge of the quantum of medicine only by the numbers above have this under the surgeons care.
I am not certain if it be my proper business to notice the language of the blank returns [strike]made to[/strike] sent to us by the Superintendant of milly [MILITARY] supplies. If it be not defective, it at least wants uniformity. [strike]of[/strike] The French nomenclature of medicine has been corected [CORRECTED] and extended by the British and we ourselves have tried to improve upon them, so that it is not entirely fixed, yet the terms used in the blank forms sent us [strike]for[/strike] by Mr. Cutts needs revision. He has mentioned the thing to me and I made one out that may be deemed more correct but [strike]was fearful[/strike] never sent it to him, whether it might not be well for the hospital surgeon at head quarters to supply this deficiency is not for me to say, I can only say that I am sorry to see this mixed language in our returns and double so to see the very incorrect list of medicines in the [strike]little note of[/strike] army register.
NB. [NOTA BENE] The meteorlogical tables were from March to June 30th 1818, and sent at this time together with the topographical acct [ACCOUNT] of Charlestown and [dissertation?] on the mode of seafaring now [scene?] [SEEN?] [strike]recon[/strike] and a few words on the effects of rum, not the whole of it -
(seq. 44)
August 15th 1816
Major Genl [GENERAL] Brown:
Sir, When I enquired in my recent letter whether it would be your pleasure that I should visit the posts & make the enquiries, and [strike][similar?] return[/strike] make report [strike][some?][/strike] on the plan of my visit the last season, I should have detailed my reasons for it-
General Porter says he has never paid any attention to the medicine staff [strike]whatever[/strike], & is ignorant of their relative duty, or relative grades. His idea is that a Hospital is the surgeon of a [underlined]hospital[underlined], if there be no hospital he has nothing to do. The medical directorship of the Junior Surgeon of a Department he has no idea of, and he says that he has never once turned his thoughts to that subject, and therefore he gave it as his opinion that I had better write to you on the subject of visiting posts, among other
(seq. 45)
Canbridge 25 Sptr 1816]
To Lieut Col. Eustice
Command 32d Dept
As the Senior Hospital Surgeon of a Dept & ex office the advisory officer to the Commander in whatsoever relates to the health [deleted text] of the troops, I take the liberty most respectfully to state a peculiar case of a private at the Arterial in Charlestown under [deleted text] the command of Capt Falcot[deleted text]
The man is named Wm Jones, & is a confirmed Pox for which he has been salurated [deleted text]without removing the dressings [deleted text]. To save his life & retain his usefulness it is necessary that he should need so another couple of medicine & merely ^in such a debilitated subject cannot be pushed to a great length without great care & caution, & that too in an hospital, and there is no room at the arsenal in [deleted text] Charlestown [deleted text] feel to be appropriate to that purpose
The man is in the common barrack, a small room sujbect alternately to heat & cold. His besides filled with other men, who consider a man in the con dition of Jones a nuisance & will probably treat him as such accordingly. frm these two cases par ticularly the first, I give it in my opinion that he ought to be [deleted text] removed [deleted text] some suitable place provided for him close where, [deleted text] for Capt Fuleal appeases me that there is no room for him here as the room where he sas is [deleted text] It will be full a year before the room for a hospital annexed to the new arsenal will be fit to receive a patient. In the meant time, I presume that such peculiar cases as the one described^ & cases will be [unclear]