New database on Ancestry - RN Medical journals

[Elaine ..Spain]

Just seen this mentioned on Facebook -
UK Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857

Description is a bit misleading - I expected it to be purely RN personnel - but it also covers passengers and the majority of ships included are convict ones.

This database contains indexed images of medical journals from 19th-century British ships, which include names of patients and other passengers and crew aboard.

The journals in this database were kept by ships’ medical officers, who were required to keep a record of patients, treatments, and outcomes during a voyage. This collection includes 671 volumes, each from a single ship and covering a particular time period. The majority are convict ships bound for Australia or Van Diemen’s Land.

The journals list names, ages, “quality” (the patient’s rank or status aboard), diseases, duration dates, and notes on symptoms and treatment. They often include daily sick lists extracted from the journal pages as well. Researchers should not forget their female ancestors. Some convict ships sailing to Australia were designated for female convicts; other women emigrated voluntarily.

[Christine in Herts]

Thank you, Elaine

I had a look for my OH's elusive maybe-not ancestor, but he doesn't seem to get a mention.

Couldn't see any of my other "easy" names, either.

Christine

[Caroline]

Although not one of "mine", the entry for Enoch Lucock, (a young convict sentenced to seven years for stealing thimbles) is fascinating. There are pages about his treatment between June and October 1827, including the use of a flannel wrapper round his abdomen.

He died in Sydney the following year: All Australia Death Index, 1787-1985

[Elaine ..Spain]

I found myself reading stuff this morning, totally unrelated to my tree! Very interesting reading on some entries.

[Sunny Kate]

Thanks Elaine.
Fascinating details however the names I searched for aren't there. I've seen references in the Archives to medical treatment for a 2 x g-grandmother when she was a 13yr old emigrant to NSW in 1838. The records here for the ship she travelled on show info only about treatment of patients who died on the voyage.

[Joy Dean]

Thank you. It is not all easy to read but I must study it carefully because there is quite a lot written about my relative William Ling who died during the voyage on the Susan, 17 October 1837.