| Description | Letter book 'D', containing copies of letters sent by McGrigor to the Army Medical Board, the Adjutant General, Wellington and other senior officers. A list of warrants and an index is included at the front of the volume. Many of the letters sent to the Army Medical Board and the Adjutant General in particular refer to reports of medical boards who assessed those cases requiring to be sent to England or other locations in Portugal such as Estremoz, Abrantes and Coimbra (for example, see page 17). The letters to the Army Medical Board are addressed to [J.] Reed, Secretary. The contents of the volume include:
Letter to Army Medical Board dated 28 April 1812, sent from Guinaldo, enclosing the reports of medical boards on the health of sick officers (page 2).
Reports arrival of twenty-two medical officers to board, listing name and regiment of each officer; dated Guinaldo, 28 April 1812 [also see similar list of appointments sent to Adjutant General on 29 April on page 5] (page 4).
Letter sent from Guinaldo, dated 29 April 1812, informing board that 'from the late movements of the army and the very heavy duty which has fallen on the Med[ical] O[fficers]' it will be impossible to forward the general return for some time. Also provides information relating to number of sick in hospitals and predominant nature of cases and the hospital stations themselves. Notes in particular that hospital stations at Celerico, [Castandura?] and Castello Branco suffered greatly 'by the visit of the enemy', and that he will endeavour to ascertain the loss of apothecary and purveyor stores and requests further stores from board. Praises skill of staff surgeon sent home on sick leave (page 6).
Letter to Army Medical Board dated 29 April: mentions poor conduct of certain officers (page 7).
Letter to Army Medical Board, dated 5 May 1812, in which he acknowledges receipt of letters on state of medical staff of the army in Peninsula and forwards abstract of present state and disposition of the whole medical staff in Peninsula, including garrison of Cadiz, noting that a deficiency of 78 below the estimate still remains; comments: 'I beg to assure you that it is not on light grounds that I so frequently request your attention to this subject' (page 13) [also see letter dated 26 May on page 33 referring to urgent need for medical staff].
Letter to Army Medical Board, dated 5 May, in which he requests board to let him know where it would be most appropriate to send invalid, sick and wounded men to England, referring in particular to the hospital stations at Plymouth and Portsmouth (pages 15-16).
In letter to board notes imminent departure of 700 sick and wounded men to England (page 16).
Letter to board, dated 12 May 1812, regarding medical stores at Lisbon, good conduct of Dr. Tice at Celerico, poor conduct of officers of Purveyors Department and loss of stores due to incursions of enemy (page 20).
Letter to Adjutant General, dated 16 May, enclosing proceedings of medical boards reviewing health of officers and their recommended length of recuperation at various locations in Portugal or in England (page 24) [also see page 34].
Letter to board, dated 18 May 1811 [actually 1812], noting appointment of Special Board of Physicians and Staff Surgeons to investigate high mortality rate at Coimbra and his dissatisfaction with their report. He has sent Mr. Robb to oversee superintendence of station (pages 26-27) [see journal no.3, page 40].
Letter to board, dated 18 May 1812, reporting delay of completion of the general return of sick in the general hospitals due in particular to 'the extremely incorrect state in which all of them have been sent to my office and the necessity of remitting some of them several times for correction. I have occasion to know, that this return is occasionally what is called 'made up' conveying deception instead of information and I find that the form of the Monthly Return is but little understood by Medical Officers'; notes changes to return which he hopes will provide 'a check for errors or deception' (page 27).
Letter to Wellington and Army Medical Board, dated 23 May 1812, enclosing return and commenting on low mortality rate among the wounded at Badajoz: 'I really cannot say too much of the attention, zeal and ability with which the Medical Officers in general have discharged their duty' (page 31).
Letter referring to Dr. Franck's records (page 33-34).
Letter to board, dated 28 May, referring to need for medicines and stores and establishment of two new hospital stations (pages 36-37).
Letter, dated 30 May, referring to buildings (College of Arts and St. Clara Nunnery) used as hospitals in Coimbra (page 37-38) [see journal no. 1, pages 7 and 9].
6 July (pages 54-55)
Letter to J. Reed with note of number of sick in the general hopsital, excluding Lisbon (5,274), in regimental hospitals (752), the number of 'convalescents, servants, on march to and from hospitals', and the number of different types of cases admitted into regimental hospitals during the month (including 1,521 cases of continued fever and 1,475 cases of intermittent fever). Also includes note of the number of deaths and from what diseases in the regimental and general hospitals (443 in total, including 75 resulting from continued fever, 94 from typhus, 98 from dysentery and 124 from wounds): 'by no means a _ mortality, when it includes the wounded from Badajoz, the mortality from contagious fever at Coimbra, and the deaths from 1100 invalids and such cases as have usually been sent home'.
10 July (pages 58-59)
Letter to J. Reed offering reasons why increase in number of hospital stations has led to increase in expenditure on medicines: 'While the hospital stations cover so great an extent of country as they do in the Peninsula where the roads are generally very rugged and the transport difficult, there is naturally and unavoidably in the conveyance of medicines to 14 or 15 distant stations a loss from breakage, damage, theft and robbery, which would not happen if they were to be conveyed only to 2 or 3 stations'.
14 July (pages 63-64)
Letter to J. Reed noting his regret that the monthly return of wounded and sick officers contains so many hospital staff (45 in total), highlighting those corps in need of medical officers and providing a list of medicines and equipment, the stock of which is running low.
Salamanca, 27 July (pages 69-70)
Letter to Lord Wellington reporting that all the officers are recovering well but noting lack of supplies including sheets and blankets and cooking vessels 'equal to the accommodation of 1800 sick and wounded'.
Madrid, 19 August (pages 100-101)
Letter to J. Reed regarding deficiency of several articles in the apothecary's store at Lisbon which he notes is due to the 'irregular manner in which that branch of the service was carried on in this country for 4 years during which time the deficiency continued to accumulate. During the whole of that period, stock was never once taken, nor were any correct returns or documents retained'. Notes that the situation did not improve until Mr. Price took charge and refers to deficiencies of return of 24th April.
Headquarters, 13 November (page 151)
Letter to Lieutenant Colonel Lord FitzRoy Somerset [1788-1855, military secretary to Wellington and appointed lieutenant-colonel in April 1812] informing him that he had examined Private Stewart of the 42nd Regiment and recommends that he be appointed Acting Dispenser of Medicines. Also refers to Inspector of Hospitals Ferguson who has been granted consent of Marshall Sir William Beresford to 'do duty with the British establishment'.
1813
Coimbra, 12 January (pages 202-204)
Letter to Army Medical Board reporting his inspection of the hospital and stores at Coimbra, and noting that they are 'on the whole in better order than any others I have seen in this service and I think I might add in any other'. Notes that all the bedding is clean and that 'no where are two cases of fever seen in one bed'. Commends Deputy Inpsector Robb and Acting Deputy Inspector Tice for excellent state of hospital, the latter also having responsibility for the two largest hospitals owing to illness of other medical officer. Notes that in the College of Arts there are 950 cases, mainly of fever and dysentery, and in the St. Francisco [convent] there are 450 cases, mostly cases of chronic dysentery, venereal disease and intermittent fever. He also reports on the situation in other hospitals, comments on the deputy purveyor of the stations and notes his inspection of the Portuguese hospital at each station at Coimbra: 'In the department of the Purveyor and Apothecary they are so manifestly superior, that I have directed Dr. Dickson and Mr. Morton to view their establishment'.
List of regulations relating to the appointment, payment and promotion of Spanish medical staff entitled: 'Correspondence concerning the pay of the extra Spanish medical staff' (not dated, pages 257-258).
Frenada, 15 February (pages 258-259)
Copy of letter addressed to McGrigor from [Lord] FitzRoy Somerset noting Wellington's approval of appointment of Spanish medical staff (to positions of physician and staff surgeon aswell as hospital mate). |