| Description | Record of letters sent by McGrigor during the period September 1813-June 1815. Lists date and addressee, and includes a brief note of the subject of the letter. Each entry is given its own number. For example, letter number 3502 (p.5), dated 'Lesaco', 10 September 1813 and addressed to Dr. Ferguson, Inspector of Hospitals, requests: 'To forward prevailing diseases of the whole of the Surgeons, as well as of your own - Call the attention of the [medical officers] of divisions to [departmental] orders. I request you to inform me of the [Regimental] Surgeons have a supply of medicines…for a month in tin boxes…, and trays…'.
The letters are addressed to various surgeons and officers stationed at Vitoria, St. Ander [Santander], Lisbon, Bilbao and Coimbra, among other places. They contain a note of orders given by McGrigor or requests for information, and often relate to particular reports: why they have not been sent, their content or how regularly they should be submitted. Some of the letters also address the matter of medical equipment or supplies or refer in particular to buildings to be used as hospitals or for stores (see page 6). Includes index of correspondents at start of volume. The entries are not all in the same hand.
Letters of interest include:
No.3475: To Dr. Dickson, Purveyor General, 8 September 1813: requests that he sends every week an equipment return of the 100 covered carts, noting their state of repair and 'state of bullocks' (p.2).
No.3493: To Mr. Baxter, 9 September 1813: requests that he will immediately assemble a Board to examine the invalids of the 1st and 5th Divisions in the hospitals or on board vessels at [Passages?]… (p.4).
No.3549: 13 September 1813: chastises officer for criticisms he made in letter regarding appointment of Deputy Inspector of Hospitals (p.12).
No.3595: 17 September 1813: reference to French prisoners unfit for service and their return to France (p.17). [See also No.3605 in which he asks to know if French sick and wounded have dressings and medicines 'and everything required for them' (p.18)].
No.3671: To Mr. Nixon, 21 September 1813: orders him to instruct surgeons of the 76th, 84th and 85th regiments 'how to make up their Return'. He also asks him to call on Surgeon Lloyd to explain 'why he Returns more sick than the whole of the division together' (p.25).
No.'s 3735 and 3736: 26 September 1813: asks for two separate Courts of Enquiry to be established relating to neglect of duty and delay in travelling to new posting (p.34). [Also see No.3813, p.42]
No.3819: To Deputy Inspector Gunning, San Sebastian, 2 October 1813: he is to take immediate measures for the embarkation of sick and wounded [notes 60 or 70 cases] for removal to Santander in six transports. Each man is to be provided with two blankets, tea, sugar, rice, vegetables, live stock for 10 days, wine and other comforts. The Apothecary in Chief will ensure that the proper assortment of medicines and materials is sent with each transport. Also issues orders relating to care of patients during voyage, the inspection of the transports, embarkation of patients and those too ill for voyage, and which medical staff should accompany the patients and who should remain (p.45). |