| Description | Journal kept by Sir James McGrigor, Chief of Medical Staff, Peninsular Army.
Page 1: List of general hospitals, with medical officer in charge and number of patients. Also list of medical officers assigned to various cavalry divisions.
May 1813
Page 2: In the middle of this month, the army began its advance into Spain [notes their advance by two different routes and fatigue caused by marching in hot weather].
Page 3: Notes total strength of army on 20 April as being 56, 928. Admissions into the regimental hospitals totalled 5,213 with 2,667 admitted into the general hospitals. Also provides detailed list of number of different types of diseases admitted into the regimental hospitals, the most prevalent being cases of continued fever (1,265), intermittent fever (1,162) and rheumatism (171). A list of the total number of different diseases treated in all the hospitals (general and regimental) highlights that intermittent fever was the most prevalent with 1,124 cases being admitted [continues on page 4 and also includes number of cases who died (134 in total) from a particular disease.
[Page not numbered and dated incorrectly as May 1815]: Notes that certain patients were examined by invaliding board. Also refers to moveable hospitals sent out from England: 'Whatever might be their merits or demerits, and there were faults in the construction of them, they gave us admirable means of separating Typhus and Hospital Gangrene from other disease…'.
Page 10: Refers to preparations made in ensuring each corps was supplied with enough medical provisions and staff: 'Every corps was likewise not only complete in its regular establishment of medical officers, but extra officers were added, and every division had likewise Inspectoral Officers, physicians or additional Hosp. Surgeons attached to it…Besides the Spring waggons, it was recommended that each battalion according to its strength should start provided with one or two carts or tilted waggons'.
Page 16 (17 May): 'Mr. Robb reports, that previously to moving he has sent off all the sick of the Light Division to Escalar, they amount to 115. Very warm weather succeeds the heavy rain, and but for this extraordinary attention paid to the health of the army, and the confirmed health which they have attained, much disease would have ensued on the march'.
Page 26: Provides statement of the diseases which prevailed in the divisions of the army and in the general hospitals: 'Owing to the army being in a state of motion, during this month, the reports are more scanty from corps and divisions than they are when they are stationary: indeed the difficulty is considerable to the army at such time'. Notes health of cavalry division where, among other diseases, 107 cases of intermittent fever appeared: 'Ague had now got quite the ascendancy, and become the prevailing disease, he [Mr. Higgins] says however that it was very mild, and quickly gave way to Bark exhibited after an emetic…This division bivouacked frequently, the exposure to damp, and night air, and the season readily account for the disease which prevailed in the cavalry'.
Page 28: Notes fatal case of acute rheumatism in the Life Guards and refers to health of Brigade consisting of the 14th Dragoons and 2 German Light Dragoon Regiments. In the 1st Division of the Army there were 48 cases of continued fever and 10 cases of diarrhoea.
Page 30: Provides figures for 3rd Division, noting 131 cases of intermittent fever, 113 of continued fever, 9 cases of pneumonia and 8 cases of ophthalmia. Refers to specific regiments including the 5th regiment which has had 113 admissions during the month, 62 of them cases of continuous fever, and 45 cases of intermittent fever: 'Mr. Heathcote states that many of them now of long standing had [continues on page 32].
Page 32: been in Walcheren'. Lists figures from the 45th, 60th, 74th, 87th, 88th and 94th regiments. The 83rd regiment reported 21 cases of intermittent fever out of 52 admissions. Dr. Watkins reports that there were 339 admissions in the 4th Division, 200 of which were cases of intermittent fever. Mr. Lindsay reports that the continued fevers were milder than in previous months and yielded readily to the lancet and [continues on page 34]
Page 34: evacuants: 'It was observed that there was less vascular action and less determination to the head, than in former months; and that convalescence took place more readily'. Comments on cases of intermittent fever and ophthalmia, the latter 'brought on by excessive drinking' but yielding to antiphlogistics. Notes that there were not fewer than 125 admissions in the 7th regiment, 24 of which were cases of continued fever and 75 cases of intermittent fever. Also lists admissions in the 20th regiment (38), 23rd regiment (74), 27th regiment (87) and the 40th regiment (55). In the 23rd regiment 'many of the admissions were broken heads and sprains of ankles: he had some diarrhoea which he [Mr. Rois] says was brought on by the soldiers drinking bad wine'.
Page 36: Comments on 48th and 53rd regiments and provides list of admissions for the 5th Division: 343 patients were admitted and there were 6 deaths. The admissions included 171 cases of continued fever, 137 cases of intermittent fever, 17 cases of rheumatism, 16 cases of diarrhoea and 13 cases of vulnera: 'Mr. Hill thinks that the excessive heat of the weather after the first days of the month, will account for the numerous relapses of intermittent fever which he had in the division. He adds that the excesses committed by the men since receiving the bounty for re-enlistment account for much of the sickness in the 5th Division'.
Page 38: Provides details of reports from 11th or Royal Regiment, 4th Regiment, 9th Regiment and 38th Regiment. In the 11th Regiment, there were 131 admissions and 3 deaths, 2 from fever and 1 from dysentery: 'one of the feverish cases died with apoplectic symptoms and he found the blood vessels of the brain turgid; in the other he found the appearances of hydrothorax, with abscess in the spleen'.
Page 40: Lists reports from the 47th and 55th Regiments, and the 11th and 32nd Regiments in the 6th Division. In the 55th Regiment, 34 cases were admitted including 7 cases of continued fever and 7 cases of rheumatism: 'This regiment commenced the march from Lisbon on the 21st April. It is rather strange, that tho' they had 3 weeks of incessant and heavy rain upon the march, and this followed by hot sultry weather, no Intermittent should appear in the catalogue of disease'.
Page 42: 36th Regiment: 29 cases admitted including 18 intermittent fevers, 3 continued fevers, 1 case of dysentery and 1 case of diarrhoea: 'In the slight cases of fever which occurred, venesection and purgatives were beneficially had recourse to: he [Mr. Burton] thinks the cold and wet weather with which the month commenced occassioned the Agues'. Also notes report of 61st Regiment.
Page 44: Reports from Light Division, including that of 43rd, 52nd and 95th Regiments (1st and 2nd Battalions).
Page 46: 'On the whole, the state of the divisions of the army is very healthy, notwithstanding the continuance of drunkenness and irregularity consequent to the mens receiving bounties for re-enlistment'. Comments that this has been the cause of much continued and intermittent fever, although it has been mild and yielded to 'common treatment'. Notes the prevalence of intermittent fever and ague in some corps more than others. 'The variable weather, and it having been cold and rainy on the outset of the march, with bivouacking, will account for there [continues on page 48]
Page 48: having been more of inflammatory disease than in former months, particularly pneumonia, catarrh and ophthalmia...'.
General Hospitals. Lisbon: notes weather conditions and 381 admissions, 72 of which were cases of intermittent fever, followed by continued fever (56) and rheumatism (37).
Page 50: [Lisbon continued]. There were 13 deaths 'but from the nature of the depots and hospitals at Lisbon this is explainable'. Notes that the cases of continued fever were mild and the inflammatory diseases were treated with the 'free use of the lancet'. Reports on wounded recently arrived from Coimbra, hospital station at Belem, the 77th Regiment sent to Lisbon and the 13th Veteran Battalion.
Page 52: Santarem (170 admissions, 29 of which were cases of intermittent fever), Castello Branco (3 cases of continued fever and 7 cases of dysentery admitted), and Coimbra (121 admissions with 30 of those being cases of intermittent fever) [continues on page 54].
Page 56: Celerico (306 admissions, 112 were cases of intermittent fever; 9 deaths, 5 from dysentery). '[Dr. Bone] gives it as his opinion, that the obstinacy of Agues in the Peninsular, and their frequent termination in Dropsy and diseased viscera, is attributable to the premature exhibition of Bark, with a disregard to previous depletion and giving bark subsequently in too small quantities'.
Page 58: Escalao: There were 531 admissions as this new station received the sick of several divisions of the army as they advanced. The most common cases were that of continued (176) and intermittent fever (163) followed by dysentery (17) and phthisis pulmonalis (17). 'The statement of Dr. Sorgil is a full confirmation of all those from the divisions of the army that the fevers continued as well as Intermittent are very mild: he says that many of those admitted were really in a state of convalescence'. |