| Description | Journal of Jonathan Troup: May 1789
Troup told of a shipboard argument which led to a fight.
Sketch of profile of Highlands of Scotland and compared with sketch of profile of the island of Barbados.
He went ashore at Bridgetown in Barbados and described the ships he saw, the crops they grew ('grape trees, cocoa nut trees and cotton trees. No sugar plantations so near'), the prices paid in the town, the barracks ('few men died except of excessive drinking or dysentery') and the ratio of blacks to whites. He described the dinner they had, listed prevailing illnesses and told of a burial he saw
He set sail for Dominica on the 10th of May
Seven miles out, the 'mast broke quite across…and came down across…bow'.
He gave rough sketches of the Islands of Martinique and Dominique as seen from the bow of the ship.
They came opposite Roseau in evening and several boats came out to meet them, one having the principal gentlemen of the island on board. He went on board the African negro ship - 'saw boys and girls dance and sing keeping time with their open hands striking each other..while a male got a sword in his hand and made a number of curious movement with it, looking frequently at his limbs and wriggling with his B S [backside?]. One female began song, all joined in the chorus. Much in the way of the Highlands in their own natural dialect.' They landed in Dominique on 11 May 1789 at 9 pm.
He was met by Dr Fillan ('…an excellent, attentive practitioner generally beloved by inhabitants.').
He visited Dr Clark's - a neat house. Both doctors have 6 children from mulatto girls called always after the man who takes them in
The 13 May was a General Fast Day for the recovery of the King's health and illuminations (fireworks) in the evening. There were a number of squibs and fireworks but no damage was done. Most of the houses were wooden except for a few stone stores.
He engaged a barber and met more of the principal people on the island on 14 May
He drew a tooth from French slave with suppuration of the gum
He visited the sugar estates
He described visiting the Negro hospitals where they lay on tables like a butcher's stall
He saw sugar and rum making and described the process
He was introduced to the mulatto girl kept by Prince William Henry who he described as 'a very nice, well kept girl and handsome'
He visited the prison where a Mr Lowndes, printer of Caribbean Register, was imprisoned
He called on Dr Armourer, surgeon of the garrison
He described the food and drink
He described what was done when during the day - e.g. morning was the principal time for visiting as the weather was hottest between 12 and 2pm.
He described the most common ailments including liver afflictions and swelled testicles
He visited a lady who had blister applied to her leg. She was of a dropsical habit and with child - ulcer remains deep and black and round with livid prominent lips
Ladies are veiled and some carried on a pole by two negroes (sketches this)
He (in French) described how he bled a large negro who fell on stones in the river and had a fracture
He (in French) described market day, negro dance and outfit of the mulatto girl, Polly Clark
'Mr Carson has child five months old to a handsome black girl of Dr Clark's, a native of Antigua - 'it is mollatoe, a girl - he does not own it'
He himself was ill and listed the items he self-medicated with
He bled two women
He treated man who had been cut with back of sharp saw by his mistress, a black woman
He was suddenly called to a black boy of Mr Laurie's who had fallen over a window on to the stones about 12 feet high, no fracture just stitches. He spent some days treating this child who got better then worse again before recovering
He stated that Dr Clark employed fifty negroes. He described the dinner he had there and social meetings
He remarked that medicines there were very simple but proper application was dependent on experience
One bleeding (V.S.) done after bruise
He lent some of his books to others
Mr Carson gone to his uncle at Grandbay, being bad with fever and ague
He stated that practice was simple because it was currently the healthy season but there were many sores of ragged appearance from slightest cause and these were very obstinate
24 May was the Great Market day
Dr Fillan was suffering from rheums in jaw
He visited all patients but these were few at that time
He made notes on the nature of love
He bled 2 French negroes from falls
He read White on lying-in women
He made notes on which medicines were good in which situations
He conversed with French gentleman who was to have his negroes innoculated
He innoculated a negro at Dr Clark's
He remarked on meeting Dr Wardrobe, a practitioner from Linlithgow
He was called to a boy (6) seized suddenly with convulsive fits and vomiting which he supposed to be caused by worms
Mr Robert's child (3 months) had sudden loss of vital motion in a fit but recovered within a very short time
He continued his notes on which medicines were good in which situations
He read Dr White's 'Surgery' and Dr Meade's volume |