Record

CollectionGB 0231 University of Aberdeen, Special Collections
LevelSeries
Ref NoMS 2070/14
TitleJournal of Jonathan Troup: February 1790
DateFebruary 1790
ExtentPages 153v - 168
Creator NameJonathan Troup (c1764 - 1799), physician, of Aberdeen, Scotland and Dominica, West Indies
DescriptionJournal of Jonathan Troup: February 1790

Captain Mackclean was very bruised from his injuries when the bridge gave way
Mr Hodnett's gum and jaw were very swollen and inflamed following Troup's extraction of his teeth
Mr Laing gave him a letter from Dr Clark regarding Mr Smith's letter. He said he wouldn't write to Troup until he was cleared of all matters he was charged with
The following day he remarked that Lieutenant Murray's hand was better as was Captain Mackclean's knee
He wrote the monthly return of sick for the 3rd Battalion of the 60th Regiment
He made notes from Ensign Brown's Orderly book
He read the Christian Officer's Panoply by a marine officer recommended by Sir Richard Hill of London (London, 1789) and made notes
He treated Emma Hodnett who is 2 years old. Later in the month he remarked that Miss Emma was much better on the mercury pills
Capt. De Briedenback had an episode of falling sickness every now and then
He told the story of Mr Stewart, Master Mason
He read volumes 6 - 8 of the Spectator and made notes from the 6-7th volumes
He described the recommended treatments for falls
He stated that Hoggins of the 60th has bad flux
Mr Laing said that Dr Clark had given him everything that Mr Smith had mentioned to him. He hinted that an apology was due to Dr Clark
He remarked that this day last year was the happy landing at Dartmouth
The negroes were complaining of headache and coup de soleil
He treated Captain Mackclean
He received a letter and a new coat from Mr Smith at Roseau. Mr Smith cleared all except Dr Markham. Troup remarked that 'it came from Patton that I fell off my horse' and he transcribed his reply
Negroes carry large bundles of sand on their heads - men and women with children followed by a driver with a whip
Most complaints in the negro hospital were of pains to the loins and head from carrying burdens on the head 'enough to kill the strongest animals up hills & down hills'
Soldier Rule had flux and L[ues] V[enerea] and was punished for theft. He hurt his leg slightly and it looked bad today. Troup discovered that he had used rosin and copperas (Iron (II) Sulphate) to make his leg look worse than it was so to avoid work. The following day, he gave in his prosecution regarding Soldier John Rule to the Sergeant of the guard and transcribed what he had written
He gave Mrs Murray a vomit
He described the sloop of war The Scorpion
He said that negroes in search of crabs were taken by the guard. This would create hatred and be a check on one another. One was to be flogged
Some negroes were so scared of Jambees or ghosts that they slept with a knife under their pillow
He extracted teeth and described a negro superstition regarding drawn teeth
He described a negro who got into a passion
He described the mulatto and black women who belonged to (and seemed to be shared by) his acquaintances but remarked that he would 'wait for [Mary Ford] two years'
He read Hoffman's 'Practice of Medicine' (2 volumes, London, 1783)
He mentioned a phrase used by his negro boy
He was sick at stomach in the middle of one night because of what he had eaten
Dr Brown wanted him to send up the empty phials for making up medicine for negroes
He linked changeable weather with a number of rheumatic pains and colds in negroes
He read 'Humphry Clinker' by Tobias Smollet
He related the story of a 28 year old woman deprived of speech for 17 months
He treated the sore on an ankle of a negro woman on Piccard estate
He treated sores on soldiers and treated Mr Baird for itching and small pustules on his hands
He borrowed a violin from a negro
He took the splinter of the red bullet tree out of the foot of a negro. It went an inch deep but came out clean
He treated a soldier bitten by a [santupee] in the swell of his forearm
Troup got sick one morning from being out in the sun without a hat
Mr Laing gave him advice about money, suggesting that he should be gaining the confidence of people before charging high prices. Troup maintained that his approach was right. He was determined not to practice here under 20 shillings a negro
He described a dog fight with a soldier trying to stop it
Captain Mackclean got a gigger in the sole of his foot. He cut it out and his foot became inflamed
A negro woman of middle age (26) had pain in the bottom of the belly which was subsequently shown to be caused by three large worms
He read Nicholson's Natural Philosophy
He made pen sketches of a sea crab at Prince Rupert's, a figure wearing a black dragoon brown hairy cap, his spanish brown horse, a negro and a negro going to cut wood
He treated a 'negro wench' who had been wounded deeply on the left leg by wood thrown by another negro
He read 'Paradise Lost' and made some notes from it
He remarked that there was a whaler in port
He discussed which medicines were for which people
He described the naming of negroes - they had their last name after their masters but their first names were usually after men, gods, places and things. Troup listed some typical names
He refused a dinner invitation from Mr Burns and remarked that as this was the second time, he wouldn't be asked again
Coughs and rheumatism with fever prevailed amongst the negroes
Soldiers were much better
Mr Laing invited him over with his fiddle but he refused
He had a dish of coffee with Bisset who spoke greatly about the whores in Aberdeen
Negroes complained of headache from carrying heavy burdens of wood
Dr Markham mentioned a good story regarding an Englishman having difficulty with the French password to get into a fort
He made notes on how diseases arise
He treated a man who complained as if 1000 waters were in his ear and bells and had attacks of fever
He saw Mr Alleyne who brought with him the 'pleasant enough' mulatto girl called Princess William Henry
Mr Alleyne told him that 20 shillings 'would not answer' but that Mr Winston, Pagan and [Courts] would be down in the course of three weeks
Troup was determined to get debt free and believed that one year's practice should do it
He sketched a sea horse and a [trunk fish]
He signed the return of sick at the hospital for the 6th regiment
He mentioned the possibility that the Commander-in-Chief General Matthews or Major Gommer (who was on the Duchess of Portland) might do something for his career
He mentioned the price of fish with a sketch and description of sea mullets
Mr Hodnett told him, as a friend, that Mr Bell had received a letter from Dr Clark representing that he had never said what Troup had charged Mr Bell with and that Mr Bell intended to fix the letter in a public place
Captain Mackclean was making a model of Cabbrits in clay
Sergeant Wilson of the hospital said that the men were dissatisfied that they paid so much per week and didn't even get a cerate for their sores
He stated that the soldiers were complaining of spoiled food
A negro of Cabbrits belonging to Dr Clark took three vomits. He described his stomach pain and wondered if it was worms. The following day he took a 4th vomit which also had no effect.
He discharged two soldiers when Capt B had given them provisions for two days
He called to see Burley's leg as he was suffering sudden bleeding
Mr Trotter complained that Troup had had no right to give his negro who had a rupture a vomit. Troup thought that all the symptoms warranted it
He read the Edinburgh Magazine from 1789
He made notes from Edward Jenner on the History of the Cuckoo
'Negroes are very sensible of their inferiority to whites - the degree is marked out by their calling the jack ass the 'Negro horse''
He made a pen sketch of a negro with a long beard
He copied out English versions of verses written in Bengali
He sketched a fish
10 soldiers had formed a plan to desert. Two turned King's Evidence
He saw Madame Murray whose husband had taken a tour of the plantations without her knowledge
He described the method used by someone who took out his own tooth
15 negro women carried the coral lime from the Kiln to the works, the driver walked behind
He made notes on education
The dry weather assisted the cure of agues. He described treatments
He remarked on the reflection of the sun from 'black negroes', very little from white
He gave his washer woman some wine
2 canisters of ointment arrived for the soldiers
He treated Mrs Murray who was unwell around the time of her menses
He talked about shorthand used in letters
Coughs prevailed despite the hot weather
Capt Mackclean was taking Troup's letters to Roseau
He described the sandfly
He went to Piccard Estate. Mr [Ling] complained that he was little better. It came out that Troup was to attend twice a week. 'I humm and say nothing, I'll keep the estate in spite of him and if I do not, I'll charge them a propos the negroes…why the devil should I be crushed by a damned whoremonger? No! No! No!'
He gave a blister to a negro
He noted that the garrison court martial was being held on the 25th. Captain Eayer had arrested Capt de Briedenbock for imprisoning the [Sgt] Major for throwing a soldier into chains. Troup gave detail regarding the court martial
The negroes were ill with cold and cough
One negro had gripes and purging
One negro had a flying pain or stitch from the small of back to the pit of stomach and breast. Troup described treatment given
Another negro had a worm
He gave Mr Smith's history - he had been 25 years in the West Indies
Troup woke in the middle of the night of the 25th with purging
He read 'A Key to Civil Architecture' or 'The Universal British Builder' by Thomas Skaife
He described his dreams
On the 27th he remarks that there were only 17 in the military hospital and none dangerously ill except the soldier with sore legs but they were better
He described what happens when you strike a glass on glass - in air and then underwater
He had fever and headache all night of the 27th and vomited a little.He got little sleep the following night and woke to find his body was covered with hot red spots
Mr Laing told him that a negro was very ill and that as he had the care of him, he had taken him out of the hospital to be near assistance. He cost £170 and was an excellent carpenter
Access StatusOpen
Access ConditionsThe records are available subject to the signed acceptance of the Department's access conditions.
Add to My Items