Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on May 23, 2008
Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdn031
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An assistant ship surgeon's account of cholera at sea
Bronwen E. J. Goodyer, F2 Doctor
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK
Address correspondence to Bronwen Goodyer, The Rectory, Little Anglesey Rd, Gosport, Hants PO12 2JA, UK. E-mail: bronwen.goodyer{at}doctors.org.uk
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Abstract |
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The diary of Thomas Graham, a naval ship surgeon, brings the voyage of HMS troopship Apollo in 1849 to life. A year after England's second great cholera outbreak, the pervasive fear of the disease became a reality onboard when cholera broke out. The intended voyage from England to China was diverted to South America where the ship was put into quarantine. So bad were the conditions onboard that the Times correspondent wrote: ‘I have never seen a convict-ship in which the convicts were not more comfortably lodged’. Graham's writing provides an insightful record of life at sea in the mid-nineteenth century and the circumstances that led to this cholera outbreak, namely the overcrowding and poor hygiene. He wrote about the current beliefs and assumptions surrounding the disease; that the foul air was to blame. He also noted the varied methods taken to confine patients and treat the disease. The diary is supported by evidence from naval records and newspaper articles. Graham's writing gives us a glimpse into the life of a man who saw the world from a perspective inaccessible to us and the experience of observing newly discovered continents, cultures and wildlife, which he meticulously recorded. This was Graham's last piece of writing as he died unexpectedly of malaria shortly after the journey's end. The diary encapsulates the struggle to overcome disease and the tragic plight a humble ship surgeon shared with the crew.