Star. — London, England, 1810-02-10 00:00:00

THE INQUIRY. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. THIRD DAY, FEBRUARY 6. The Right Hon. Sir JOHN ANSTAUTHIER, Bart. in the Chair. TI.MAS KEATI, Esq. Surgeon 'General of the Army, called in ; Examined by the Committee. ' Were you consulted respecting the diseases pre valent in the island of Walcheren, before the sailing of the late expedition ?—I was not. Were you at any time subsequently consulted upon that subject, and when ?—I was consulted upon that subject only so late as the latter end of September. Are you conversant with the nature of the com plaint prevalent in Walcheren ?—I have understood it tobe the bilious remitting fever. Previous to the sailing of the expedition, were you acquainted with the prevalence of that disorder at a particular season of the year in the province of Zea land ?—No otherwise than by the publication of Sir John Pringle. Had you known the destination of that army at that season of the year, should you have thought it necessary to take other precautions than were taken, to obviate the effects of the malady ?—I should cer tainly have made representations to that effect. . What is the nature of the representations you would have thought it your duty to make ?—To have obviated the effects of the sickness as far as lay in my power by such representations. Do you think that the effects of the disorder could have been in any degreeremedied by any precaution ? Certainly precautions might have been taken that might have lessened the malady. Was it known to you . that the Walcheren malady was prevalent at that particular season of the year at wii:ch the expedition sailed ?—lt was, as I have de s.ribed before, by the publication mentioned. What are the nature of the precautions to which you allude ?—Medicines that might have been admi nistered for preventing the ill effects of the disease by the season, such as Sir John Pringle describes; which I. no not recollect exactly. Do you think that any precautions, such as diffe rent clothing, or any other mode of disposing of the troops, or any hospital furniture which was deficient would have been of any avail to remedy the disorder? I thitik the greatest care was taken upon that subject. Were you at any time applied to, to send out ad ditional assistance ?—After the sickness commenced. • At what period were you applied to for that pur- I pose ?—The beg using of September, to the best of my recollection. What were the directions you then received ?—A certain number of the Staff Officers were required, and they were provided accordingly. How many ?—I think that the first was two phy ecians, four surgeons, and twenty hospital mates : but I can refer to documents it the Committee pleases, but which documents I have not now with me. Was there any difficulty in procuring the number of Mates that were required ?—There appeared to be very great difficulty, but it being the exclusive pro vince of the Inspector General of Hospitals to pro. vide Hospital Mates, I would beg to refer to him for information. .Do you know what is the present state of that part of the detachment of the Guards which served in V.Talcherfri, with respect to sickness ?—I have no con - cern at all with the Guards, and do not. In whose Medical Department are the Guards ? Under their own respective surgeons. To whom do those Surgeons report I appre hend to their Commanding Officers, but I am not certain they do not report to the Medical Board. Is the Committee to understand that the Guards are under an exclusive Staff, and are not under the Medical Staff ? —Yes. State to the Committee what the course of Office it - ith - -t to the medical arrangements of the apartment the Medical Board re rom the War Offico. Office receive an order or instruc lander in Chief, with respect to be provided for ?--Yes. Committee whether it does not rest 'le Medical Board, what the na arrangements shall be for the are directed to provide for ? It .tcal Board to state the extent of they are ordered to make provision of men. first acquainted that the destina. •as to Walcheren and to the I received letters from the In :hen in the Scheldt or Walcheren. those letters Z—The first letter I Lgust the Bth, Middleburg ; receiv- er of notoriety to you, as early that the expedition was gone to no reason to think so from any id, and I do not recollect the 'uly ; it might be so. that official intelligence was re of the arrival of the armament trly as the Ist of August ?—I ; I have not a recollection of it. Jection when the army first began The date of the first letter to that of August. ,etter received ?—The Ist of Sep- letter now in your hand ?—I have • the abstract of it, if it is desired. e of it ? —The substance of that , ve, only some recommendations ; the 20t1;, 'was for additional two physicians, four surgeons, r, one deputy purveyor, and twelve 'stead of twenty, as I mentioned le the amount of the sick in the --I believe not ; but the document illect that the general state of the the 20th of August, was generally iy so ?—lt was stated t 2 me to be and as a proof of it, the% were no very few with the wounded, who ight that any peculiar medical ar. tion to those you had recommend of the expedition were advisable • to be adopted, why did not you recommend the carry them into effect nn the authority the "Med Board possessed between the beginning of the =ea and the 20th of August ?—The Medical Board ha\ only to obey orders, and it was not their province. a I conceive-to form arrangements ; but in the middle of September I was called before the Cabinet, where I suggested the propriety of selecting, physicians to go over and ascertain the nature of the disease and report. Do not you consider it the duty of the Medical Department to make representations to Government, in any instance where they think extraordinary at.: rangements are necessary to the health of his Majesty's troops ?—The Board has not been called upon make representations concerning arrangements, and their conceived they would have exceeded their duty if they had voluntarily stepped forward. Did not Lord Castlereagh desire to see you upon this subject early in September ?—When I hail the honour of a message from Lord Castlereagh to that effect, I was upon tke Coast making arrangements for the reception of the sick from Walcheren. At my return 1 immediately waited upon his Lordship at the office, and saw his Lordship's Secretaty : it was upon that occasion that I had the honoer of be ing called as I before stated before the Cabinet. Do not you recollect Lord Castlereagh having more than one conversation with you upon this sub ject, and requesting you would attend his Majesty's Ministers for the purpose of suggesting . to them the best measures which occurred to your mind for the re lief of the sickniss to which the army wasexposed ? I recollect it perfectly well ' • his Lordship desired me to wait upon his Majesty's Ministers, and asked me whether I had any thing to suggest ; I answered his Lordship, that I conceived the only thing we could do at that time, was to send over all the assistance in our power, with bark and wine and porter, and to remove as many of the sick as could be removed to England. In consequence of that communication you had with Lord Castlereagh, were not three Physicians sent to Walcheren to make a special report upon the sickness of the army ?—Subsequently to that conver sation with his Lordship, there were three Physicians sent to Walcheren. Have you any reason, from the reports you received from the Officers who corresponded with you in. the army, to suppose there was any actoal want of medi cines experienced by the sick of the army ?—From every thing I can collect from that correspondence, I have no reason to think that the sick were in want of medicines at any one time. You have stated that the Medical Board does not originate any measure, but receives orders from some other office ; from what office does the Medical Board receive directions ?—From the Commander in Chief, generally through the War Office. Did you receive no official communication, with respect to the maladies of the troops in Walcheren, before the beginning of September ?—Not officially from Walcheren until the Ist of September. Did you from any office in this country ?—I had no communication with any other office than those mentioned previously to that time. You had no official communication whatever, with respect to the diseases of the troops in Walcheren, previously to the Ist of September ?—To the best of my recollection I had not. Do you receive the returns of the sick of the army regularly ?—Occasionally, but not regularly ; as often as they can be made up and sent, they are directed to me. Did you instruct the Officers of the Medical De-1 partment attending the army in Walcheren to comes- I pond with you ?—Yes. You received no communication from them previ ously to the I St of September ?—1 have observed that ; I received a letter on the 12th of August. Was that a private or an official letter ?—Official. From whom was that letter ?—From the Inspector of Hospitals, the head of the department. Was that the first official communication you -re ceived with respect to the state of health of the troops in Walcheren ?—That was the first communication that I received respecting the troops in Walcheren,l and was accompanied with a number of wounded, to the best of my recollection. Were there any sick mentioned in that return ? There were sick and wounded, very few sick ; the whole number not exceeding 300. Was the sickntss therein stated, the fever which was afterwards so prevalent among the troops in Waleheren ?--It was not. When did you first hear of that disease ?—On the Ist of September. From whom did you hear of that ?—From the same officer.! When did you receive your first communication from Lord Castlereagh un the subject of the disease of the troops . in \Valcheren ?—I think it was on the 23d of September. Are returns regularly made to you of the state of the health of the troops at home ?—On the occa sion of the sickness prevailing in the army from Wal cheren, the superintendance and charge of them de volved upon me, and I have received regular returns upon that occasion. Have you those returns with you ?-1 have not— they are in the Office. Do those returns comprehend all the sick, or merely those afflicted with the Walcheren fever ? An the sick. Arc those afflicted with the Walcheren fever dis tinguished from the other sick ?--They are. Is the Committee to understand that there are or are not regular returns made of the sick of the army, and the nature of their diseases, at stated periods, to the Medical Board or any member of it ?—Of the army in general, to the Medical Board, we make a report monthly to the Commander in Chief. Did the Medical Board receive directions from the War Office to prepare hospitals for the reception of the sick and wounded from Walcheren, and at what period did it receive those directions ?—They receiv ed directions to prepare hospitals for the reception of the sick from Walcheren, but the period I do not re i collect, but it may be very easily obtained. Was it not on the 4th of August ?—lt is an offi cial document, and can tki produced to the Cotomit. tee at any moment, but I have it not in my recollec tion. You state that the first letter you received from Walcheren, containing an account of the disesua in the army was on the lst of September ; are you quite certain as to that date have every reason to think thattiiis Is torten, which I bait tale alteon the let ters dalloselves ; it is stated t be dated on the 20th ; alette"ated the itth was eertainlyrectiied ; but it Cellitaieed nothing bes t recommendations for promo tion. What is the date of The letter you received on the Ist of September ?--I received them both on the Ist of Seßtember ; the date of the first was the - 19th, and of .the second the 20th of August. Is the Committee to understand, that if you had known the destination of the hxpedition to be to Walcheten, you would have made representations to Government of the nature of the diseases incident to that island ?—lf called upon so to do. Not otherwise ?—Not otherwise. Had you known the destination of the , Expedition to Walcheren, though not particularly 'called upon, would you not have provided medicines proper for an I army going upon that Expedition ?—lf I had known it had been to Walcheren, I should certainly have thought it my duty to have sent a larger quantity of bark ; I conceived it to be a secret Expedition, that it was not proper I should be informed of. • Is there any other medicine you would have sent besides a greater quantity of bark, if you had known of the destination of that Expedition ?—I conceive that the medicines were sent in the fullest proportion for the numbers of the army; therefore I should not have thought it necessary to add to any thing •but bark, more particularly as it was so short a distince. If you would have sent a larger quantity of bark, had you known that tlae destination was to Walche ren, why did you not send that additional quantity of bark when you knew in fact that the army was there ?—lt was my duty to wait for information, as I conceive, from the head of the department, and for requisitions, without which I have it not in my power to send out stores or medicines. When was the first requisition made to /on upon the subject ?—On the 11th of September, and received on the. 18th. - - From the Inspector of Hospitals ?—Yes. What did that require ?—Together with many other medicines, but not in great abundance,looolbs. of bark. When was that sent ?—lt was ordered immediately by me from the Apothecary General the same day ; the 18th. Do you know when it was dispatched ?—lt was delivered to the Storekeeper. General on the 27th of September, shipped by the Storekeeper General on the 30th of September, and received into Store in Wal cheren on the 15th of October. Do you know how it happened, that an order, is sued by you on the 18th of September, to be executed - immediately, was not executed till the 27th ?—There was no request made to have it sent by any express, in any more immediate manner. It was stated that the medicines would shortly be wanted. Do you mean, that in the requisition made to you from Middleliurgh there was no pressing .request that it should be sent immediately ?—The word imme diately was, I believe, used generally, but not to desire immediate conveyance by any express, to re quire dispatch. Do you know whether, in point of fact, there was any want of bark cxperienced•by the sick there .?--I believe not. Will you inform the Committee how it happened, I that you who would have thought it necessary to an ticipate this want if you. had known the expedition was destined to Walcheren, did when you had that requisition made to you so late as the 18th of Sep tember, not think it a pressing demand ?—There was nothing said that it•was wanted in any hurry ; and I attend always to the requiisitions. You did not recollect at that time that you would have furnished them with a larger quantity of bark, if you had known that they were destined to Wal-, cheren ?—Had it been left to me in the first instance to have furnished bark, I might have furnished a larger quantity to Walcheren, and I believe should ; but when it came to be the duty of the Inspector of Hospitals upon the spot, to give me information and to make requisitions, I was then obliged to conform to the requisitions. How soon could you have sent this bark, if you had thought it had been immediately required ?—I believe the bark that was sent over before this reached Walcheren, went in a very short space of time ; I do not exactly know what, but there were two quantities of bark ; one in a division and another subsequently, that reached Walcheren, I understand, before this bark did. When did those two quantities go from England —Ten divisions of medicines, containing 1 soOlbs. of bark, were originally sent out with the Expeditien ; this was taken into the chief depot at Veere, and it appears that the whole was issued from thence to the different services by the 7th of October, except some small quantities in detachment chests. When did your bark go from England ?—One thousand pounds of bark were ordered from the Apo thecary General on the 18th of September, which were shipped on the 30th, as I have said before ; they appeared to have arrived at Flushing some time prior to the 11th of October. The 7th of October is the time at which the former supply was issued out ?—Except what was under the charge, and in the care of the regimental officer in the detachment chests. Did not you state, there were two other quantities of bark sent out in divisions ?-0n the Isth of Octo-1 ber seven hundred pounds were received into store at Veere, part of eight hundred pounds which had ar rived ,at Flushing by the King George packet. At what time did that arrive at Flushing ?--It ar rived at Flushing, by the King George packet, on the 11th. I understood you to say, there were two other par cel;,of bark which had arrived at Flushing antecedent . to lie arrival of that which went from this country on the 30th of Septembert—They were sent, but I find not received,.'they were received the day I have now mentioned to the Committee. ••• When were thef sent ?—lt does not appear what day they were sent off by my present memorandum, but they were received on those days. Does it appear when they were ordered ?—I can acquaint the Committee by the official papers ; on the 17th, 18th, 26th, and 27th of October, there arrived on each day 5001bs. Have you any reason to believe that on or before the sth of September. an Application was made from 'ate Comm inder ra Chiefs office, to the office of the Secretary of State, to desire that the Transport Board would provide tonnage immediately for tl.e ance of two Physicians, and some other Medical Officers, 1C believe twenty, together with four tons medicine ?—I do not recollect it, but nevertheless may be proved to be so. . Explain *hat articles are included under the to of medical comforts ?--I cot rider wine, porter, barley, rice, oatmeal, Ece. Do you know that there were a sufficient nutnber of medical comforts at all times for the army inV cheren ?--- , They do not fall under my cognizance. Under whose cognizance does that fall ?—TheCom. missary General. Do you know that at one period in the ;skied Walcheren there were not more than three hur pounds of bark in store, a quantity stated as not than sufficient for five days' consumption ?--; not informed of any such deficiency ; but whe n a report of only fitgi pounds in store, I very heard, in a very few days more, that there w; hundred pounds more foutid on board a vessel. At what time did you receive that repine pounds only of bark being in store ?-011 the th October. Do you know that at any time there was sufficient quantity of bark to administer to the the island of Walcheren, in the proportion th; medicine would have been administered had been a sufficient qUantity there ?—I have stated that I do not know of any time when was that deficiency. By whose orders are medical comforts adminsti to the sick ?—The head of the medical deparne e upon the spot. I understood you to say, that if you had knot destination of the troops to have been to the i. Walcheren, you would have sent out more port as well as bark ?—gash I might have recommen; but I had no power of sending any port wine. To whom must that recommendation hall made ? —To the War-Office. Of what does the Medical Board consist three members. . Who arc those members ?—The Physician Cl the Surgeon General, and, the Inipector Genet, Army Hospitals. Did the Board ever meet on the subject diseases of the army in Walcheren ? Never ui subject of diseases. Were they ever ordered to meet on that stile They were. ordered to meet on the subject of plies of Staff. When were they so ordered to meet bell was in the month of June. I have understood from you, that you did not what was the destination of the Army ; I • whether subsequent to the sailing of the Exi and when the disease of the Army had brol any order was given from any of the departments State to the Medical Board, to meet on that --Orders were given subsequently to the breal of the disease in Walcheren, for the Medical meet. What was the date of that order ?—I do ni I.ct exactly the date of that order, but it is very, given to the Committee. • Did they meet in consequence' of that order They did not. How came the meeting not to take place ii Inence of the order?—The Physician Genet, Surgeon General did meet. - How tame the Inspector of Hospitals not there ?—He did not give his reasons, but he co-operate with the two upon that occasion. • At what time was the meeting of the Plitt's,- General and the Surgeon General ? Immediate!) upon the receipt of the order. Is the order in existence ?—lt is. What was the nature of the order?--To provide the reception of the sick from Walcheren. Did the Surgeon General and the Physician ral make any report ?---They answered the was addressed to the three. To whom was that answer addressed ?-:-Tt cretary at War. • Are not the sick of the whole of the army to be under the care of the Medical Board are; either conjointly or separately. What is the distribution among the three •4 the Board.?--The duty of the Physician General to provide Physicians tor the Army, and to Board whenever ordered ; the duty of the General is to provide Surgeons, consult Heads of Departments upon foreign service, ere occasion of the sick from Walcheren, to superintendence and charge thereof ; the Ins, Hospitals ha, the charge and superintendence regimental hospitals, and provides all (aspect The Guards, you say, do not come tne Medical Board'?---Certainly. To whom do the Surgeons' of the rep the Guards report apprehend to their Comma ing Officers. . Who provides medicines for the Guards ?. spector General of Hospitals. You have nothing at all to do with the medical comforts, or medicines, or Mates, other of the Medical Staff for the Guards ?. Guards none. Upon the landing of the troops in Englattd Walcheren, did they immediately cease to your care ?--Upon the landing of the troops Walcheren they immediately came under in consequence of such order as has been stated. Are they still under your care ?---Thi so still. Upon the arrival of ate lick from V Guards and regiments of the line, were rated, and under what care were the Gi uporrtheir arrival sin England if so separated they could be conveniently separated, the: commodated in hospitals with troops of the Do you know what is now the state of . ments of the line which returned from Walcheree to the disease they contracted in the Island cheren ?—Generally improving. Are there many still sick, and have any . lately who were not so before, and are there lapses ?—There are not many now sick, not many fallen sick lately, but there were many relapses. Is there a considerable or any mortality ,among the troops, in consequenceof the tracted at Walcheren ?—Very little. •• Do you know that in the distribution of which did arrive at Walcheren, th, re was Under their own respective stirs To whom do those Surgeor hend to their Commanding Off certain they do not report to the Is the Committee to understa are under an exclusive Staff, ani Medical Staff ? —Yes. State to the Committee what it with respect to the medical army ; from what department ti ceives its orders ?—From the W: roes the War Office receive titan from the Commander in ( the extent of force to be provides State to the Committee whet in the discretion of the Medical ture and extent of the arrangem number of men, they are directe, rests with the Medical Board t the 'supplies when they are order for a certain number of men. When were you first acquain Con of the army was to W Scheldt ?—Not until I received spector of Hospitals then in the State the dates of those letter had was dated August the Bth, ed the 12th. Was it not a matter of notol as the 28th of July, that the ex the Scheldt ?—I had no reason documents that I had, and I date of the 28th of July ; it mil Do you recollect that officia ceived in this country, of the al in the Scheldt, as early as the cannot say otherwise ; I have r Have you a recollection whet t) be unhealthy ?—The date of effect, wa i s the 19th of August. When teas that letter receive tember. Have you that letter now it not ; I can mention the abseral State the substance of it ?—' letter was, I perceive, only sor but the letter dated the 20t1 Staff, videlicet ; two physic . one deputy inspector, one depot hospital mates, instead of to before. Did the letter state the amo army at that time ?—.I believe is easily procured. Do not you recollect that t army, previous to the '2oth of healthy, particularly so ?—lt generally healthy, and as a pr sick sent over, or very few w had arrived before. If you had thought that ai rangements in addition to thos ed before the sailing of the ex; rmter. • fledical tons o f teless it tr le term barley, g number r nee. lid ieCom. i t C slattd of t tundret s o lot mor —I ve ;It 1 hal el) shortly o :vas four tof fifty ,ec third of ig as not a 1 itt sick ia er that th.it ' l l ad then, already ,u 1 Len the:,; ninstered nc partineur 1 1 : mown the k island .111 port wi ne ,t , Intended, en e. lave Inca I sist ?-0f r I General, kneral of a; ct of the st upon the I abject ? ,f the sq. c believe it ic not know I now ask xpeditton, oken out, lmcnts of subj,'.ct? caking out .1 Board to not recol- very order in cone. neral alid not to be le did n:..t • Physician unediately f provide fax clan Gene- 't letter ; >Eti To the Se- -1 y supposed rd e Members General is t to meet the te Surgeon It with the 1 e, and upon to take the inspector of once of ail pec tors. under the ginienti of Com/nark ; e providing tes, or an/ the to o r n t i a :b i s ender djy froth rfrom e : • hey =mita W a lcherer , e they sePA' Guards put ted ?—Until ley were ac• he line. 4' the ger ralcheren, as t ad of 0. : ei rt e r et rfahea m any ei I a t : y fall en : 0 :k; dibease c,. of med icin, As ail di