The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-22 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

MALTA, Ocr74 —On Saturday afLernoon the
F.edic hove in sight, making signals that her second-
lieutenant, Dent ; her surgeon, M'Whinnie ; her
assistant-surgeon, Rose ; and four men, were ill, and
she wanted a boat to convey them to the hospital. A
covered boat was immediately sent by order of Rear-
Admiral Harvey, and the lieutenant and surgeon with
four men put on board and conveyed to the hospital ;
the Rear-Admiral shortly after visiting them, and
offering consolation in a manner so unaffectedly and
friendly as to convey an immediate sense of his sin-
send
Frolic'sto
sin-
cerity and goodness of heart to the suffering patients.
Mr. Rose, the assistant-surgeon, it was not thought
necessarystate o
thetomedicalhospital, means, butth the hR
Rear-Admiral
Ac crippled
the
gar,:t immediate orders to Assistant-Surgeon Chapman
(of the Medina) to proceed on board and assume the
duties of the surgeon, th. n seriously ill in ho-pital—a
mandate %Lich Mr. Chapman most willingly obeyed,
although suffering from weakness of body, having
on ly quitted the Ro3 al Naval Hospital two days
before, iii which he had been labouring under a very
severe illness, consequ nt on two attacks of cholera.
It is most gratifying to report that Dr. Chapman's
exertions have le en crowned with the most complete
success ; he had got the assistant-surgeon round, and -
on the Bth of October, when the brig came in fur
stores for a few hours, his list of sick was very consi-
derably diminished, and but three bad cases remained.
The conduct of C iptain Vansittart, as well as that
of his officers and those of his men who were yet
unscathed, was most exemplary. They lent every as-
sistance in their power, the men receiving from the
officers noble examples of what could be done, and
vieing with each other in rubbing those who were
seized with cramp, and administering aid to the
medical men, whose onerous duties were divided
among so many.
If I remember aright, Mr. Chapman, who is an as-
sistant-surgeon of eight years' standing, most emi-
nently distinguished himself in his professional capa-
city in 1847, both in Ireland and Scotland, during
the famine, inure especially when engaged in assisting
the distressed districts of the highlands and islands
on the north-west coast of Scotland, in the Porcu-
pine steamer, in which he was then serving, and his
conduct on that occasion called forth the warmest
thanks of Commander R. Maclean, who was engaged
as an inspector in the relief operations. The aid
thus rendered was acknowledged subsequently by the
Lords of the Admiralty, in their official letter to the
senior officer on the station, Captain H. Layton.
Of the forty-five actual cases of cholera, dysentery,
and diarrhcea on board, only eleven proved fatal, viz.,
three on board and eight in hospital.
I may state, in conclusion, that Lieutenant Dent
and Dr. M`Wbinnie are doing well, as are all those
under cure.
On board, too, the disease has yielded to the active
remedies employed ; and, unless from causes as yet
unforeseen, the Frolic will in all probability escape
the further effects of the dreadful affliction.
It is worthy of especial remark, that when the
Frolic was out of sight of the island, no attacks were
recorded; but no sooner had she reached the island
than the disease manifested itself.
It is impossible to assign any cause for the sudden
appearance of the dreadful malady after the brig bad
been in port without a single case occurring a full
fortnight.