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

as to prevent
obtaining the medicines that were so
.At one period I did hear of softie confusion of
4; it was very little, and created no real de-
, ro the service.
you hear. d any complaints that the sick
troops were suffering from the want of bed..
blankets heard of such complaints, and
°rate immediately remedied by sending out a
Portion of bedding and blankets.
hsick among the troops suffer from the
Of bedding and blankets at any time k—No such
wAs made to me officially of the sick suffering
le want of bedding and blankets.
,you know of an receivedact officially or other.
L....As soon as I such report that the
were is want of bedding and blankets, I irnme.
• ordered a large quantity out.
you know of any such fact officially or other-
.l do not.
31 do you think the regiments which have re-
from Walcheren may on an average be fit for
service again ?—They have suffered so dil-
-1 that I cannot answer that question directly ;
consider that the amendment has been so great in
it amongst them, that in the course of a very few
those that are recoverable will be fit for duty.
it proportion do you think are recoverable ?—I
id think of the present number of sick. one halt
be reckoned upon as recoverable 6t far duty.
• 6 the total number of sick now ?—Of four
one district, I conceive two hundred win
for duty in a few months.
:at is the total number in all the districts now
,q the Walcheren fever have only a- return
cue district; I have sent to the other districts
tve not yet received them; the one from the
di,trict mentions four hundred and upwards, of
I consider two hundred will be fit for duty.
floe you inspected any of the regiments personally
ir return ?—I have Made repeated visits to
all, to all the hospitals.
you speak upon your own observation when
say you think half in the district you have now
inned are recoverable?—lt is an observation
le upon the return sent to mi by the head of that
A.
pram your own observation of the sick returned
• Wolcheren, do you think that those who have
)ffiicted with that disease are likely to be as ef-
ce for tore:gn service as if they had never been so
ttsd ?—1 cannot mention any precise time when
ould be it for foreign service, but for home
'45 and light duties I conceive that they will be fit
,:ecy little yiuie in the proportion mentioned.
'hat do you mean by a very little time ?--In a

, maths.
Ho many months should fix the month of
ty to be the latest.
At cinch those who are in the best state will be fit
light duties ?—Yes.
Dees- the Medical Board return to the Adjutant-
-Tars Office an account of the sick in the army
make a monthly return, and report to the Com-
ider in Chief directly.
Do yon know any thing of I Report dated the Ist
Tebruarr, and delivered in by the Adjutant-Gene-
al to this lionv ?—I do not.
By whom can such reports be drawn up and made ?
do not know to what the Hon. Member refers.—
at Report was handed ;o the Witness).-7-I have
it seen that before.
Upon what authority can these be stated sick in the
army ?—The Adjutant-General may possess returns
from the different regiments sep*rate from those from
the Medical Board; but once in a month, the 20th of
every mouth, the Medical Board sends in a return to
Commander in Chief.
Do you know of your own knowledge, that per-
• who have been afflicted with the Walcheren fe-
are subj. ct to relapses, for many years, in Spring,
! Autumn ?-1 am not apprized of such cireum-
Ince.
When was the Medical Board first established ? ,
the year 1793.
What were the purposes for which that Medical
trd was established ?—To take'cletrge of the sick
the army.
Are the Committee to understand, that the sick • of
army from the year 1793 to the present moment,
ken under the superintending care of the Medi-
Board ?-only until the year 1798, when a dif-
ant arrangemcat was made.•
What was the nature of the arrangement wyh took
hoe in the year 1798 ?—lt allotted to ea indivi-
dual-member of the Board certain duties, and certain
duties collectively to the Board generally.
What were the nature of the collective duties ?
ti answer letters referred to then) from head-iluar-
kr% arid to make a return monthly of the sick of the
troy.
Is there any salary attached to the office of Member
of the Medical Board ?—There is.
\\ltt is that salary ?—The salary to the Physician
General is 4os. a day, to the Surgeon-General 43 a
lell• to thelnspector-General £'2 a day as Inspector.
Ceara', and R 2 a day as Comptroller of Army
Rnipitais.
L that salary of X 3 a day to the Surgeon-General
ticlusire of any other pay or allowance be receives
' the discharge of his duty as Surgeon-General ?--
-ie has no• pay or allowance except actual travelling
upences.
Do you consider the army as. Under the superin-
tending care generally of the Medical Board esta-
blished in l79ts t—lt is in a manner distributed under
their superintendence. certainly ; taking the collective
duties and the individual duties together, it is under
their superintendence.
Have the Medical Board ever had referred to them,
since the 28th of July last, to make any report to
Povernment on the subject of the disorder which
broke out in Zealand ?—I believe not.
Yob stated, that in the middle of September you
mended a Cabinet; what passed in that Cabinetl—
. Iva, generally ased as to the state of the -sick, both
abroad and at hone.
were any particular and pressing directions giyen
at that Cabinet to you to tend out medicines ?—I do
tot recollect that there was any particular direction
liven to me to send out medicines; but I inferred
.1m:1ally that no expence was to be spared.
"•
ere you not directed upon that occasion to do
ts,thing that could possibly contribute to the health
"'vantage of the sick?—Generally so 1 was.
Do net you furnish medicines according to the cli-

known where the trOopi ore point, it -
sideration if there time given. "ad
be lille° d°ihseetatelll"ll* appear uponMt paper um' ^ "-- --- -
Do not you attend particularly to bark upon tines W you be able to give information to the Coin.
occasions ?—in general we have not the time giien. mit* upon a future occasion ?—To-morrow.
nor are we acquainted where Expeditions are .to sal, Do, you not therefore confider it his duty, to repott
therefore the medicines and states are made up gene-
relly for any service for whichto the CAmmands, of the Fortes, abroad, if there are
they may be wanted, any deride:wits in his departnient ?—lt is his duty
and all subsequent suppliers are in consequence of re- so to do. I
quisitions from the head of the department. -Can you inform the Committee what quantity of
Do you mean to say, that if an Expedition was go- bark ought to be administered to one man in the ;
ing to the Coast of Africa, you would not sapply it in course of twenty-four-hours in the height of the Wal- '
a different manner than you would if it was going to theren fever ?—I have not been informed of its ad
the Mediterranean ?—Certainly, if there was time, ministration in that manner individually to each man,
and I was acquainted with its destination. it is immediately under the direction of the Atten-
Would not bark have acted as a preventive as well dant Physician, who prescribes as he thinks fit.
as a cure of the Walcheren fever, at certain times of What
quantity
would you think proper to be ad-
the disorder ?—I apprehend it would. ministered under these circumstances ?—lt is impos-
If you had been acquainted at the time of the Expe- Bible for me to decide that, unless I saw the case.
dition sailing with its destiniticn, would yotenot have Cannot you as a professional man inform
the CM.-
sent an additional quantity of bark as a preventative ? i mittee what quantity of bark is administered to a
I have already stated to the Committee that I should strong man labouring under a remittent fever in severe
have sent more bark if I had conceived it was going ! cases tie the course of 24. hours ?—lt must depend
to Walcheren; but I beg to be understood, that as upon the nature of the case, the constitution Of the
the bark-sent out with the Expedition was not con- man, and what his stomach will bear.
sumed until the 7th October, and the distance 'so very , Have you known as much is a pound given in 241
short, there could be no doubt of getting more over in hours?—•l never have.
time, if requisitions had been made. lAs halt a pound ?---I have not. .
Had you any previous knowledge of the peculiar Have you never known eight ounces given in 114
unhealthiness of the Island of Walcheren, except from hours ?—No.
Sir John Pringle's book ; was it notorious ?—I con- A quarter of a pound ?—No.
ceive that all the country of Zealand was unhealthy, Fonr ounces ?—No, not so much as that.
and Walcheren a part of it. . ; Two ounces ?—I speak very vaguely ;itis so much
Do you conceive that the scarcity of fresh water, a matter of opinion at the time that a physician is
and the badness of its quality, had any influence in prescribing for the petient, that I can scarcely say
the disorder among the troops 1--I have not heard of what might or might not be given.
a scarcity of fresh water ; but I have of tl'e badness What quantity have you ever known given ?—I
of its quality, and I conceive that was detrimental to have myself known as much as two ounces given,
the troops. . but that has been upon particular occasions ; I have
Do you conceive that if by any means the quantity known much less answer the impose.
and quality of the water could have been mended or Supposing two ounces to be given to one man in
increased, the health of the troops might have been twenty-four hours, and the whole stock at Walcheren
materially affected ?—1 think it might have amelio. at one period according to your own estimate to be'
rated their condition to a certain degree, but it could fifty pounds, as that would make only one day's con-
never have counteracted the dreadful effects of the samption for 400 men, is it not certain that the troops
climate. , must have suffered from a want of bark during the
Was the apprehension which you entertained of the existing sickness ?..-When I stated that only , fifty
effects of that climate such, that when you beard of • pounds was reported by the Apothecary to the Head
that Expedition first arriving at Walcheren, you ex- of the Department, at one period,• I also stated that
petted what happened ?—I expected it to a certain four hundred pounds was found in store at the same
degree, but not to the extent it has happened. , - time, -and to be added to that was what they could
Th
en the Committee is to understand that the dis purchase there, which I understood amounted to four-
order differs in its virulence in different years ?—I am teen hundred pounds. .
so informed. I Were not those four hundred pounds- discovered
For what. number of men and what period of time accidentally ?--I have reason to think that the four
were the medical supplies originally provided ?—Con- hundred pounds was not discovered accidentally, but
sidering it as for a secret Expedition for 140,000 men, lying in some situations where it ought to have been
for six months. • : found before, and was known to some of the depart-
Have you any knowledge of a letter having been ment upon inquiry.---[The witness was directed to
received at the Board of which you are a Mother, withdraw.)
directing one of that Board to repair to Walcheren in FRANCIi Eimer, Eq. Inspector General of "frmy Het-
order to ascertain the nature of the disease then pre- i Ptah, was called in.—Examined by the Committee.
valent ?—There was a letter of that descriptiOn re- . [A considerable part of the examination of this
ceived at the Board, directing one of that Board to ' Gentleman was similar to that of the preceding evi-
proceed with two physicians to Walcheren. 1 deuce, and the answers the same.]
Did a Member of that Board repair to Walcheren, Were any applications made to you to provide a
in consequence of that letter so received at the number of Hospital Mates for the Island of Walche-.
Board ?—lt was discussed at the Board who was the ren ?—There were requisitions made.
proper member of the three to go; and it was ad-' Did you meet with any difficulty in providing a
Judged to be the Physician-General, as it was a Me- sufficient number of Hospital Mates to meet the de.,
dical subject. ' mends of the service .?—I found-great difficulties, not,
Did the Physician-General repair there according only in finding them for the service of Walcheren,
to his instructions ?—The Physician-General waited but many other destinations.
upon the Commander in Chief, and it was settled by ; Was any additional pay offered by yon, in order to
the Commander in Chief with the Secretary at War; induce persons competent to undertake the office of
I believe that he was not to repair there, but that there Hospital Mates, to embark for Walcheren ?—There
were to go three physicians. I was none.
Do you speak from documents in the Office of the 1 Have you any reason to believe, that by an oar
Board of which you are a Member ?—No further than of additional pay more Hospital Mates could have
that if my services had been thought more useful at I been procured ?.....e cannot speak to that, not having,
Walcheren, than in the cure of the sick on the coast , tried it ; but many statements have been made of the
frelm Walcheren, I was ready to repair thither. I difficulties and the obstacles in obtaining them ;II
Is the Committee to understand from you, that the ; have represented upon several occasions the great I
Ph is an-General refused to repair there ?—I cannot i dearth of the lower order of Medical Staff, and have'
asdertain that, it being settled between the Comman- . pointed out some of t
rey causes of it, which perhapc
der in Chief and himself. • 1 were not within our ch ; whether any additional!
Have you not reason to know,. that the fullest di- ; pay would have done I cannot say, I had no autho-
rections and authority were issued in a letter dated ; rity to offer it.
the 2d of September, to the Commander in Chief, i Did you state in consequence of the difficulty of
directing that every exertion should be made to meet 1 providing Hospital Mates for the service in Walche-
the pressure of sickness that then prevailed ?—There ren, to any superior authority, and to whom, the
was a letter received at the Medical Board from 1 difficulty you found inn° procuring them ?—I can-
the commander in Chief to that effect, September the : not from memory say whether I did upon that spe.
4th, for additional medical assistants and medical ; cial occasion, though I rather think I did, but upon
stores. many others I have ; I rather think I did open that
Did the Head of the Medical Department of the ! occasion.
army in Walcheren upon the • arrival of the Expedi- j Was the Secretary at War apprised of the difficulty
tion in the Scheldt, make any representation to the t of providing Hospital Mates for the service in Wel-
Medical B ard, that he considered the medical ar- I.cheren, in the month of September ?—I cannot speak
rangenients of the army inadequate to the service he : to the date, but
subject I bect ; but by there was
erence commu
tonic
nth
was trash employed in ?—None. ! made upon theref the 5
Do not you consider it was his duty, if be consi- i Report of the Military Commissioners, a letter of
dercd the arrangements as inadeqUate, to make a ! mine upon this subject may be found, I think in A
foie
u-,
representation to the Medical Board to•that effect ? gust or September ; but coming down suddenly
I conceive it was his indispensable duty so to do. i this examination I have no means of giving more pre-i
Do not you consider the Medical Department of ' cise information.
Armies employed on foreign service, to be acting un- 1 After the pressing demands arrived from Walche
der the immediate guidance and directions of the Me. ren for additional Hospital Mates, was any particulats
dical Department at home ?—By no means. 1 report made upon that special service to any superior
Do not you consider it their duty to report to the • authority ?—I will not take upon me positively to.
Medical Board at home the course of their proceed- say it was upon that special occasion, though I rather.
ings ?—I think it would be much better for the ser- - believe it, because the same wants existed in Portu-
vice if they did ; but they are not in the habit of gal, in Sicily, and in the West Indies, and we were,
doing it. . 1 obliged to divide our medical strength as we could,
Are you not of opinion it was, the duty
_of the ' according to the exigency of the service.
Medical Board, it they. Considered that them was ; Do you believe that if you had beenenabled to offer
any deficiency in the supply of stores or medicines , additional pay, it would have been in your power to
on that Expedition! immediately to repair that defi- have procured more Hospital Mates for the service of
ciency ?—The Medical Board's orders are to wait for Walcheren ?--I do not feel myself competent to say
requisitions ; but in the instance of such pressing.: it would, because I think there are many other con.•
emergency as bark for Walcheren, I thought it my ', siderations which weighed against the obtaining a
duty to send it whenever I found there was the least sufficient number of inferior Medical Officers
far it would have answered I cannot say ; but I ra-
occasion. 1
If you were of opinion that the medical arrange- then doubt it, on account of the known sickness of the
meets that went upon •that Expedition were in any ' climate and the mortality that followed it.
respect inadequate, why did you not take immediate point of fact, you were not furnished with any.
stepss so soon as you knew that the army was gone , extraordinary means of procuring Hospital Mates, to
to Walcheren and the Settler, for supplying such.de-; meee the extraordinary demands made by the disor-
ficiencies in the equipment of the army ?--I conceived - der that-prevailed at Walcheren ?—I was not, to the
that the original supply would bendequate, until I ; best of my recollection..
should have requisition frond the principal medical You have been Surgeon to on,e of the regiments of
Guards ?„---I was.
Officers.
You have stated that a letter was received at the To whom are the returns made of the state of the
Office of the Board afteh.you.ar a Member, re- sick In tht three regiments of Guards when at home ?
made tes.the respective Commanding Of-
questing or directing one nithe Members Of that , ....They are
Roa 6110%11:v0w .19 Walidiege; what. vas TM of she regisisantis pad to the officers command-
rd•

i



Inllll tile &My.
Have you nose spiitted your iscum,..-_
to that regiment t—Yes, I have ant been for
Was it by word of mouth or by letter, that those
representations you have stated were made to the Sc.cretary at War, of the impossibility of procuring
Hospital Mates for the service in Walcheren ?—I said
could not speak particularly to dateso. nor was I
certain that' after the business of Walcheren. k bad
been so ; but I rather thought it was about Au-
gull or September, but I speak from recollection only,
If it was made, it was a written one ; but I beg to
speak with distrust of myself here, because I speak
ent rely from memory, but with an anxiety to answer
any questions put to me.
If any representation of that kind was made, it
must have been by letter ?-Yes ; but I beg not to
commit myself to its having been made ; but on ma-
ny occasions before I have done it ; and indeed, one
letter in the Fifth Report of the MilitaryCommissiosa-
ers will shew that I have particularly noticed the dif-
ficulties I had to encounter.
Do you recollect when the first application was
made to you after the Ist of September, for an addi.
tional number of Hospital, Mates for Walcheren ?
If I recollect right, different requisitions were receiv-
ed, and.as fast as we could provide them they were
sent.—EThe Witness was directed to withdraw.]
The Chairman arts directed to report progress, and
ask leave to sit again.

IVP.SMINSEER MEET ING:

REFORM IN PARLIAMENT.
testerd ay a very numerous and respectable Meeting
of the Inhabitants Householders of the City of West-
minster, was held in Old Palace Yard, agreeably to
Requisition, for the purpose of considering of the pre,
priety of presenting Petitions to the King, and to Par-
liament, on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, and•
also to consider of certain other grievances, deeply in-
volving the sail ty and honour of the country.
ARTHUR Moue's, Eici. the High Bailiff, having
stated the object of the Meeting,
Mr. STURCH came forward. In presuming to prc
sent himself to the consideration of the Meeting, i.e
was well aware that some preface by way of apology
would have been necessary were this an cum).
dinary case, or one requiring the aid of great Imo-
ledge and learning to make it sufficiently under-
stood. He was' comforted, however, by the reflec-
tion that the present was a subject which must come
hothe to the heart and feeling of every man who
beard him, and as to- the propriety of which every
man of common understanding, and of that con-.
mon knowledge which the generality of the Inhal,i.
tants of this great City enjoyed as to our common priv'-
leges, must be supposed equal to the task of compre-
bending. He should, therefore, without regtrding
himself either as impertinent or obtrusive, yield to the
request of some of his fellow citizens in calling the
attention of the Electors to the object of the present
Meeting. They were now assembled with the same
object as that which had called them together thirty
years ago, and he-believed, in the very same month,
in Westminster Hall, when the necessity of Parlia-
Imentary Reform had been so ably pointed out by his
estimable and lamented friend Dr. John .ebb.
-young man bad, shortly after that, declared in Par-
liament, that Parliamentary Reform was indipensibiy
necessary for the existence of this country ; and that;
till Parliamentary Reform had taken place, no honest
man could be our Minister. We had, however,
, since that time, seen that same young man the Mi-
nister of this country, without any Parliamentary Re- _
form.baving taken place. Iu that situation he had, •
how much to our advantage it would be for the
Meeting to appreciate, continued for the period of 16
years, during which our National Debt hadbeen in-
creased to the amount jf 150 millions, we had been
engaged in wars the most unnecessary and calami.
tous, and our expenditure had increased to the
enormous sum of forty millions per annum, without
producing any thing beneficial in return. In the
year 1780, to which he had already alluded, we were
engaged in a civil war, which had ended in the sepa-
ration from this country of a people allied to us by
consanguinity, and by the use of the same language.
gince that period, our wars had been equally unjus- •
tifiable and calamitous ; we hat even been engaged
in another civil war, be meant with Ireland ; and, as
, our expenditure had increased, corruption had in-
creased also. The question, therefore, was, were
we not now equally, if not more imperiously, called
en to demand Parliamentary Reform than vie had
been in the year 1780 ?—He submitted that we were.
The sale of Seats in Parliament had become more
than usually prevalent, and within these few months
we had seen the practice defended on the ground of
its inveteracy. What then, he asked, were we to do
I.in such circumstances as these ? Were we to sit tamely
down, while our country was precipitated to destruc-
tion; or ought we not rather by one strong effort to
endeavour to make -a stand, and by a strong exhorta-
tion to our fellow subjects throughout the kingdom.
endeavour to induce them to join us in so glorious a
cause ? He observed, that Ministers had lately taken
Upon them todescribe themselvesnot as Ministers, that
was to say, the servants of the Crown, or of the ext.
cutive part of the Government; but to characterize
-every act of their own as the Act of the Government.
Every man who opposed the Ministers, therefore, was
said by them to oppose the Government. Se far even
was this carried, that we were told of the present Go-
vernment, of the late Government, and even of the
Government before the last. So contemptible and in-
decent was this imposture on the public understanding,
that he could compare it to nothing short of that other
indecent trick, by which it was attempted to persuade
those who asked for reform, that there was nothing
which they required and did not possess. They asked, •
with unblushing effrontery, " liqum do you wane ?"
There are many men of the first-rate ability in the
House of Commons; what more then can you desire?"
He agreed, there were men in the House of Common*
.who were not destitute of ability ; but was that the
only requisite in a Member of that House ? Was not
honesty equally, if not more essential ? and had we
many of that description ? He confessed, that iterate
the boast of those whom• he now addressed to have re.
turned to that House, a Member equally distinguiehed
for intelligence, ability, and honesty ! (Crk.r of O.
Member: —Bath our Members are men of kateetty er ea
as e abdity.)—He was far fromLenzeini, that the
'-erkleaourable Member for We a lama


,

••••• •••• •

r .•

SO °lo;
tors ,"e--
re
,At one p
kind it 11
t to the si
ve you
the trooP
or g blanket!
• were inull
Prq" 3")°
I'd the sick
t of be`klini
sos mad
the want
you knot
93°
ore in Wa
ly ordered
I yOU kno'
Jo no
en do yoi
from NV
gn service
~tiy that I
I consider t,
A among•
ths those tl
hit proPo
hi think o
be reckon
• rheas 6 the
died in one
Et for duty
slat is the
; of the \V
cne dist
have lint 1
t di,trict
m I consic
Itre you it
their ret
all, to al
T ett you S
say you 1
oiled at
• Je upon th
rtmn your
,m Weddle
offlicted
ne for to;
icted ?-1
ould b
'tit; and lii
A '.ery 'tin]
Vhat do
• months.
iLic ma
y to be a
At r:hich
dui
Dees toe
General's C
—I make a
under in I
Do yon I
of Februar
alto this
whor
—I do not
(The Rep
not seen i
Upon
army
from the
the Medic
every mot
tit? Coma
Do you
axis who
11T are su
aid Autos
r.nnce.
When ri
In the yea
What te
board wai
idle arm
Are the
6 the army
e lute ken
cal Board
e knot arr,
• What u
e- plice in
dual•mem
I duties col:
Wliat
e Tv ZOSWe
tes, and
• army,
Is there
of the
\\ltt i
Gernal i
17, 1011
Caen',
Enspitai
thal
itinsive
- the a
He has
c UpenCeS
DO yr
is tending
kished i
• their sue
a duties a
• their sue
ti Haw
C. %Ince ti.
Govern
s broke o
a You
tl attende
I Ira, c
ck abroad
V'el•
at that
tot ret
tiren
Senna
We!
e rye
tid
Do