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of the application, I prescribed for him no internal medicine whatever. At the end of twenty-four hours, I was happy to perceive that the sphacelous parts were beginning to slough off; by the third day the face of the sore was quite clear, and, in a day or two more, fine new granulations being every where seen rising up on its surface, I found my purpose effected, and laid aside the balsam, for which I substituted simple cerate dressings, with a tighter bandage. The sore, thus reduced to the state of a simple ulcer, healed up kindly in a short time.

About a fortnight after this, I had the good fortune to experience equal success from the balsam, used in the same way, in a case of irritable phagedenic ulcer, upon the foot of a soldier in the second battalion of Artillery, and which was communicated to Dr. Berry in my Medical Journal for December 1805. To this man, I must observe, as he complained of most excruciating pain, I gave a bolus every night of gr. ij opium and gr. iij camphor; but to these medicines I did not, in any degree, ascribe his recovery. It was at this period that I visited the Naval Hospital at Fort St. George, accompanied by the Surgeon in charge (Mr. Underwood), who was so obliging as to shew me every remarkable case at that time under his care. Out of about three hundred sick seamen, there were nearly two hundred afflicted with malignant ulcer, such as we see mentioned by Home, Lind, and most particularly by Dr. Trotter, in his valuable work, entitled Medicina Nautica.* This gentleman, in more

* See Home's Treatise on Ulcers, page 106; Lind's Treatise on the Scurvy, pages

parts than one of his book, speaks with horror of this malady, and with much regret at the so fre quent want of success in the management of it. Many of the ulcers in the Naval Hospital at Madras, were dreadful to look at. In some, large portions of bones of the leg were exposed; and, in spite of the most humane care and attention, not a few of the patients were rendered lame for life; in others, amputation became necessary, and all, who had ulcers of any extent, seemed evidently to suffer from the absorption of ichor, and from putrifaction.† What Mr. Underwood found most benefit from, was Tincture of Myrrh and Venice Turpentine, in the way`recommended in the Edinburgh Practice of Medicine (vol. iii, p. 304). He also used occasionally a solution of lunar caustic and red precipitate; but he seemed, above all, to place reliance on the most strict attention to diet, which he ordered to be light and nourishing. I did not hesitate to inform him of the great advantage I had found, in cases of sphacelous sores, from the external application of the Balsam of Peru, and advised him, by all means, to try it in his hospital; but he has never informed me with what success.

However, I was not suffered to remain long in doubt regarding the powers of this remedy in cases of malignant ulcers after a long sea voyage. The fleet of Indiamen that arrived at Madras about three months ago from England, had

154, 155; Medicina Nautica, Vol. II, page 179.

+ Mr. Underwood informed me, that he sometimes found, after amputation, the sphacelous affection attack the stump itself.

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been nearly nine months at sea, and having on board three hundred recruits for the Coast Artillery, I found several amongst them scor butic, though in a slight degree. Some little time after their reaching the Mount, and coming under my care, it was necessary to punish two men, and though the punishments were moderate (neither of them having received more than two hundred lashes), I soon saw what I had to expect from the event. Their backs, in place of healing up kindly, as is commonly the case, shortly put on an ugly aspect, and towards the end of the third day from the flogging, two little ulcers made their appearance, on the parts that were most bruised, each about the size of a rupee, with a white viscid matter inside, and uneven edges. Before I had recourse to the Balsam of Peru, I was resolved to see what could be done with other remedies; and with the exception of the gastric juice of granivorous animals (which, in cases of this nature has been recommended by Dr. Harris, as well as Dr. John Harness, Physician to his Majesty's fleet in the Mediterranean)†, there is nothing

*The late Mr. Justamond, we are told by the author of the Edinburgh Practice of Medicine, used this remedy, in similar cases, many years ago.

+ See Home's Treatise on Ulcers, page 107; and Medicina Nautica, Vol. II,

page 223.

Mr. Henderson, in the Medical and Physical Journal, has given an excellent account of this ulcer to the world, as it appeared in the Naval Hospital at Antigua, in 1780. He mentions it as one of the greatest scourges amongst our sea

men, and it would appear that he placed

his chief reliance in treating it on the hydrargyr. nitrol. rub. and camphorated spirit, as external applications, with the bark internally.

which has been advised by any late writer whether external or internal, that I did not try, without, I must say, the smallest lasting good effect. It is true, that the tincture of myrrh, turpentine, the solution of lunar caustic, the camphorated spirit and alcohol, did, occasionally, for a time, operate in clearing away part of the corroding matter, and the bark, wine, and tinctura ferri muriate, gave, I thought, a degree of support to the sufferers; yet the effects of all these were but transitory : the sores increased daily, and no relief was gained in regard to the general feelings of the patients.

Before I began to apply the Balsam of Peru, the ulcers on each of the men's backs were as large as a common sized hand, deep, frightful, and most offensive to the smell (in spite of frequent washings with decoction of bark, tincture of myrrh, and the nitrous acid). The patients otherwise extremely weak, languid, and spiritless, their pulses quick and fluttering, appetites gone, nights restless; in fact, labouring under the most wasting hectic diathesis, and to all appearance hastening to dissolution. To the ulcers of these two recruits, the Balsam of Peru was first applied on the same day, but to the one man I continued the use of bark and wine internally, from the other they were stopt; but both went on with their ripe fruit and light farinaceous diet. I shall not detain you with more particulars; suffice it to say, that from the first day's application of the Balsam, the sores put on a favourable appearance; the mischief was, in fact, arrested, and the patients seemed to feel an almost immediate relief. By the end of the third day, the sores were clean, and by the end of the fifth,

new granulations were every where seen rising up; their pulses, appetites, and spirits, returned to their natural state, and they again enjoyed sleep without an opiate, which they had not done for many nights before. The ulcers being thus reduced to the state of simple sores,

the balsam was discontinued for more simple dressings, and the men were soon discharged for duty. These two cases were detailed at full length in my Medical Journal for March 1806, forwarded to the Medical Board at Fort St. George. (To be continued.)

To the Editor of the Asiatic Journal.

SIR-The accompanying paper, purporting to be the " Principles upon which the Commanders and Officers of the East-India Company's own Ships are to be appointed," has been privately handed about amongst those immediately concerned by the arrangement of the new shipping system; but as it may be of some interest to the generality of your readers, I enclose a copy for insertion in your Journal, and remain NAUTICUS. yours, &c.

Preliminary General Resolutions. That one general preliminary declaration and resolution do precede all others on this subject, namely, that whatever regulations the Court may lay down for the appointment of commanders and officers to ships in the Company's own service, are to be understood principally as rules which are to guide the conduct of the Court in making such appointments, but are not to be construed as investing the officers with any strict rights of appointments or succession in those ships they are rules which the Court imposes on itself for limiting and directing its discretion, not rules settling any rights on the officers.

With respect to Officers now actually in

the Company's Service.

That those officers who are now in the Company's own shipping service, whether actually employed, or not, having come into that service with an expectation of rising in it, have a claim, so far as they

may be qualified, to rise under proper regulations.

That strict seniority be the rule of promotion in the Company's own ships, as far as the office of third mate inclusive, supposing good character and conduct.

That the second mates be chosen from the class of third mates according to seni

ority, where there is no decided superiority of character and talent; such superiority, when perferred to seniority, being determined by the signatures of

two-thirds of the whole Committee who recommend the officer, and by the signatures of sixteen members of the Court.

That the chief mates be appointed from the class of second mates by seniority, and if any deviation is made from this principle of seniority, it be under the same rules as the preceding.

That the commanders be appointed from the chief mates belonging to ships at home, by seniority. If any deviation is made from this principle of seniority, it be under the same rule as the preceding. If there be no chief mate at home, or fit to succeed to the command, the selection be made from the second mates belonging to ships at home, according to the foregoing rules; but the second mate appointed incidentally to a command, shall be considered only as an acting commander, and not be entitled, after the conclusion of the voyage, to be fixed in the command; but he shall, if a chief mate obtains the command, have the option of succeeding to the birth of such chief mate, taking his rank as chief mate from that time.

That the strict principle of seniority be not followed so as to entitle a person who has served only as a midshipman in

the Company's own ships, and duly risen in the Freight service, to the command of a Company's own ship, when a vacancy happens; but that those persons who formerly held the situation of Midshipman, which is a station of instruction, and who have not continued in the service of the Company, are not to be considered as in that service, or entitled to any preference beyond officers in the foot service.

That the rise be from the officers of the ships at home in the same season, and not in the individual ships in which vacancies may occur.

That an officer quitting the Company's own service, finding the promotion slow in it, shall have no claim to return.

That officers who shall henceforth quit the Company's own service, without asking permission to do so, and also to retain their hold on the service, and who have entered the Freight service, be considered as entirely on the footing of officers in the Freight service.

That officers who have quitted the Company's own service with permission, having advanced to the rank of a fourth or sworn officer in it, and who have afterwards risen in the Freight service to any station under that of a commander, be eligible to be taken again into the Company's own service, either with or under the rank which they have held in either service, below that of commander, as aforesaid.

That a commander retiring by choice from the Company's own service, shall have no claim to return to the service.

That an officer staying at home from ill health, be permitted to proceed in the first vacancy that happens after his recovery, of no higher rank than he had before, but this indulgence to extend only to two following seasons.

That commanders staying at home one voyage on account of ill health, be reinstated each in his own ship the following voyage; but this rule to extend only to one voyage.

That commanders and officers desiring to stay at home on account of ill health, do produce a certificate from the Company's examining Physican and Surgeon, clearly declaring the indispensable necessity of that measure: the said Physician and Surgeon being apprized that as their

certificate may affect the interest of others besides the parties claiming indulgence, they are to consider themselves as giving it under the sanction of a solemn obligation.

That no plea, except that of ill health, certified as prescribed in the preceding clause, shall entitle a commander or officer to remain at home a voyage, unless permitted so to do by the recommendation of the Committee to whom his case may be referred, and the unanimous vote of the Court before whom the report of such Committee shall come. That this permission shall not extend beyond one voyage; after which he may be eligible to proceed again to sea on a vacancy, but only with the rank he had before.

That the commander and officers to any ship contracted for by the Company, for their own account, be selected from the Company's own ships at home, in the season wherein the new ship is to be launched, and that the said commander and officers be appointed between the 1st of September and the 1st of October in that season. With respect to ships purchased for the Company, the commander and officers be appointed according to the same rule.

That with respect to ships building, or to be built, for the Company in India, the commander and sworn officers to them be appointed in sufficient time to join them respectively before they are launched.

That with the view to give the commanders in the service additional encouragement, when a vacancy happens in a 1200 ton ship, or a ship of superior class, in any one season, and any ship of an inferior class shall be at home in that season, it shall be at the option of the commander of the ship of the next class, to succeed to that of the ship which has become vacant, or if he declines, at the option of the commander of the third class, to take the command of the ship of the superior class; and in like manner at the option of the commander of the third class, to take the command of the ship of the second class, so that the officer next in succession, whether chief or second mate, may be appointed to the command of the smaller ship, subject to the approbation of the Recommending Committee, and the Court.

With respect to Officers of Packets.

That officers employed in the Packet service shall have no claims beyond what they may have derived from previous service in the Company's own ships, according to the proposed regulations.

With respect to the Situation of Captains and Officers for the Company's own Ships, when their own Stock of Officers is not sufficient.

That where the Company's actual stock of officers is not sufficient to fill the appointments in the Company's own ships, the selection of officers in such case be from the regular Freight service.

That officers under the rank of commander in the Freight service, on entering the Company's own service, shall not come in immediately to all the privileges of those who have been brought up in the Company's own service; but that their appointments be subject to the regulations hereafter detailed.

That officers taken from the Freight service into the Company's own service, shall be eligible to come in with the same rank they held in the Freight service, dating it from the time of their entrance into the Company's service; but the Court may accept the services of such officers willing to come in a step below that which they held in the Freight service, provided that if they come in as second mate, they do not exceed the age prescribed for entering into the service with that rank.

That an officer appointed from the Freight service as chief mate in the Company's service, shall perform two voyages as chief mate before he is eligible to a command, unless he has served as master of a regular extra ship; in which case, after serving one voyage as chief mate in the Company's own ships, he may be eligible to a command in them.

That the Company's own service be open to all commanders of the Freight service who stand eligible for commands, exclusive of those who have voluntarily retired from the service; but that a commander actually in charge of a Freight ship, be not, while so circumstanced, eligible to command one of the Company's own ships.

That the selection of officers for the
Asiatic Journ.-No. 1.

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Company's own ships be from the general mass of officers in the Freight service.

That when a commander of the service is introduced into the Company's own service, he should not be above fifty years of age.

That the master of a regular extra ship, on his entrance into the Company's own service as chief mate, be not above forty years of age.

That a chief mate of the Freight service, upon his entrance into the Company's own service, be not above thirty-five years of age; nor a second mate above thirty years of age.

That in all selections of commanders and officers from the Freight service, good characters and conduct be indispensable qualifications.

That on occasion of selecting any commander or officer from the Freight service, reference be had by the Recommending Committee to an account abstracted from the records of this house, of the character and conduct of the candidate.

That, for the better answering the purpose of the preceding resolution, and for the guidance of the Recommending Committee in future, a distinct record of the conduct of each individual commander and officer in the Freight service be now formed, and henceforward kept; and that the same do also comprehend the Company's own commanders and officers.

That any commander to be now introduced from the Freight service to command one of the Company's own ships, be not allowed to continue as commander in the Company's service more than three voyages.

That any officer who shall henceforward be promoted in the Company's own service to the command of one of their own ships, be not allowed to continue a commander in that service more than five voyages. In the case of Captains Patterson and Adam, now in actual command of Company's ships abroad, their five voyages do commence from their next outfit from England.

With respect to the Mode of appointing
Commanders and Officers to the Com-
pany's own Ships.

That the recommendation of the com-
VOL. I.

D

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