VOC Medicines
(Printed)—Instructions for the Surgeons. ” The ordinary disease on board is the scurvy, attended with corruption of the gums, stinking breath, heaviness, sleepiness, asthma, irregular breathing, blue spots, cough, oppression, &c. To prevent it as much as possible counteracting medicines have as much as possible been given to the ships, according to the catalogue, with directions for use. As long as the sick are in bed they are to be properly cleansed, and should any stench or impurity be observed, the skipper is to be informed of it, in order to make proper provision, and by washing, cleansing, and purifying the ships, remove the stench and dirt from which also much sickness springs.
As soon as the surgeons come on board they are at once to prepare their plasters, &c., in order to be ready in case of emergency.
All patients are to be attended to twice daily; and in serious cases of gangrene, &c., to which those afflicted with scurvy are subject, the surgeons shall attend morning, noon and night.
When the daily round has been made, the chief surgeon shall visit all the sick in company of his assistants, and examine into the origin of the disease, observe the signs that show themselves, &c., in order thus to trace the origin, and remove it by applying the medicines best adapted to secure recovery.
The surgeons shall keep a written journal of all the sickness of the men, of the time when and place where the sickness commenced, in what manner it grew, how long the patients were under treatment, whether they recovered or died, with an exact statement of the medicines daily given to the sick, and the result for good or evil, in order so to find out the cause of the disease, and the great mortality raging now for some time on the ships. And that the nature of the disease may become better known, the surgeons shall visit the sick three or four times daily, to see what changes have occurred, and so regulate their treatment.
They shall report to the skippers and chief officers what they consider necessary for the sick, that orders may at once be given for the supply—whether it be food, drink, proper beds, or anything else that may facilitate recovery, and ward off future sickness and inconvenience. This regulation will likewise prevent the many complaints of the surgeons and the seamen against many of the skippers, that they give not to those in health their ordinary rations, and withhold them from the sick in case of necessity.
They shall perform their services willingly and readily, and only receive their ordinary monthly pay. In cases of contagious diseases and wounds received outside of the Company’s service, they shall receive payment at the discretion of the officers. They are also to know that every watch is to assist the sick belonging to it, take care of them and help them; and the ship’s council is to appoint a number from each watch to do duty in turns.
The surgeons who are negligent or refuse to do their duty, or do the contrary, shall be proceeded against at the Cape or in India by the Fiscals, and such fines shall be inflicted by the judge as the offence merits.
Done by the Seventeen in Amsterdam 10th December, 1695.
Here follows a list of medicines, consisting of Emplastra, Unguenta, Olea, Opiata in massam Pilularum redacta, Laxativa, Mellita, Aquae, Conservae, Radices, Herbae , Flores, Cortices, Fractus, Ligna et Semina, Pulveres, Succi Condensati, Gummi et Resinae, Mineralia, Animalia, eorumque partes, Chymicalia. Also instruments and ointments to be used in Texel.
Finally, the directions how some of the medicines are to be 1696. used. (Signed by) Joan Verwout, M. D. J. Koenerding, and. Adolph Woesthoven.
No. 66, p. 1017.] Date: 10th Dec 1696 – Source: Leibrandt Precise of the Archives
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