Important official documents relative to the disagreements between the members of the late Army Medical Board. Not included among the papers printed by order of the House of Commons.

  • Great Britain. Army Medical Services
Date:
1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Important official documents relative to the disagreements between the members of the late Army Medical Board. Not included among the papers printed by order of the House of Commons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    39/46 (page 31)
    mitteeof the House of Commons for enquiring into the Walcheren Expedition, which, it is believed, will afford satisfactory explanations upon that subject. [Copy.] Albany, March 5th, 1810. Sir, Having reason to fear that the evidence which I was suddenly called to deliver to the Committee of Enquiry of the House of Commons respecting the Walcheren Expedition, was not sufficiently explicit and compre¬ hensive upon some of the points on which I was examin¬ ed, I beg permission through you to state the following facts, as supplementary and explanatory of my former evidence, and as being expedient to enable the Committee to form just opinions concerning the several matters to which they relate. 1st, In regard to the supposed deficiency of Bark, 1 beg leave to state, that I had been restricted by a positive War-Office order from sending out any supplies to troops in foreign stations, except upon requisitions for such supplies being received by me from the head of the Medical De¬ partment on those stations. The army, besides, which was sent to Zealand, and whose numbers had been officially notified to the Medical Board as amounting to 30,000 men and four regiments of cavalry, had been provided with bark sufficient for the usual consumption of 34,000 men during six months; and this quantity would have suf¬ ficed for five weeks consumption, if even the half of the army had fallen sick on the day of landing, an event out of all human probability. Such a provision, therefore, precluded all apprehension that bark would be wanting so soon after the debarkation of the troops in Walcheren