The Butcher's Bill: or Hold Still, This Won't Hurt A Bit!

Aboard ship, the Butcher's Bill was commonly known as the accounting of the dead or wounded after an action. Generally, 18th Century ships carried with them a surgeon, who would basically hack off limbs, sew up wounds, and hope for the best as a form of treatment. Seamen took care of themselves and eachother, too, if an injury was not too great. Considered proactive and a preventative, the eating of lemons and limes was encouraged to combat scurvy.

If a Captain and crew were lucky, then a Physician travels with them, who was schooled in medicine, could perscribe treatment, dispense medication, who could not only recognize physical but psychological ailments as well. Consider the "Jonah", someone who might bring ill will or bad luck to the crew; someone not liked for whatever reason would be ostracized, or worse. Seamen could be very superstitious!

Shown here at left is the proper medical tools and chest of the times. State-of-the-art equipment. Just take a look at that coping saw. Yikes! And there was the ever-useful trepanning instrument, for borring holes in sculls, to relieve pressure, extract blood or bullets, tumors, etc. The chest below was probably considered very sanitary, but you know how germs just love to make a home in wood! In future, I will bring you more detail on this ascpect of life at sea, but this blog hopefully will whet your appetite!!

Of course, all of these procedures were done without benefit of anasthesia, except perhaps a little laudnum to dull the senses.