History of the epidemic of cholera in Chatham, Rochester, and Strood, in 1849 / by Thomas Stratton ... in a letter to Sir Wm. Burnett ... Medical-Director of the Navy.

Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the epidemic of cholera in Chatham, Rochester, and Strood, in 1849 / by Thomas Stratton ... in a letter to Sir Wm. Burnett ... Medical-Director of the Navy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    ruins of Rochester Castle. Driving through the cleanly High Street of Rochester, he sees on his right Fort Pitt and then en- ters the High Street of Chatham, which, on the right, is quite continuous with Rochester; on the left a few acres of low-lying ground, occupied by market-gardens, intervene between the street and the Medway. This ground is only a foot or two above the usual high-water level, and I was informed that the gardens are leased on the terms, that the rent is to vary according to the in- jury done the crop by the overflowing of the river. At this point, on the other side of the street, the boundary-line between Ro- Chester and Chatham is close to St Bartholomew’s Chapel, the Chapel of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the ancient Leper Hospital of Chatham, of which I intend to send an account to a future number of this Journal. Fort Clarence is situated on a consider- able eminence behind Rochester, and is perhaps 300 feet above the level of the Medway. It was built in 1800, and some time after was used as a military lunatic asylum. It is now used as a military prison, and soldiers are sent to it from all adjacent parts. (There, are other three general military prisons in England, one in Scotland, and two in Ireland). My friend, Dr Swan of the Army Medical Staff, is at present its medical officer. As marines from Woolwich and Chatham are sent thither, a few remarks on the establishment may be here permitted. The prisoners are divided into three classes ; the third or worst class are at hard labour, employed in carrying a shot of the weight of thirty-two pounds ; the second class carry a twenty-four pound shot; the first or best class are not put to this kind of punish- ment; they are three hours a-day so employed, half of the time in the morning, and the other in the afternoon. Weakly men are not ordered this shot exercise. A few of the prisoners are employed at trades, as tailors, shoemakers, and carpenters, but only so far as any of this kind of work is required within the prison. The prisoners are not allowed to converse with each other. When they are locked up, each man is placed in a separate cell, which has an arched roof, and is quite free from damp, as over this is a slated roof; the cells are warmed by means of heated air, and gas is burnt in them till eight in the evening. There is a school for giving instructions to some of the men in the evenings. The men carry the shot a little distance,—about ten paces,— lay it down, pause for a minute or two, then take it up, and carry it back again. This kind of labour being entirely useless is likely to be mentally-irritating to those engaged in it. Would it not be better to employ them at their respective trades when they have any ?—and for the others, who have not been brought up to any trade, and do not understand any kind of skilled labour, pro- ductive occupation might be found in picking oakum or in break-