The naval surgeon : comprising the entire duties of professional men at sea ; to which are subjoined, a system of naval surgery, and a compendious pharmacopoeia / by William Turnbull.

  • Turnbull, William, active 1779-1806.
Date:
1806
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The naval surgeon : comprising the entire duties of professional men at sea ; to which are subjoined, a system of naval surgery, and a compendious pharmacopoeia / by William Turnbull. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    sidered as being something of the menial kind. The situation in which this highly respedtable class of men was long placed, is justly delineated in the admirable novel of Roderick Random, from the pen of Smollet, who in the early part of his life had been engaged in this service. 1 he corisequences of these prejudices so much injured the service, that it was in general only resorted to as a matter of unavoidable necessity, by those young men who could not procure any other employment; and it was accordingly abandoned so soon as any other opening, how- ever indifferent, permitted them to retire. The effedf oi this conduct, on the part of the Surgeons, was severely felt by Government at the breaking ou* of every war; and it was often difficult to procure the medical assistants wanted for the regular appointment of a fleet. Indeed, to such a degree has this often proceeded, that those who have not been six months in an apothe- cary’s shop have been often appointed to situa- tions which requii much experience, and me- dical information. The Admiralty feeling, on many occasions, the hardships to which this prejudice against Naval Practice was carried by professional men, endeavoured at different times to make small alterations to their advantage, but never with such a liberality as to do away the cause of the cc ’aint. Tt