90 DEATH OF GEORGE HARRISS. \Jamtary, 



chest, and weakness. He was absent on sledge duty 

 with the South-west Division, but returned on the 3rd 

 of May, complaining of pains, and weakness of limbs. 

 It appears that he was discharged in six days from the 

 list ; but after my return on the 2Gth of June, he was 

 reported as affected with scurvy ; and having examined 

 him then with the Assistant Surgeon of the ' Pioneer/ 

 his body and limbs were covered with small spots like 

 boils, but with dark ringed bases, in fact, such an erup- 

 tion as is often noticed in pauper patients in England. 



Having witnessed a great deal of the worst kinds of 

 scurvy, as well as that resulting from no known cause, on 

 the coast of Africa, I did not think the spots alone war- 

 ranted scurvy. However, at that period he gave way, 

 being of a very slothful habit, difficult to keep clean, and, 

 as I clearly foresaw, would hasten his own end by the 

 want of common energy so inherent in seamen generally 

 when they, as we term it, " take sick." 



The attention of the Assistant Surgeon, Mr. Ricards, 

 was unremitting : he personally attended, washing and 

 sponging him ; but no feeling of gratitude seemed to oc- 

 cupy the mind of the patient. Indeed, I cannot suffi- 

 ciently admire the untiring zeal of the medical man with 

 such an ungenerous, stubborn patient. I visited and en- 

 deavoured at times to draw him into conversation, but it 

 was painful. If I had been, frorn some remote suspicion 

 in his mind, the direct cause of his illness, he could not 

 have displayed more moroseness ; indeed, from the first 

 moment I saw him in June last, he seemed to have 

 " made up his mind to die." 



This probably is one of the peculiar tendencies or at- 



