429, ‘SWABEY DIARY. 
»fever, and I had no medical attendant. My brother officer and I 
therefore turned surgeons; the sickness was so severe that unless we 
had spent most of our time in the hospital we could hardly have got 
the patients attended to; I well remember the devoted character of my 
brother officer and how insignificant everything but this duty appeared 
in his eyes. 
There were so many cases of raging delirium that double attendance 
was required, where we could not supply half: the only medical 
-assistant we had, was a Spanish medico whose school was of the true 
Sangrado type, but I-took on myself to say who should and who should 
-not be bled, and we shaved the patients’ heads and bathed them 
constantly with vinegar. What more could the Doctor have done? 
“Some poor fellows died. We were close to the enemy and this 
‘made the Spaniards a little presumptuous and they refused to 
let me bury the dead in their burying ground as they were heretics. 
‘I took on myself however to do this by force, but I have often since 
thought I was wrong, for who can say after we were gone whether 
.these superstitious people dug up my poor comrades and gave their 
bodies to the wild birds of the wilderness ? 
Our Sangrado however was my staunch supporter ; when calenturas 
were scarce he could exercise the kindred occupation of a barber, and 
so he was doubly useful in being able to shave heads, as well as bleed 
‘arms. ‘This man’s egotism was even ahead of that characteristic of 
his nationality and many a harangue did he launch at me to prove 
that the medical practice of the British Army and nation was altogether 
erroneous. 
I remained in this uncomfortable predicament threatened with the 
advance of the enemy for some time, and it was fortunate it was so, 
for though I was not free fromthe ambition of being forone day in 
action my own commanding officer, yet our state of inefficiency was 
such that had the French pushed us, I. must have left many of our 
‘men behind. As it was some had time to recover, and before we 
‘marched towards Madrid from Aranguez, I was superseded in my 
glory by the return of my 2nd Captain]. 2 
_ - 16th October.—Whinyates having. been some days at Madrid, and 
Lefebure very ill in bed, I was under the necessity of putting in 
execution the sentence of a Court Martial on a man who merited 
his punishment. Though I contrived to have it in a yard and the 
gates shut, still a priest succeeded in getting-in, and putting himself 
in the way begged and prayed my forgiveness for the man, this, as 
he was a thief, could not be granted. Then he threw down his cloak, a 
proceeding which I understand in this country of priestcraft, is 
enough to stop the execution of justice. No wonder that vice should 
predominate over virtue in such a country. 
L7th October.—Tired and disgusted with the priest of my house, 
who is always attempting to draw me into disputes about religion, and 
rain coming every day, I was not very happy. a 
18th October.—Marched into Aranjuez where as usual we were ill- 
