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Sailor passed away

Surgeon’s journal

The first of this month Jacobus Duinkerken, a sailor from Middelburg, complained to me about diarrhea. I found that he had dysentery. I attempted to purge the body through three scruples of pulverized emetic, and then a soft laxative (prescription 20). To stop the diarrhea I prescribed medicine of which one or two scruples was given to him in the mornings and evenings. This made it seem recovered, but a day or so later he complained again about severe atrophy. I found mostly slime, however, and little to no blood. After that I again gave him the mentioned laxative. I also give him a big pill (prescription 22), which was greatly advantageous for him. But he did not eat at all and was a heavy drank, which reduced his strength and emaciated him completely. On certain days he was a lot better than on others. Everyday I gave him cinnamon water with conserved rose hip and wine taste.  But all of this was in vain, and he died on the 26th of this month.