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Carpenter passed away

Surgeon’s journal

On the 4th day of this month Paulus Pieterse Kemp, the head carpenter from Altona, complained to me about pain in his loins. He had a regular fever and was vomiting. I prescribed three drachm of pulverized emetic and something against the fever (Prescription 1).

This person had had a continuous fever and illness on his previous journey. He had a dropsy and was a strong drinker. I got him purged a few times, which seemed to make him recover.

But when we were docked at ShamaGhanaFort St. Sebastian in March he stayed some days on shore to repair the rowboat, after which he followed the ship back to ElminaGhanaElmina Castle. There he also had to go ashore to fix a ship that had obtained a leak. He came back on board with a complete dropsy.

I did my utmost best, but it broke through the scrotum. This was followed by fever, deliriums, and a loss of consciousness. All that was tried was in vain and he, since he was old, died on 10 of May 1762 in his 51st year.