Lesser Known Heroes

Colin McCall

By the middle of the seventeenth century, direct examination of any part of the body was seen by many ‘gentleman doctors’ as almost akin to manual labour and beneath their status. Coupled with this reservation, there was long-held opinion in England that it was most inappropriate for males acting as general doctors to examine female organs closely or any issue from them. Thus, many trained medical men in the period 1750–1850 might never have seen the complete birth process. The general status of women in society at this point restricted the educational opportunities for them and few would have been able to access what medical knowledge there was because much of it was written in Latin. The established universities were male preserves and hence as late as the nineteenth century women were not allowed to attempt the established medical examinations.

The available women midwives learned on the job and had very variable levels of practical experience. They were expected to bring suitable disposition to the birth rather than trained competence. They had to be: ‘mild, gentle, courageous, sober, chaste and patient… . As concerning their minds, they must be wise and discrete.’

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Back in England in August 1758, Thomas was assigned to a thirty-eight-gun frigate, the Aurora. He had received pay, a little prize money and some other extras from his service aboard the Centaur but he was far from financially well founded. To his dismay the Aurora was not assigned to sea duties but ‘remained in harbour with a very few men, so that being obliged to live on shore, and forgetting that I had ever been in want, I soon spent a great part of the money I had saved’.

His captain, Francis William Drake, was soon assigned to a new ship, the sixty-guns Edgar. In spring 1759, Thomas petitioned for the post of surgeon and was accepted. His time aboard the Edgar was to be both demanding and galling. It did result, however, in a strong friendship with Drake and this association was to help Thomas later in furthering his medical career.

Colin McCall, the Author

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The ship was part of the fleet under Admiral Boscawen that fought a heavy engagement with the French off the island of Lagos. There was much exchange of gunfire, several back-and-forth boarding raids, some attempts at fire bombing, and periods of tense stand-off. The final outcome erred in favour of the English. They secured two French ships, the Centaur and the Temeraire, burnt and destroyed three others and caused the rest of the French fleet to retire. Thomas noted one advantage of the prolonged exchange of fire.

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Although Thomas may have pressed frugality a little too hard at times, his own statement about it presents a clear case of defence. His advice stands in good stead for these modern times.

If my son should live to read this paper, I recommend him to take care of his money. I do not wish him to be mean or avaricious, but I exhort him and his children, and all my successors, to acquire and to practice habits of frugality and good management. They are always proofs of a good understanding, and show that a man forms a just estimate of the business of life; for though the possession of money is not necessarily the possession of happiness, yet money is the price of everything, the state of his mind excepted, which can contribute to happiness. I know that the most uneasy moments of my life, and the most humiliating situations I was ever in, have been occasioned by the want of money, than either of friends or abilities; therefore I could not say less upon this subject. It may probably be thought too much, but it is not more than is true.