Health Care and the British Navy, 1689-1713

Abstract

This study examines the health care system which existed for the men of the British Navy between the years 1689 and 1713. The first half of this work considers the administrative side of the health care system, including both government offices and health care personnel. The second half presents the way in which the system actually functioned, with an emphasis on the rates of morbidity and mortality as they appear in a sample of ship's muster books. The majority of the conclusions reached in the course of this work are based upon unpublished primary sources held in various libraries in London, England.