Ships’ doctors & their patients

No-one would want to face a medical emergency in the middle of an ocean without a doctor being present. So, for centuries a medically qualified person, usually called a surgeon in the past, has been an important member of the crew of a ship.

In the Navy

As far back as Tudor times, a warship on a long voyage would often carry a medically trained man, and by the 17th century a surgeon had become a regular crewmember on Royal Navy ships and privateers. Naval surgeons were also known as ‘chirurgeons’ until the end of the 18th century.

Naval surgeons performed surgery of course. They were called upon to amputate damaged limbs because of the danger of gangrene, pull teeth, extract bullets and splinters, and stitch up wounds. Falls and battle wounds could result in head injuries, and sometimes surgeons had to drill into the skull to try and save the crewman’s life. This delicate surgery must have really tested the surgeon’s