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practice, and a boldness in prescribing in difficult cases, which could not have been obtained in any other way; and I particularly mention this, because it formed the basis upon which his system of investigating disease was conducted, and which he continued uninterruptedly, during a most extensive and varied field of observation, for many years.

In 1811, Mr. Annesley was appointed on the Medical Staff, upon the expedition to Java, and was placed in medical charge of His Majesty's 78th Regiment, whose surgeon had died a few days before the fleet sailed from Madras, which was in the month of April. They were about 1100 strong, and, of this number, Mr. Annesley had the satisfaction of seeing 1070 men, fit for duty, land on the beach of Java on the 4th of August. Mr. Annesley did duty with the regiment during the whole service, until the fall of the entrenched camp of Cornalis. The field hospital, at this time, was in great confusion, and much distress prevailed. Mr. Annesley was, in consequence, removed from the regiment, and placed in charge of the establishment. It was no little compliment to the abilities of Mr. Annesley that he, being the junior on the medical staff, should have been nominated to the charge of the hospital; nor is it necessary here to dwell upon the causes which led to this appointment; but it is well known to those who were present on the occasion, that the greatest distress prevailed among the wounded, both as regards medical and surgical treatment, victualling and clothing the sick, and supplying them with proper attendance. Mr. Annesley was, however, called from the 78th Regiment for the purpose of setting all matters into proper order; and in the short period of ten days he had the hospital, with between 1400 and 1500 patients, all in regular order, properly clothed, victualled, and treated. Mr. Annesley returned to Madras in December, after giving charge of the hospital to the person he had succeeded; and was nominated, on his arrival at Madras, to superintend a field hospital established by Government for the native troops, who had lost their

health in the expedition to the Isle of France and Java. The object of this establishment was to give confidence to the native troops of all kinds. Government was desirous of doing all in its power to reward them for their zeal in volunteering for foreign service, by restoring them, as far as was practicable, to health, after their privations and hardships; and Mr. Annesley, from the high character he had attained by his previous exertions, was selected for this duty, and to give full effect to the wishes of the Government as a great public measure. The result of this is fully stated in letters from the Commander-in-Chief, General Hare, commanding the centre division, and the Medical Board; and there can be no doubt that this measure of Government has been attended with the best consequences, as the Madras Sepoys will now readily volunteer for any service in any part of the world.

The Adjutant-General, by command of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, addressed the Chief Secretary to the Government, to express his opinion of the "ability, exertion, and humane attention, displayed by Surgeon Annesley, equally honourable to his professional talents and public zeal, which His Excellency trusts will entitle him to the good opinion and favourable notice of Government." The following is an extract from General Hare's address to the Adjutant-General on this occasion:

"I lost no time, after returning to the head-quarters of the division, in proceeding to Arnee, for the purpose of inspecting and examining into the state of the Convalescent Hospital, established there under the direction of Surgeon Annesley, being well convinced that His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief, attached all due degree of importance to the efficiency of the establishment; the manner in which his intention, and those of the Government, had been fulfilled, and the effect it had produced, not merely upon the constitutions of the patients who had been admitted, but upon their feelings, as to the humanity and liberality of the Government; I have, therefore, most real cause for satisfaction, in being able to represent, in the most decided manner, my opinion, that every good has been obtained that could have been expected from the establish

ment. The best proof that can be adduced in support of this is the enclosed return, by which it appears that, with the exception of a number of patients, and that incredibly small, in the short space of seven months, a general and almost total convalescence has taken place of a general and almost universal appearance of debility and disease. It will be a real source of gratification to His Excellency to reflect, that this humane and liberal establishment, which was formed without reference to expense, or other views than the real comfort and welfare of the Sepoy, will eventually prove a saving to the Government, inasmuch as I believe it is unquestionable, that the far greater part of those men received into the hospital, and who would have been either invalided at the time, or have remained a burden to their corps and themselves, without any prospect of ever becoming efficient for service, will be returned in health to their battalion.

"I conceive it falls more peculiarly within the limits of the Medical Department, and of the Committee which has recently sat at Arnee, to bring to the Commander-in-Chief's notice the professional exertions and attentions of Surgeon Annesley, in his care and superintendence of the hospital; but it is not irrelevant to my situation to express my entire conviction of the merits and integrity of this valuable officer, and to request you will bring his name, when occasion presents itself, to the consideration of His Excellency, with my strong recommendation."

Highly satisfactory as this statement must be admitted to be, the following Report of the Medical Committee is still stronger, if possible, as a testimony to Mr. Annesley's ability, and of more value, as it comes from professional men, the most capable of rightly estimating such services :

REPORT OF THE MEDICAL COMMITTEE ASSEMBLED AT ARNEE, JULY, 1812.

"The instructions of the Commander-in-Chief, requiring a particular Report from the Committee, whether they consider that the object of Government and the Commander-in-Chief, in the institution of this Hospital, has been attained; and also their opinion on the manner in which the duties of the Hospital have been conducted by the Medical Officer in charge of it: agreeable to these instructions, we have examined with particular attention into every part of the management and economy of the Hospital. The cases of all the patients are regularly entered in journals, and the treatment of each minutely stated throughout. A great

proportion of their complaints having originated in a depraved state of the digestive organs, in consequence of the privations and great change of accustomed habits, experienced by the men on the service they have lately been employed on, we consider the plan of treatment for those patients adopted by Mr. Annesley to have been extremely judicious and singularly successful.

"To the comforts of the men, in supplying them liberally with every article of nourishment and restoratives suited to their respective casesto the clothing, bedding, and general cleanliness, and methodical arrangement of the Hospital-a regular and unremitting attention has been paid; and of these advantages the patients seem to be very sensible. If we advert to the numbers returned fit for the effective list, who have recovered from a state of disease and debility, and observe that a majority of those remaining are placed on the non-effective establishment, in consequence of length of service, and circumstances unconnected with their recent complaints, together with the very few casualties that have occurred, we are, on these grounds, decidedly of opinion, that the benevolent and liberal intentions of the Government and Commander-inChief, in the establishment of this Hospital, have been amply fulfilled; and that Mr. Annesley, the Medical Officer placed in charge, has conducted its duties in the most exemplary manner, highly beneficial to the public service, and greatly to his own credit."

In 1812, Mr. Annesley joined the Madras European Regiment, where he had a very extensive field of practice, which he followed up under the system already mentioned, till 1815, when he was ordered upon field service, under the personal command of Sir Thomas Hislop. That service did not last long, and he again joined his regiment at Trichinopoly, in 1816, and remained with it at that place, Kurnoul, on the Tamboodra River, and Hydrabad, till 1817, when the last Mahratta and Pindaree war commenced, and the Deckan army was formed, under the command of the Commander-inChief. Mr. Annesley was then appointed Superintending Surgeon to the advanced divisions of the army, with which he served in the field, on actual service, until the end of 1818. During this service, his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief bore frequent testimony to the value of Mr. Annesley's services, and the admirable condition of the medical staff under

his superintendence. Various general orders speak in the highest terms of his ability and zeal. Among many other documents that have fallen under my notice, the following deserves to be recorded :—

:

"His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Hislop, Bart., Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, to the Right Honourable Hugh Elliot, Governor of Fort St. George.

"Madras, July 1, 1818.

"RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR,

"At the conclusion of a campaign, as arduous as any which stands recorded in the annals of the British Empire in India, and in which the army of Fort St. George has so nobly maintained the lustre of their former brilliant achievements, you will not, I am confident, deem it presuming in me, when at any time I endeavour to bring to public notice the meritorious services of any individual who served during the beforementioned period, under my command, and to whose deserts I can myself bear testimony.

"Many, indeed, are there who have just claim on that tribute from me, and to whose talents and zeal I must ever feel myself very largely indebted for the successes which crowned the uniform indefatigability, high discipline, and bravery of the army of the Deckan; but not one is there,and with peculiar gratification do I assert it,-stands higher for professional abilities, unceasing laborious exertions in the discharge of them, accompanied with the most humane attentions to every one committed to his care, than Superintending Surgeon Annesley, who, throughout the campaign, was immediately attached to my own person, together with the first and third divisions of the army under my command. Previous to the opening thereof, you, Sir, are aware that I owe the preservation of my life to his skill and incessant watching of the dangerous illness with which I was attacked at Hydrabad; but it is to the more important public service which he rendered the state after the battle of Mahidpore that I am desirous of directing attention, by which, out of our numerous wounded, so many gallant officers and soldiers were saved for the further service of their country and their Government.

"To the wisdom of his arrangements, to the personal example which he set to every one placed under his orders in the medical department, I feel myself, as I shall never cease to acknowledge, as the head of that army, eternally indebted to him; and I now feel that I am only performing the

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