Reference for William Edward Young from the Belfast Seminary principal

Maker T W Clinton

Date10 December 1866

Object number00006839

NameReference

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 180 x 113 mm

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA character reference for William Edward Young from the principal of the Belfast Seminary, T.W. Clinton. The letter lists the subjects Young has studied and recommends him for a position in the Union Bank, Dublin.HistoryAlthough William Young left the Belfast Seminary to apply for a position in banking, he ultimately trained to became a surgeon. As a physician he became a popular ships surgeon on board a number of immigrant ships from Britain to Queensland in the 1870's and 1880's. The immigrant voyage from to Britain for Australia in the C19th was long, arduous and dangerous. While each vessel had a surgeon aboard, their role was all encompassing and despite best efforts, illness and death were not uncommon. The doctor's role was not just to heal those in need but primarily to prevent sickness ravaging passengers in the first place. This involved closely supervising the sanitary conditions on board, which was extremely difficult to maintain considering the unhygienic environment steerage passengers were forced to endure. An outbreak of disease was always feared as it was difficult to contain once it started to spread it such confined spaces. Regulations became stricter as the decades passed and ship's surgeons learnt more about managing conditions for months at sea. Migrants had medical inspections before boarding, cleanliness was important and regular checks by the surgeon were carried out. The focus was on prevention, hygiene and routine. They were also of course the daily medical emergencies such as births, bone breaks, illness, fever etc. and the ship's doctor treated them all within the confines of a moving ship. SignificanceThe role of ship's surgeon was a multi-faceted one, with the health of passengers and crew, the hygiene on board and often the moral wellbeing of the passengers all his responsibility. It is said that the surgeon’s role was that of splendid isolation, having no one on board who could sympathise with his plight and no one to share the blame if something goes wrong. These documents relating to the career of Dr William Edward Young are a record of a career surgeon and a reminder of the significant role they played in thousands of Australian lives.