The medical quarters of the Melbourne off Deptford, a ship of the Line: a ward deck, above, and an operating theatre, below. Wood engraving, 1860. The Melbourne registering over 2000 tons. Read the ILN

Hospital Ships for China. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 21 January 1860.

THE Government authorities have been actively engaged for some weeks past in fitting out a large fleet of transports for service in the expedition to China. Besides the HIimalaya and a number of other large vessels for the conveyance of troops, ammunition, and stores, two splendid screw steam-ships have been specially equipped and fitted out in the most complete manner as floating hospitals. They are the Melbourne and the Mauritius, each registering over 2000 tons. Two more ships are to be completed in China upon the same plan, and the authorities deserve great credit for the able manner in which all the arrangements on board of these vessels have been carried out. They have been completed under the immediate superintendence of the Director-Geueral of the Army Medical Department and his officers. Our Illustrations represent the two ships off Doptfor'l, and the hospital department and the surgery of the Melbourne; the whole of the orlop-deck is to be used as an hospital. There are beds for one hundred and twenty sick, and twenty for the men of the Medical Staff Corps; each berth is provided with a small round tray, suspended from above, which the patient can pull up and down at pleasure, and also a rope with a handle attached to it, by which he can pull himself up or assist himself in turning. Under each bed is a small rack for his knapsack, clothes, &c. The greatest attention has been paid to the ventilation of this part of the ship. In case of bad weather, when the portholes cannot be opened, a large number of the most improved ventilators communicate with the upper deck all over the vessel. The surgery is most judiciously placed in the centre of the ship, having a large skylight over it which admits of plenty of light for the surgeons and dispensers of medicines. The top of the skylight is movable, and directly underneath it stands the operating-table; so that wounded men requiring surgical aid may be passed through the opemug from the maindeck directly on to it. Attached to the surgery is a wooden box on wheels. This is furnished with various utensils, in different compartments, for the use of the surgeons. The maindeck of the ship is furnished with every convenience for this particular service.

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Keywords: H.M.S. Melbourne HMS