Nelson’s instruction to warm surgical instruments is not a ‘legend’, but it was not a general instruction to surgeons to warm instruments for all amputations, which Brian’s description shows would have been impractical. Instead, it was an instruction to George Magrath, surgeon of the Victory 1803-4, to warm the knife if he should need to operate on Nelson himself. Magrath said that Nelson's instructions were:
‘... whenever there was a prospect of coming to Action, to have a hanging stove kept in the gally, for the purpose of heating water, in which to immerse the knife, in the event of his being the subject of operation, and on which he always calculated.’ The source for this is Nicolas in ‘Letters & Dispatches’ in which he quotes from a letter he received from Sir George Magrath:
Quote:
The following curious facts, respecting the loss of his Arm, have been obligingly communicated by Sir George Magrath, K.H., Medical Inspector of Hospitals and Fleets, who was Lord Nelson's Surgeon in the Victory, in the years 1803 and 1804, and of whose professional abilities, it will be seen by a subsequent Letter, his Lordship had the highest opinion. After stating that in 1804 Lord Nelson was valetudinary, that the capillary system was easily influenced by the weather which produced derangement of the stomach and indigestion, causing nervous irritability in different parts of the body, but which Nelson called rheumatism, Sir George Magrath writes: "I think this neuralgic predisposition, was originally induced by the clumsy application of the ligature (including I presume the seive) to the humeral artery of his arm, when it was amputated ; and from its long and painful retention, producing agonizing spasms of the stump, which seriously affected his general health, through the medium of the nervous system. Yet, of all the sufferings of the operation, and its subsequent facts, so strongly pressed upon his mind, he complained most of ‘the coldness of the knife,' in making the first circular cut through the integuments and muscles. So painfully and deeply was the recollection engrafted on his feelings, that I had general instructions, in consequence, whenever there was a prospect of coming to Action, to have a hanging stove kept in the gally, for the purpose of heating water, in which to immerse the knife, in the event of his being the subject of operation, and on which he always calculated. His Lordship's abhorrence of the cold instrument was practically illustrated off Toulon, when expecting to come into action with Monsieur Latouche Treville. In the hurry of clearing the Ship, the Cockpit had become the recipient of much of the moveable lumber. I applied to the executive Officers to have my Quarters cleared, but, from the bustle on the occasion, ineffectually. In a state of despair, I was compelled to appeal to his Lordship on the Quarter-Deck, who promptly sent for the First Lieutenant (Quillam), to whom he gave peremptory orders instantly to see the Cockpit in a proper state, accompanied with the significant remark, that ' he (Quillam) might be amongst the first to require its accommodation.' When I thanked his Lordship for his interference, and was departing for my Quarters, he called me back, and good-naturedly said ' Doctor, don't forget the warm water? I then intimated to him, that a hanging stove was in readiness in the gaily, when he signified his approbation by a smile, and an approving nod." Sir George Magrath's interesting account of Lord Nelson's health, while under his care, will be given in its proper place.
Can anyone elaborate on the form of hanging stove that would have been used? My understanding is that hot coals from the galley fire were placed in a compartment of the stove, on which pots and pans could be heated. Ships were often cleared for action many hours before action began. How long might water have been kept warm in this way?
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