‘The Doctor and Devil’: The Literary Writing of Slave-Ship Surgeons

Abstract

In the annals of writing by physicians from the long eighteenth century, there exists a neglected subset that demands greater attention: the writing of slave-ship surgeons. Such physicians existed on many slave ships, and they were required to attend the crew and kidnapped Africans during the Middle Passage to the colonies. They were also required to keep meticulous records, which became the basis for some of the most powerful evidence brought to bear by parliamentary committees tasked with investigating the slave trade in Britain. I argue that the literary productions of slave-ship surgeons, such as Thomas Trotter's Sea-Weeds (1829) and Thomas Boulton's The Sailor's Farewell (1768), can also shed light on their experiences. The writings of slave-ship surgeons offer an intriguing glimpse into the cognitive dissonance these doctors felt in answering their calling in circumstances designed to undermine its basic principle: to treat and foster human life.