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Date	Original Topic
10th November 2002	Surgeon Dugald Blair Brown's reports By John Young In my unskilled knowledge of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, I am aware that Surgeon Dugald Blair Brown, A.M.D., left a series of reports for the casualties that he treated in his position as the Medical Officer, Field Hospital, Helpmekaar. In his reports Dr Brown refers to the casualties merely by initials, for example 'F.H.' ...'A Privete of the 2nd 24th...' relates to Private Frederick Hitch, V.C. Could someone please explain to me who in Dr. Adrian Greaves' work 'Rorke's Drift' that are full names given apparently attributed to Dr. Brown, when those full names were never written? How is it that 'Cpl. C.S. of the Natal Native Contingent' has suddenly become according to Dr. Greaves 'Corporal Carl Schiess'? I was always under the impression that Schiess was wounded in the instep, yet the casualty decribed in 'Rorke's Drift' has been shot in the shoulder. A wound I would venture is consistant with the wound sustained by Corporal Carl Scammell. Lady Butler actually shows Scammell being treated by Surgeon Reynolds V.C. in her famous painting, with Louis Byrne being shot beside them in the act of giving water to the wounded Scammell. Is there a different list by Dr. Brown? Or are the names alledgedly attributed to him, actually Dr. Greaves' own conclusions? Perhaps someone, hopefully Dr. Greaves, could assist me? John Young, Chairman, Anglo-Zulu War Research Society.
Date	Replies
10th November 2002	Martin Everett Dear John, 'Unskilled' doesn't seem the appropriate adjective to use. You have probably the best library relating the AZW and apparently the unrestricted time to research a wide range of topics. On the topic, you currently raise. I strongly suggest you put it Dr Adrian Greaves directly by e-mail direct as he is unlikely to respond to you by this discussion forum. Try [email protected] Was Lady Butler at Rorke's Drift? I trust this helps.
10th November 2002	John Young Dear Martin, Sorry it doesn't really, unless you also have access to these reports of Surgeon Brown, A.M.D.? This forum is I believe is a forum for open debate. I have posed a serious question that I seek an answer to, is that wrong? By the way 'unskilled' is fine by me. I am as I have said so many times before, merely an interested amateur. How I wish I had 'the best library relating the AZW...' That in all honesty is as fatuous as your comment on Lady Butler. On the point of Lady Butler, it is interesting that Paul Usherwood & Jenny Spencer-Smith in their work 'Lady Butler Battle Artist 1846-1933', have incorrectly deduced that the falling figure is that of James Langley Dalton, V.C., of the C. & T. Department, rather than Louis Byrne. John Young, Chairman, Anglo-Zulu War Research Society.
10th November 2002	John Young I'm I have just noticed a typo' in the 3rd. para. of my original post, rather than: 'Could someone please explain to me who in Dr. Adrian Greaves' work 'Rorke's Drift' ...' That line should read '...how in Dr. Adrian Greaves' work...' Apologies for any confusion caused. JY.
11th November 2002	John Young Taking Martin's advice, I have contacted the offices of Dr. Adrian Greaves, and received a reply from his assistant. I was referred to 'The Journal of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society' for June of 1998, in which an article was published as 'Surgical Experience in the Zulu War, From the original unabridged notes of Surgeon Blair-Brown (sic) FRCS.' One might therefore take it the article was a true transcript of the original piece, it is not for as I have said above Surgeon Dugald Blair Brown, (this spelling of his name is taken from 'Hart's Army List', 1879, note no hyphen.) merely referred to his patients by their initials. I proffer that this was done to afford them a modicum of anonymity, however, whoever, transcribed the piece has, I believe, has inserted full names. In at least two cases, I would suggest, the names chosen are wrong. In Dr Brown's original article he stated:- 'Mr W.B.E., an officer in the Natal Native Contingent, was escaping on horseback from the camp at Isandhlwana, when an assegai hit him in the back of the thigh, "pinning him to the saddle."...' In brackets in the article as it appeared on page 40 of 'The Journal of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society' it states 'Mr. W.B.E., (W.Edwards?)'. I do not know how, or why this has been added - but to my amateur knowledge the only European to have been wounded at the Battle of Isandlwana in such a way was Lieutenant Walter B. Erskine, of 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, Natal Native Contingent. In fact Lieutenant Erskine was to my knowledge the only European to officially be recognised as being 'wounded in action' at Isandlwana. As to 'W.Edwards' - assume that whoever has annotated the originally text has wrongly assumed that Dr. Brown was referring to Trooper William Edwards, of the Natal Carbineers, who survived the action at Isandlwana, apparently uninjured. On page 44, of the article as it appeared in 'The Journal of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society', it would appear that the same person has wrongly concluded that 'Corporal C.S.' is actually Christian F. Schiess V.C. - as I indicated above Schiess was wounded in the foot at Rorke's Drift, yet Scammell was initially hit on '...the back of the head, at the posterior margin of the left sternomastoid at its origin...' and lodged in his shoulder. Private William Jones, V.C., of 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment, who I hope Martin Everett will find as a more reliable witness than Lady Butler, stated, "...Mr Byrne who was himself shot almost immediately through the head as he was bringing water to a wounded man of the Natal [Native]Contingent." In view of the fact that only Corporal C.F. Schiess, V.C., was wounded in the foot, I would suggest, as I have above, the man being treated by Surgeon J.H. Reyolds, V.C., in Lady Butler's 'Rorke's Drift' is actually meant to depict Corporal Scammell. John Young, Chairman, Anglo-Zulu War Research Society.
11th November 2002	John Young Should anyone care to know Lt. Erskine's wound is mentioned in W. H. Stafford's later letter; 'The Zulus were then right on top of us, and poor Young was killed, although Harry Davis, who had come up, and I did our best for him. A little further on we came across Lieutenant Erskine, unable to go further on account of an assegai wound through the calf of one of his legs. I was just able to get him up behind me in the nick of time.' JY.
11th November 2002	James To assist readers of the forum the following is a copy of Blair Browns notes SURGICAL NOTES ON THE ZULU WAR. By D. BLAIR BROWN, F.R.C.S. ED., A.M.D. The following cases and observations, apart from the intense interest shown concerning all appertaining to the Zulu war, will I think, be found of sufficient interest to find space in THE LANCET. Assegai Wound of Left Ham.- Private J.H.M. -, of the 1st Battalion 3rd Regiment Native Contingent, was present on the 12th January at the attack on Sirayo’s Kraal. Several prisoners were taken, and were being disarmed. One of them being irritated by our friendly Kaffirs, tried to force his escape, and assegai in hand, stabbed right and left at everyone. The patient in the case now being described was one thus injured. A bandage was applied, and he was conveyed to Rorke’s drift for treatment. While there several outbursts of severe haemorrhage occurred from the wound, and though the bleeding points were searched for by all surgeons at that camp, it could not be permanently stopped, breaking out again after a day or more, or whenever the local means of arrestment were withdrawn. On the 26th January he was sent to Helpmakaar, and I found a wound of a regularly punctured nature in the lower end of the left ham, a little above the popliteal space. As there was no bleeding from it I did nothing but order the limb to be kept as quiet as possible. Next day, however, haemorrhage – which was found by the two civil surgeons who immediately attended to be almost impossible to stop – took place. When I saw him this time his pulse could scarcely be felt, and he had fainted. No further bleeding took place for two days, when it burst forth again. Assisted by Surgeon McGann and Civil Surgeon Beresford, the patient being under the influence of chloroform, I enlarged the wound, to look for the bleeding vessels. Having made the incisions, I found a large cavity filled with coagulated blood extending up the limb and amongst the muscles; compression over the femoral during this procedure was maintained. On relaxing this after the clot was cleared out numerous points of bleeding were seen, none of which could be seized for torsion or ligature. The patient was again almost pulseless, and his face very pale. Raising the limb, prolonged digital and instrumental pressure all failing, it was agreed that ligature of the femoral was the only remedy left to us. I proceeded at once to do that. On reaching the sheath of the vessel the profunda was found to have a longer course than usual, and to be lying very close to the superficial femoral, both vessels being plainly felt pulsating. On applying pressure with the point of one finger on the profunda branch, I found not a drop of blood escaped at the wound after the withdrawal of the tourniquet from the groin. I therefore adopted the lesser operation, and tied the profunda. The wound healed rapidly, and after the first two days, when he complained of slight uneasiness in the limb, there was nothing else to note. On the 15th of February he left Helpmakaar for the Base Hospital at Ladisnutyh. He is now at his duty in a mounted corps at the front, none the worse for his wound. This patient was one of those in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift on the memorable 22nd of January, and managed to hop out from the one building, under fire, to the other. He therefore had four marvelous escapes within a few days – first, that of the stab at Sirayos’s kraal; secondly, the escape under fire from the hospital at Rorke’s Drift; thirdly, the frequent profuse haemorrhages; and fourthly, the operation. Case of Gunshot Injury to the Cervical Vertibrae with Lodgement of the Bullet, - No. 1112, Corporal J. L -, of the 2nd – 24th Regiment, when engaged in the defence of Rorke’s Drift, on the night of the 22nd January , received a bullet in his neck, near the posterior margin of the sterno-mastoid of the left side, about the upper portion of the middle third of it’s length. Only one wound, that of entrance, was present. He complained of great pain in the neck on the slightest movement. When in bed the pillow caused an increase of this. He had lost almost all use of his arms and hands especially the right one, which he described as “quite dead.” Painful “twitchings” were experienced in the arms. Whenever he moved his head from the bed some one had to support it between their hands before he could do so. At Rorke’s Drift several surgeons tried to find the bullet, but were unsuccessful. In the above condition he arrived at Helpmakaar on the 26th January. Next day, assisted by several surgeons, I got him under chloroform, and made a prolonged attempt to find the bullet. The course I found it had taken was in a direct line with the spinal cord. I made a free opening in the middle line, as far down the course as possible, and again attempted to reach the bullet. I found by digital examination now that the processes of two adjacent vertebrae were smashed, and I felt a soft, smooth, cord-like substance under my finger beyond. Pressure on this instantly caused the patient to turn very pale and the pulse to be almost imperceptible, and necessitated the immediate withdrawal of the chloroform and the adoption of artificial respiration, I have no doubt but that it was the spinal cord. I took away several pieces of the vertebral processes which were lying loose, but had to give up attempting to reach the bullet. The case continued much as described for some time. He was sent to the Base Hospital at Ladisnuth. On taking over medical charge thereof, on the 27th of February, I found my old patient much i9n the condition as before described. He was suffering greatly from the pain in his arms, and wished to have them both off to relieve him from it. On examination I found a distinct hard substance on firm pressure beneath the ligamentum nuchae, which was not present on former occasions. On consultation with the Surgeon-General of the forces, who happened to be on a tour of inspection at the time, I cut down upon it, and without much difficulty enucleated an ordinary round bullet, with a rather long rough process extending from its smooth surface. The wound healed rapidly; but the original one still continued open and discharged a little pus. In a few days the pain entirely disappeared from his arms and their use nearly returned. The right arm was not “quite the thing” when he was sent to head-quarters at Pietermaritzburg. He has since, I learn , sailed for the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley. On the 21st January I reached Helpmakaar in medical charge of three companies of the 1st-24th Regiment, the only men who remained of that regiment after the massacre. On the afternoon of the 22nd I accompanied these men, augmented by about a hundred more, en route to Rorke’s Drift, intending to be at Isandhlwana on the 23rd January. Having got within a few miles thereof, we met numerous fugitives flying from the camp, from whom we learnt the fate of the Isandhlwana one, and were told that the place we were going to – Rorke’s Drift – was surrounded by the enemy in thousands. We turned back to Helpmakaar and formed an entrenched camp. There I remained in medical charge. The accommodation for the treatment of sick at Rorke’s Drift being nil, they were all sent to Helpmakaar , as we had the end of a commissariat shed with temporized beds made of biscuit boxes covered over with empty flour sacks there. The whole of the medical equipment of the column was lost at Isandhlwana, so that ordinary means of treatment were not to be had. From the fact that the men at Rorke’s Drift fought from behind shelter the wounds were all in the upper portion of the body. Those who were killed were hit on the head. In one case the bullet entered at the posterior margin of the sterno-mastoid, near its shoulder end , and without penetrating the cavity of the chest, made its exit at the middle of base of scapula. Another was hit near the bicipital groove of the right humerus, beveling the bone along its line of flight, and getting exit at lower angle of scapula. One received a bullet at the insertion of the deltoid; the missile was found lying a few inches lower down the bone, and extracted at Rorke’s drift. Mr. Dalton was shot in the right shoulder while forming the ”laager.” The bullet entered half an inch above middle of clavicle, escaping all the important vessels, and ran down the back, finding an exit at the lowest border of the origin of the trapezius muscle. In every instance the wounds when seen by me on Jan. 26th were in a sloughy condition. Large masses of purulent matter could be withdrawn with a little pulling by dressing forceps. The wounds were unmistakably made by ordinary round bullets fired from smooth-bored guns. The ease with which most of the bullets were turned aside from their straight course after penetrating can, I think, be accounted for by the fact that they were fired, for such weapons, at considerable range, and the charges of powder must have been limited, as the enemy individually carry but one bullock’s horn, transformed into a powder-flask; this is usually all they have. Their fire is described to be very poor, blazing away and only occasionally hitting. It is with the assegai, however, they can do their deadliest work; but this necessitates very close quarters, what is scarcely likely to occur again. The assegais – a lance-shaped piece of steel or iron, on a comparatively thin but well-balanced round stick as a handle – are of two kinds; the “throwing” assegais are longer and broader in the blade than the “stabbing” kind. The handles of both also differ; that of the first kind is exceedingly well-balanced, to allow of its flight through the air, which it traverses like an arrow, the broad blade acting the part of the feathers do in the other, only at opposite ends of the instruments. The Zulus hold them in their right hand, their fingers clenched round the handle not far from the blade, and bending their forearm at right angles to their arms, with a backward and forward movement they direct with a sudden jerk the instrument upwards into the air, where it is seen coursing like an arrow, and descending in a similar manner. At thirty yards many of them are very accurate in hitting their object. The “stabbing” assegai has a short and stouter handle, has a much smaller and narrower blade, and is attached to the handle by a continuation of the blade in the form of a steel shaft for about half a foot, and there securely fastened. In stabbing they keep the edge very low, making numerous cuts, stabs, and dashes therewith as they approach; suddenly raising the point, they make a direct stab, and without withdrawing, a rip. It appears to be a thoroughly methodical operation, requiring considerable skill to acquire. It is an error often made to think that, on nearing an enemy, they all at a certain signal, bend the handles of their long assegais on their knees, and break them short. I am told this does not take place except when they have no “stabbing,” and all “throwing” instruments with them – a circumstance which rarely occurs, as they always keep close to one of the latter as their chief defence. The wounds, therefore, received from these different proceedings must also differ in character. My late confrere and friend, Surgeon-Major Shepherd, was killed by a thrown assegai just as he was starting from the side of a \wounded Natal Carabineer whom he was examining. Trooper Muirhead of the Carabineers, who was with him at the time, informs me that he saw it coming, bent his head down on his horse’s neck and escaped it. Shepherd was close to him and received it in his back. He at once fell from his horse with a loud exclamation, and was surrounded by Zulus and finished. The depth a thrown assegai will penetrate is great. In stabbing the abdomen appears to be the target they aim at, if possible. Assegai wounds of the extremities I have met with none – except the case already recorded – of any interest, no important vessel having been injured. One officer of the Contingent received one through the calf of his leg, “pinning him to his saddle”; this healed at once, and he hopped about all the time. I simply kept a bandage upon it. It will, therefore, be readily conceived that sever and numerous cases of gunshot injuries are not likely to occur in Zulu warfare as far as we are concerned. If we have to retreat rapidly, then a wounded man means a dead one, as the enemy converts the one into the other at once. Assegai wounds of regions not immediately fatal generally require but the simplest treatment. Without medicines, lint, bandages, or any of the usual equipment at Helpmakaar, I had to make use of what I could find. A considerable amount of well-tarred tow was found in a box where some wine bottles were packed. This I used as the dressing for all the wounds, and no case did badly. Water or watery lotions were not used , except the former to wash the skin in the neighbourhood of the injuries. A few fibres of the tow were used as drains in the wounds, and appeared to serve the purpose as well as anything else. Source; The Lancet 1879 Volume 2. Location: RAMC museum.
12th November 2002	John Young James, Thank you very much for the above, for you have given me the 'culprit' I sought, now I know him to be Dugald Blair Brown. The comment: 'From the fact that the men at Rorke's Drift fought from behind shelter the wounds were all in the upper portion of the body. Those who were killed were hit on the head. ...' Has entered into modern acceptance: Professor John Laband in 'Rope of Sand', pub. 1995 states: 'Because they had fought behind walls and barricades their wounds were all in the upper parts of the body, and those who died had been hit in the head. If Zulu fire had been more effective, there is no doubt that the British casualty rate would have been much higher.' Professor Laband obviously liked the phrase as he had used it previously in 'Kingdom in Crisis', pub. 1992. Whoever the researcher was for Chapter 12 of Dr. Adrian Greaves' book, 'Rorke's Drift', pub. 2002, quite liked it too: 'Because they had fought behind walls and barricades their wounds were all in the upper parts of the body, and those who died had been hit in the head. If Zulu fire had been better aimed, there is no doubt that the British casualty rate would have been much higher.' Let's examine the casualties that died of head shots: Pte. Edward Nicholas, 1st/24th was apparently shot in the head. Pte. Thomas Cole, 2nd/24th, is known to have been shot in the head, but contrary to the comment in Dr. Greaves' 'Rorke's Drift', he did not die 'in [the ] hospital...' Acting Storekeeper Louis Byrne, Commissariat & Transport Department, we know from evidence presented by various witnesses, including William Kones, V.C., was shot in the head. Hasn't this one comment by Dugald Blair Brown caused some confusion, and been used out of its original context? One might misunderstand from Professor Laband's and Dr. Greaves' comment, made ten years apart, that all of those who died were killed by head shots. John Young, Chairman, Anglo-Zulu War Research Society.
13th November 2002	Julian whybra In case you weren't aware Hook tells us (in his Royal Mag account) that Cole ran outside the front of the hospital early in the fight and was almost immediately shot in the head.
13th November 2002	Julian Whybra In case you're not aware, john, Hook tells us in his Royal Mag account that Cole ran out of the front of the hospital early in the fight and was almost at once shot in the head.