Top deck of the 'Unité' hospital ship

Book illustration showing the top deck of the 'Unité' hospital ship, from 'The criminal prisons of London and scenes of prison life' by Henry Mayhew and John Binny. The 'Unité' was an old 36-gun frigate, used as a convicts' hospital ship, moored alongside the 'Defence' prison hulk. The authors describe the hospital ship as being "excellently arranged" having "large airy decks, along which iron bedsteads are placed, at sufficient distances, for the reception of the sick men from the 'Defence' and 'Warrior' labour hulks. The vessel is cleaned by a few healthy convicts; while some of the convalescents, in their blue-gray dresses and odd comical night-caps, are employed as nurses... The invalid bedsteads were ranged on either side of the deck from one end to the other, and at the head of them there were small places for books. 'Here the temperature in the winter months,' said the master, 'is kept up to sixty'."

The authors enquired about the diet of the invalids. "In reply the master said, 'The man so bad up-stairs, has 2 eggs, 2 pints of arrowroot and milk, 12 ounces of bread, 1 ounce of butter, 6 ounces of wine, 1 ounce of brandy, 2 oranges, and a sago pudding daily. Another man here is on half a sheep's head, 1 pint of arrowroot and milk, 4 ounces of bread, 1 ounce of butter, 1 pint extra of tea, and 2 ounces of wine daily'."