2 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE
The first medical officers in the employment of the E.I. Co. were Surgeons on board ship. The names of the Surgeons who served in this voyage have been preserved — John Banester in the Leicester, Lewis Attmer in the Edward, and Robert Myssenden in the Francis. Banester made a report on the health of the crew during the voyage to the Earl of Leicester, one of those who had
shared in the expenses of the adventure. Altogether the Leicester
lost 45 men, including three died of wounds and four drowned, out of about 125.
Three vessels sailed for the East Indies in 1591, under a charter from Queen Elizabeth, commanded by George Raymond, in the Penelope. This vessel parted company from the other two in a storm, and was never heard of again. The two remaining ships, under James Lancaster in the Edward, completed the voyage, visiting Nicobar and Ceylon. In 1596 Benjamin Wood sailed for China and the East, with three ships, fitted out chiefly at the expense of Robert Dudley, bearing a letter from Queen Elizabeth to the Emperor of Cathay. This expedition never returned.
The Company's first fleet sailed for the East in December, 1600. It consisted of four ships, the Malice Scourge, purchased from the Earl of Cumberland, and rechristened the Red Dragon, under Captain James Lancaster, who was in command of the whole expedition; the Hector, Captain Middleton, second in command; the Ascension, Captain William Brund; and the Susan, Captain John Howard. To each ship were appointed " Surgeons twoe and a Barber." With them also went a small victualler, the Guift, which was broken up and abandoned when the stores on board her had been consumed.
On 11th Dec, 1600, orders were given by the Court to Alderman Hollyday to pay to Ralph Salter, Surgeon of the Red Dragon—
"the somme of thertie and two pounds sterlinge being allowed unto him by composition for the furnishing of his chest with aU kinde of necessaries and remedies belonging to a chirurgion, to be used in this viage; upon paiment of which money he is to take his acquittannce."
And on the 15th Dec. Alderman Baninge was directed to make similar payments to the Surgeons of the other three ships.*
25/. sterUng to James Lovering, Surgeon of the Hector.
20I. sterling to Christopher Newchtirch, Surgeon of the Ascension.
- Sainsbury, Cahndar. VoL I, p. 114, No. 279, of nth and 15th Dec.. 1600.
