Page:A History of the Indian Medical Service, 1600-1913 Vol 1.djvu/140

114 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE the E.I. Co. Yet his name does not appear in the Dictionary of National Biography, though that work records the lives of at least sixty medical officers of the Indian services, few of whom have done their country service in any degree approaching to that accomplished by him.

Wilham Hamilton was a cadet of the family of Hamilton of Dalzell, and originally came out to India as Surgeon of the frigate Sherborne. The whole ship's company appear to have been perpetually in a state of chronic mutiny. Hamilton was not on good terms with the Captain, Henry Cornwall, and, after standing by him in one mutiny, closed his naval career by deserting his ship at Fort St. David on 3rd May, 1711. Several references to Hamilton occur in the Madras records of this period. On 22nd Dec, 1710, Captain Cornwall laid before the Madras Council a complaint against his surgeon (Cons., 22nd Dec, 1710). On 13th March, 1711, Cornwall again writes that if his Surgeon be removed, it will cause a disturbance among his men (Letters to Fort St. George). On 4th May, 1711, Cornwall writes from Fort St. David to the Governor and Council at Fort St. George, that Surgeon Alexander (sic) Hamilton had made his escape in a boat from Cuddalore under false pretences, the ships in the roads are to be searched for him, any other Surgeon of those at Madras would be preferred (Letters to Fort St. George). Finally, on 7th May, the Council at Madras directed the surgeon of the Sherborne to return to his vessel (Cons., 7th May, 171 1). With this entry Hamilton's name disappears from the Madras records of 1711, to appear again under more favourable circumstances in Surman's letters from Delhi.

The Surgeon of the Sherborne, however, was not to be found. He made his way somehow or other to Calcutta, and was there formally appointed Second Surgeon to the settlement, on 27th Dec, 1711.

He appears to have been serving the Company in Bengal for some time prior to his formal appointment, for, in a list