ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on works of naval medicine and examples of public interest in the health of the Navy. In the second half of the eighteenth century, doctors and men of science increasingly influenced public opinion by publishing their work in books and essays aimed at the polite reader. A detailed examination of references to naval medicine in the Gentleman's Magazine during this period helps in the estimatation of the degree of public interest in keeping crews healthy. The perspective of doctors writing about naval medicine changed and developed in the course of the eighteenth century, and successive publications helped to shape public understanding of how it impacted on naval life. Important developments in medical care naturally had an impact on the way in which doctors represented the Navy. The writings of naval doctors helped to bring about a more paternalistic ethos of command operating on board the King's ships and helped to publicize the development.
