Medical Officers
Of the Malta Garrison
Alexander Broadfoot
? – 1837

Service Record

10 Dec 1804 Hospital Mate.

11 June 1807 Assistant Surgeon Sicilian Regiment.

Malta 1808 Absent on Lieut General Sir John Moore's Expedition to Spain.

Malta 1809 On duty with his regiment.

Malta 1810 On duty with his regiment.

Malta 1811 On duty with his regiment.

Malta 1 Jan–30 June 1812 On leave for 6 months.

5 Nov 1812 Surgeon Sicilian Regiment vice Jones Griffith transferred to 44th Foot.

Malta 1813 Still to rejoin regiment in 1813.

Malta July 1814 Rejoined his regiment.

1813–14 Served at Tarragona, in the Peninsular War as Acting Staff Surgeon.

Malta 1815 Surgeon Sicilian Regiment.

Malta 9 Nov 1816 Reduced to half-pay.

28 Sep 1820 Staff Surgeon.

14 July 1822 Inspector General of Health Ionian Islands.

Malta 17 Jan 1824 Together with Inspector of Hospitals Grieves Robert and Inspector of Hospitals Hennen John attended Sir Thomas Maitland during his sudden illness and death from apoplexy.

25 Dec 1826 Deputy Inspector of Hospitals.

5 Dec 1828 Recalled from half-pay to fill the vacancy left by the death of Deputy Inspector of Hospitals John Hennen at Gibraltar on 3 Nov 1828.

Medicus in a letter to the editor of the Naval and Military Magazine objected to the promotion of A Broadfoot.

I am particularly urged to address you by a circumstance which recently occurred, and which requires but to be stated, to demonstrate its injustice. A late gazette announces the promotion of Staff Surgeon Broadfoot to be Deputy Inspector of Hospitals, which staff surgeon was on half pay. Moreover, when gazetted staff surgeon, some years ago, he was then also on half pay as regimental surgeon, and indeed has not been on full pay since he was reduced as surgeon of the late Sicilian Regiment in 1816. Thus, contrary to the rules of the service, have two steps been lavished on this gentleman whilst on half pay; and on which with his increased rank, he still remains. What then were his merits to get promotion over the heads of many of his seniors in the service, and who have been constantly employed ? Why, he was the late Sir Thomas Maitland's medical attendant, besides holding a civil situation in the Ionian Islands, as superintendent of quarantine, for which he he was liberally remunerated. The exertions of his late patron's noble friends doubtless have been the means of procuring this advancement, I confidently believe, against the inclination of the head of the Medical Department, who could hardly recommend for such a person whose a services on full pay scarcely exceed ten years, when there are many who have served double that time, and are only regimental surgeons.

10 Mar 1830 Assistant Inspector of Health Gibraltar.