S^t. Marylebone Infirmary
New Road, London
22^nd. Feb^y. 1847

Sir
Having read a letter from Commander Caffin of the Scourge in the Times of Saturday, detailing at some length, scenes of misery & wretchedness witnessed by him in certain localities in Ireland, and suggesting certain measures to be adopted by the Government to meet or alliviate [sic] the same by the employment of Naval Surgeons; and thinking it not improbable that the advice may be acted upon, I beg respectfully to offer my services and expressing my readiness to proceed immediately on any service of the kind.
I have the honour to be
Sir
Your most obed. humble servant
W^m. Loney, Surgeon

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Sir W. Burnett
Director General etc etc

The letter on the reverse side hereof, with the three succeeding responses, which it elicited in such rapid succession, ought, properly, to have preceded in this book, the documents from the South Sea House. In as much as my appointment by the Committee of the British Association was the result of this letter. It was the means of bringing my name under the notice of Captain W.A.B. Hamilton, the Secy. of the Admiralty, to whom the Committee made application for officers to serve in Ireland. I was totally ignorant of any such service, until summoned to wait upon Capt. Hamilton by a private messenger, about 6 pm on the 11th or 12th April, at the Admiralty. Next day I waited upon [Hon. Stephen] Spring Rice [Honorary Secretary of the Association] at the South Sea House, remained to witness the proceedings at one of the Committee's meetings, by way of initiation & the day following was en route for Ireland - to enter upon duties totally foreign to those for which I had tendered my services.
W.L.