HMHS is an acronym for His/Her Majesty's Hospital Ship. Early modern era Seventeenth century The earliest record of British hospital ship was Goodwill, which briefly accompanied a Royal Navy squadron in the Mediterranean in 1608 or 1609. From 1665 the Royal Navy formally maintained two hospital ships at any time, these being either hired merchant ship or elderly sixth rates, modified from their original design by the removal of internal bulkheads and addition of ports cut through the deck and hull for ventilation. The limit of two hospital ships at a time remained in place until the Nine Years' War at century's end. In 1691 there were four hospital ships in service, rising to five in 1693 and six in 1696. In addition to their sailing crew, these seventeenth century hospital ships were staffed by a surgeon and four surgeon's mates. Standard medical supplies were bandages, soap, needles and bedpans, and patients were issued with a clean pair of sheets. Infectious patients were quarantined from the general population behind a sheet of canvas. In addition to her sailing crew, each vessel was staffed with a surgeon and four surgeon's mates. The quality of food was very poor. In the 1690s the surgeon aboard Siam complained that the meat was in an advanced state of putrefaction, the biscuits were weevil-ridden and bitter, and the bread was so hard that it stripped the skin from patient's mouths. Eighteenth century Boxer Rebellion HMHS Carthage HMHS Gwalior HMHS Maine Second Boer War HMHS Avoca HMHS Dunera HMHS Lismore Castle HMHS Maine HMHS Nubia HMHS Orcana HMHS Princess of Wales HMHS Simla HMHS Spartan HMHS Trojan World War I HMHS Aberdonian HMHS Agadir HMHS Albion HMHS Alexandra HMHS Aquitania HMHS Araguaya HMHS Assaye HMHS Berbice HMHS Brighton HMHS Cambria HMHS Carisbrook Castle HMHS Cecilia HMHS Copenhagen HMHS Delta HMHS Devanha HMHS Dieppe HMHS Donegal HMHS Dongola HMHS Drina HMHS Dunluce Castle HMHS Dunvegan Castle HMHS Egypt HMHS Ellora HMHS Erin HMHS Erinpura HMHS Essequibo HMHS Formosa HMHS GalekaHMHS Glengorm CastleHMHS GoorkhaHMHS GrantalaHMHS Grantully CastleHMHS GrianaigHMHS Guildford CastleHMHS HerefordshireHMHS Kalyan HMHS KanownaHMHS KaraparaHMHS KaroolaHMHS KyarraHMHS Letitia (1912), which served at Gallipoli. HMHS Loyalty HMHS MadrasHMHS Magic IIHMHS MahenoHMHS MaramaHMHS Mauretania HMHS MoreaHMHS NewhavenHMHS OxfordshireHMHS PanamaHMHS PlassyHMHS Queen AlexandraHMHS Rohilla HMHS SheelahHMHS SiciliaHMHS SomaliHMHS SoudanHMHS St. AndrewHMHS St. Denis HMHS St. George HMHS St. Margaret of Scotland HMHS St. Patrick HMHS SunbeamHMHS SyriaHMHS TakadaHMHS ValdiviaHMHS VarelaHMHS VarsovaHMHS