Report of the Commitee appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to enquire into the causes of the outbreak of scurvy in the recent Arctic Expedition ; the adequacy of the provision made by the Admiralty in the way of food, medicine, and medical comforts ; and the propriety of the orders given by the commander o[f] the Expedition for provisioning the sledge parties.
- Great Britain. Admiralty. Committee on Scurvy.
- Date:
- [1877?]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the Commitee appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to enquire into the causes of the outbreak of scurvy in the recent Arctic Expedition ; the adequacy of the provision made by the Admiralty in the way of food, medicine, and medical comforts ; and the propriety of the orders given by the commander o[f] the Expedition for provisioning the sledge parties. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
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![Oapt. Sir G-. were below tlie standard which you have now given. S. Nares, yOU fjufi f,]iat these two men suffered in any F b's' B ' ^rom ^>e^nS selected although below the standard ' you have named?—Perhaps you will allow me to 10 Jan., 1877. defer an answer to that question until I have referred to the papers; but I may state that after the winter they were both weaker and of less use to the expedition than the generality of the ship's crew. The smallest one was the most severely attacked by scurvy, and had been previously nearly useless as a dragger of a sledge. 10. May I ask you if you are able to tell us in what respects these two men differed from the standard?—I should think they were not higher than 5 ft. 4 in., the smallest one was even shorter, but was entered in consequence of being a very good gymnast, an amusing character for the winter, and an active man generally, and I thought that his activity would' be beneficial, notwithstanding his possessing less power. 11. Then the variation from the standard was merely in respect to height, as I understand you ?— Every man was brought before myself personally, and also before two other executive officers and before three medical men; and, not being entered for probably. two or three days after passing his examination, we had very fair means of judging of his whole character. 12. May I ask you whether both of these men were affected by scurvy?—Chalkley, the smaller one, had a very severe attack, and I believe Stone had also; but neither of these men were, or could be, employed on long sledge- travelling; but Stone appeared to me to have suffered during the winter more than the generality of the men. 13. Wei*e either o- those two men, or were both of them, amongst the first who were attacked with scurvy ?—They were used on short sledge journeys, and, in consequence of returning to their ship, they had short rests of two or three days, and were on a different diet to those employed on long journeys; but they were attacked, I think, as soon as any of the others eng-aged on the same work. 14. Not so soon, therefore, as those who wera engaged on long journeys ?—Generally speaking, the men engaged on long journeys were attacked earlier than those who, by returning on board, obtained iest and different diet. • 15. Returning to the standard; you gave us a de- scription of that standard. Prom your recent ex- perience, would you feel inclined to modify it in any material respects ?—I am more than ever certain that neither light men nor heavy men are fit for the severe work of arctic sledge travelling. With regard to age, I also think the limits are the best that could be chosen. 16. Then you think that the standard could not be improved, so far as your experience went ?—Not in a general way; there may always be an exceptional case. 17. (Dr. Donnet.) You mentioned the particular examination made of those two men ; was every man of the arctic ships examined by the medical officer of the expedition ?—Certainly. 18. Were there any among the crew of these ships who had formed part of previous expeditions ?—No- body belonging to the expedition had been employed on arctic service, with the exception of myself, and six harpooners, who had previously been employed in ' v whalers. Captain Markham had been in a whaler, but had not wintered in the ice. 19. {Admiral Sir R. Collinson.) Did both those men belong to the Alert?—They belonged to the Discovery, but they wintered on board the Alert. 20. Then the remark with respect to these two men applies to both crews ?—To both crews. 21. (Admiral Inglefield.) Why was Stone selected? —On a recommendation from his commanding officer. 22. Por what peculiarity of temperament or other- wise ?—He was a lively, good-humoured, active man, and a very good character. 23. Can you inform us whether Chalkley had served much in tropical climates ?—I do not remember, but his medical history sheet can be obtained, and that oi Stone also. 24. (Dr. Fraser.) Were Chalkley and Stone examined and approved by the medical officers before being entered in the crews ?—The report of the medical examination must certainly have stated thai they were under the standard for height, and there- fore left the responsibility with me in entering them. 25. (Dr. Donnet.) Was power given to you by the Admiralty to reject any man whom the medical officers suspected of unfitness for arctic service ?—The entry of the men was totally in my hands, the medica officers examining the men I chose and reporting tc me. 2ft. Were these two men chosen simply for thei: cheerful disposition, and the good they might do durim the arctic winter ?—Certainly not. The character ] obtained from their commanding officers and thei] personal appearance led me to suppose that, althougl under my standard, they would be exceptional cases. 27. In what way did you consider them as excep- tional cases ?—That short, light men may exceptionally prove equal to. arctic sledging work. 28. (The Chairman.) Proceeding- to the seconc paragraph : Assuming, therefore, that the crews o. the ships have been selected as nearly as possible ii accordance with my recommendation as to thei] physical fitness, being' of good constitution, and sounc in all respects, the great object now in view is tc maintain them in the same state of health and vigoui as when they were entered. This can only be done on polar service by the use of a liberal dietary, botl in animal food and vegetables. I consider that the former should consist of 2 lbs. of meat daily, namely 1 lb. at dinner and half-a-pound each at breakfas' and supper, with a proportionate quantity of vegetable; and of antiscorbutics. 1 am not aware at present how far this scheme of diet will be carried out, but, i, acted on, I would anticipate little or no impairment pi the physical powers; but, on the contrary, with a scale of diet smaller than this I consider that debility of f scorbutic character must ensue, and that at an early period if the men are much exposed to hard work anc intense cold; fresh preserved meat should alter- nate with salt meat each day, with a due quantity oi vegetables; and the latter should be such as are oi the most succulent character. I know of no vegetable to equal cabbage for such service. This and Edwards',' preserved potato should, in my opinion, form the bulk of the vegetable food. Pickles of a succulent charactei should be added to the diet of each day that salt meal is issued in addition to the ordinary quantity of vege- tables, and, except 'as an adjunct, soup should not entei largely into any diet list for working men as a substi- tute for meat. Assuming that provision may have been made for giving 2 lbs. of meat to each man daily in the proportions before stated, namely 1 lb. at dinner and \ lb. each at breakfast and supper, I con- sider that the breakfast and supper meat should be duly alternated as the dinner meat is from day to day.' With reference to this paragraph, produce a return oi of the dietary on board the ships during their absence from England, showing the changes, if any, and stat- ing why adopted ?—I can give all information on the subject, and will produce the papers in a day oi two. (Appendix No. 3.) In the meantime I may state, that the recommendations of Sir Alexandei Armstrong were acted upon with the exception oi the issue of 2 lbs. of meat daily, for at no one time could either the men or the officers consume that quantity. Soups were only issued as adjuncts. 29. (Admiral Inglefield.) When did you determine that 21bs. of meat could not be consumed by the men and the officers, and after what trial of the quantity ordered ?—The stock of meat on board the ship was not sufficient to allow a ration of 2 lbs. of meat daily for three years' consumption. I therefore only issued the same dietary as had been generally used on the last British Arctic Expedition until the ship was](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24397945_0044.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
