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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![MEAT. 3. Former Expeditions, continued— Mr. Ede— What game they found in sledging from Assistance,' 4108. Dr. Scott- Large amount of fresh meat in Discovery, compared with Alert, 4013-14 ; amount obtained bv Resolute and Intrepid, 3917 ; 13,000 lbs., 4011. Dr. Lyall— Pound no game in Assistance, 4317; Resolute and Investigator had fresh meat, 4368 ; the Assistance hardly any, 4368. Dr. Piers- One and a-half pound should be given, 4453-5 ; a con- siderable quantity of fresh meat obtained in Investigator'' the second winter, 4459, 4607-8 ; some the third, 4539 ; chiefly reindeer, hares, and ptarmigan, 4540; not so much game got in 1852-3, 4637-41; in the spring of 1851-2 fresh meat about once in ten days, 4609. Vice-Admiral Ommanney— Less benefit m Assistance from game than any expedi- tion, 5799 ; only one or two birds and foxes caught, 5800-2. Mr. Bayley, North Star, 1848-49— Bad preserved meats, 6314-18, 6329 ; what the other meat was, 6330 ; got but little game, 6363-5, 6439. Assistance, 1852-54— No game obtained, 6366-7; salt meat expressly pro- vided, 6482 ; and was liked as much as preserved meat, 6483. Sledging— One deer shot, 6378. J. Organ— What game they had, less in Resolute than Enterprise, 6789-94 ; got some sledging, 6709 ; the salt meat con- sidered by the men to produce scurvy, 6812-13 ; some game got sledging with Admiral Osborn, 6709. Mr. Murray— Got a little game, 6872, 6874, 8670. Investigator, 1848-49— Preserved meat bad, contractor was fined, 6838. Enterprise, 1850-55— Provisions very good except some preserved meat, 6838; very little game the first winter, 6872-4; it all went to the sick, 6870; more the second winter, 6881, 6996. Dr. Rae— Lived on reindeer in 1845-46 in the winter, 8722 ; and seal meat, some game got, 8722 ; in 1850 shot some game, 8735 ; lived chiefly on deer, 8744. Sir A. Armstrong— Maintenance of health in sledge parties by fresh meat, 9204 ; amount of fresh meat obtained in Investigator, 9209-10; was only a substitute for other meat, 9214 ; more fresh meat in Resolute, 9240-41. 4. Musk ox. Sir G. Nares— Discovery had a supply of fresh musk ox, 95. Captain Stephenson— Musk ox beef strong flavored and not eaten by all men, 313-14, Commander Markham— Was approved of as fresh meat, 773 ; to what extent too musky, 774-8 ; impossible to kill so as to avoid flavor, 778 ; proportion of cows to bulls, 777. Captain Beaumont— To what extent it is palatable, 1011 ; how far men eat it, 1012. Dr. Ninnis— A great deal of musk ox obtained, 2556-8. Dr. Coppinger— Seamen disliked the flavor of musk, 2922; seal meat given to the sick and preferable to musk ox, 2919-21. Vies-Admiral Ommanney— None killed in Assistance, 5781. Mr. Emmerson— Musk-ox days looked forward to, 8341 ; every part eaten, 8342 ; the liver and kidneys sweet, 8343 ; a good deal of musk ox obtained, 8105, 8281-2 ; issued twice a-week, 8277-8 ; the old oxen tasted too strong and tough to be liked, 8106, 8287, 8345-6 ; the young nice but lean, 8287. MEDICAL EXAMINATION. [Examination on Entry, see Selection of Men.'] Papers in Appendix. No. Medical reports, before starting, on sledge crews of Alert .. .. .. 7 Medical reports, before starting, on sledge crews of Discovery .. .. .. .. ..13 ' Evidence. Sir G-. Nares— How examination for entry was conducted, 11-17, 9303 ; a monthly medical examination of crews held, 125 ; in the four early cases of scurvy, men had been reported healthy, 157 ; men not weighed on starting and returning from sledging, 211, MEDICAL EXAMINATION, continued— Captain Stephenson— Medical examinations on entry held, 269-70 ; monthly medical examination of crew held, or oftener if neces- sary, 389. Commander Beaumont— Were held in the winter, 1179 ; had reference to health and cleanliness, 1180; men selected for sledging medi- cally examined before starting, 1187. Dr. Colan— Examination of crew before extended sledging parties, 1729-41 ; to what extent his recommendations were or were not adopted as to doubtful men, 1733-42 ; men for minor sledge parties examined and found healthy, 1742 ; medical examination held the 1st of each month, 1813, 2034. Dr. Moss- Assisted in examining sledge crews, 2202-3. Dr. Ninnis— Inspected men constantly, 2534 ; was present at their entry examination, but not on the board, 2688. Captain Hamilton— Assistance and Resolute— Crew of Assistance carefully examined before entry ; not so in Resolute, 3020, 3076. Sir A. Armstrong— All the crew of Investigator examined before starting by himself or his assistants, 8932-3; monthly medical examinations held on board the Investigator, 8939 ; men of late expedition proved by examination to have been healthy, vigorous, and fit for their work after the winter, 8979, 8982-3, 9124; but perhaps might have diminished in vigor, 9124. MEDICAL INSTRUCTIONS and Memorandum by Medical Director-General. [Medical Director-General, Paper of Suggestions by. See also Discipline.'] Papers in Appendix. No. Memorandum of recommendations by the Medical Director-General .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Eor officers in charge of sledge parties of Discovery .. 12 Por officers commanding sledge parties of Alert 19 Evidence. Sir G. Nares— Was supplied with suggestions by Medical Director-General for health of expedition, 6 ; considered them recommen- dations, but not compulsory, 60; recommendations of Medical Director-General acted on, except as to issue of meat, 28 ; medical appliances and instructions sent with sledges, 240-244; instructions how to deal with frost- bites given, 245-6 ; medical handbooks supplied to the ships, 248; Naval Hygiene, book on, transferred to medical officer, 249 ; was frequently consulted by Dr. Colan about sledge instructions ; his own confidence in im- munity from scurvy and absence of mentioa in previous instructions may have led to omission of scurvy in them, 9303 ; Dr. Colan submitted his instructions for approval and suggestions, 9368 ; no symptoms alluded to were considered to have reference to scurvy, 9369 ; Sir Alexander Armstrong's Naval Hygiene mislaid, 9303 ; and not seen, 9329 ; no mention of sledging in it, but was affected by it, not having read it, 9383. Captain Stephenson— Received suggestions from Medical Director-General as to health, 261; recommendations of Medical Director- General were only suggestions, and were carried out as far as practicable, 458-9 ; recommendations of Medical Director-General as to issue of lime juice carried out on board, 362; and as far as practicable, 458-9 ; medical instructions given to officers commanding sledges, 448; no -'lstructions as to scurvy, except recommendation of rest and change of diet, 449-50; officers had been shown the case of Shepherd, to acquaint them with symptoms of scurvy, 449. Captain Markham— Supplied with medical instructions when sledging, 600 ; scurvy not mentioned in them, 600, 734 ; no instructions given in winter, 733. Lieutenant May— Medical instructions did not touch on scurvy, 810. Commander Beaumont— What instruction was given in use of surgical appliances and medicines, 1188-90; measures against snow-blind- ness enjoined on sledge parties, but no cases occurred, 1192 ; every one instructed how to deal with frost-bites, no cases occurred, 1194; had no sledging instructions from medical officer as to scurvy, 926-8. Lieutenant Rawson—■ No medical instructions as to scurvy when sledging, 1106, 1163 ; but directions to eat scurvy-grass, 1154-5. Lieutenant Giffard— Had medical instructions and medicines, 1213 ; instruc- tions furnished by surgeon of the ship, 1216. Commander Aldrich, Commander Parr, and Lieutenant Eger- ton— Had no medical instructions when sledging as to scurvy, 1351. 14 .9, 1561-2.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24397945_0540.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
