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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![SCUEVY. 2. Eecent Expedition: Cases and Symptoms, &c, continued— ture, 2814-15 ; results of examination of urine, 2804-6; account of treatment of the cases, 2808; exertions undergone by the invalids in travelling aggravated the symptoms, 2941-2; discussed probability of scurvy breaking out, and thought it unlikely, 2927 ; symptoms after death, 2916-18. Dr. Pavy— None in the autumn, and only one case in the winter, 5147 ; in the Discovery, but this exceptional, 5147; cases early in May in Alert, chiefly men returning from sledging, 5147; occurrence in Discovery with men engaged in short sledging, 5148 ; sketch of outbreak in the northern, western, and Greenland sledge crews, 5148 enumeration of cases, 5148 ; importance of considering the more severe sufferings of the Alert/ :the attack of almost all engaged in long sledging, the comparative immunity of the officers, the difference between the diet on board and sledging, and the absence of scurvy in the autumn sledging and in the winter, 5148. Mr. Busk- Its appearance within a fortnight of the sledge parties starting, 5249 ; the attack of almost all the fifty-three persons who had left their ships in good health, 5249 ; with the unusually prolonged darkness, the damp, com- parative inaction, and bad air, they cannot have started in quite pristine vigor, their fatigue after the first short day's journey, and the rapid appearance of the disease, and the eases occurring on board pointing , to this, 5249 ; but had they started in quite good health, the only difference would have been to delay the scorbutic con- dition, 5249 ; the apparent ignorance of the sledge officers of the symptoms, 5249. Captain Feilden— He had some symptoms in July, though lime juice was taken, 5942, 5997 ; did not last long after return to the ship, 5947 ; symptoms very slight, hardly an attack, 5998 ; able to continue working, dragged a good load to the ship, 5996-6000 ; his symptoms, 5999, 6003 ; none of the officers of the Alert on the sick list for scurvy, 6027 ; but several were suffering from slight symptoms, 6028-31; of whom the doctors knew nothing, 6030. Alexander Gray— Case of, 7215-19, 7508-9, 7510-17, 7520-23, 7542-54; Lieutenant Beaumont's party appeared in good health, 7438; and were fit for any work, 7439-40 ; no complaint of work or weakness till stiffness began, 7444-48 ; dates of men faUing ill, 7493-6 ; date of his attack later than the others, 7497-8 ; they would all have died without assistance, 7502. Thomas Rawlings— Account of case, 7658-9, 7675-9 ; no fear of it existed when starting sledging, 7681 ; illness of Shirley on twelfth day, but after supporting sledge had left, 7764-6 ; symptoms of persons attacked, 7772-84 ; five men carried in sledges before return, 7785 ; their sufferings in cross- ing the hummocks, being lashed to the sledges, 7830-31 ; every one ill before relief came, 7789 ; measures for relief, 7787-91. Color-Sergeant Wood— Account of his own case, 7930-39, 7990-98, 8018-19; progress of the attack and symptoms, 8013-31 ; none disabled at the furthest point, 8015 ; chiefly appeared first in the left leg, 8018 ; this was attributed to the strain of starting on it, 8076-7 ; when relief came they all were disabled except Lieutenant Aldrich and Ayles, 8024 ; arrival of relief sledge under Lieutenant May, 8024-5 ; and return to ship, 8030-31. Mr. Emmerson— Stiffness of leg of some men in journey from Alert to Discovery, but it wore off, 8109; the crew in good health at the end of the winter, 8108 ; they were fit for sledge travelling when the sun returned, 8327-8 ; two of his sledge crew attacked with scurvy, 8132; but were not disabled whilst travelling, 8133-4 ; of the four men of his sledge who had been twenty-six days without lime juice, two had scurvy, and perhaps a third, 8149-50 ; was exempt himself, but was attacked when on leave in England, 8150-52, 8316 ; a week after being on shore, 8153 ; treated himself with vegetables and good living, 8151; his symptoms, 8316-18 ; suffered also from cough whilst in the arctics, 8323 ; there was very little talk on lower deck about scurvy, 8154, 8364. William Jenkins— Account of his own case, 8393-8409, 8408, 8410-19; re- covery, 8408-9. Sir A. Armstrong— The number of cases, 9116 ; to what extent they occurred sledging, 9118. [For cases of Ayles,. Berrie, Bryant, Burroughs, Cane, Chattell, Chalkley, Craig, Deuchars, Dobing, Dominique, Drake, Ellard, Frederic, Gray, Girard, Jenkins, Jones, Kemish, Lorrimer, O'Eegan, Paul, Petersen, Shepherd, Simmons, Smith, Stuckberry, Symonds, Thors, Wolley, Wyatt, see imder their names.] SCURVY, continued. 3. Treatment in Recent Expedition- Sir G. Nares— Cases he saw gave way before fresh meat and lime juice, 44, 138 ; to what extent men might be treated away from the ship if fresh meat could be obtained, 9366-7. Captain Stephenson— Lime juice proved efficacious, 530. Captain Markham— Treated cases with lime juice, 608 ; quarter-gill given to men with scorbutic symptoms in lieu of grog, 622, 737 ; he supplied two or three, 6*2 ; it was administered on arrival of relief party, 636 ; treatment and medical com- forts after relief party joined them, 632-6. Commander Beaumont— Recovery of men in his crew due to rest, change of diet, fresh meat and lime juice, 898-900 ; treatment by Dr. Coppinger, 934; what remedies he himself tried, their failure, attempt to ease sick of labour, 979 ; the sick men endeavoured to repress depression of spirits, 980 ; disappointment at want of effect of lime juice, 990 ; how far lime juice was beneficial, 898-900, 1000. Lieutenant Rawson— Arrangements as to lodging and diet at Thank-God Harbour, 1080 ; treatment of Hand, 1145 ; condition of G. Bryant and M. O'Regan, 1147 ; improvement on seal meat and lime juice, 1148 ; state of their health on arrival on.board ship, 1150 ; recovery of men how far due to seal meat, 1090-92, 1100. Lieutenant Giffard— What remedies he gave, 1215 ; sick men asked for lime juice, 1224; supplied to them, 1225 ; did not improve under it, 1226 ; ultimately recovered, 1227. Commander Aldrich— Gave hme juice after finding it at Cape Colan depfit, 1355-6 ; was taken with pleasure by sick men, but did no good, 1397 ; how he managed his issues, gave over the ration, 1398; was ordered to use scurvy-grass and sorrel, if obtainable, 1291-2 ; but did not get any, 1292-3 ; unable to give relief when scurvy was recognised, 1354 ; danger of looking for sorrel for fear of the thaw, 1355. Commander Parr— Lime juice carried when sledging for the sick, 1447, 1487 ; used when symptoms proved to be scorbutic, 1432; difficulty in thawing it, 1433 ; how and when adminis- tered, 1434 ; how long continued, 1435 ; what remedies were given, 1430. Lieutenant Egerton— Lime juice was regularly taken by the Esquimaux who had scurvy, 1563, 1593 : taken by Esquimaux' from day of starting, 1594; remedies applied, 1606. Dr. Colan— Want of fresh meat much felt, 1694; what vegetables were given, 1696; hme juice was given to Petersen ' when ill, 1700-1; and before, 2118; extra allowance after appearance of scurvy, 1702 ; one ounce before, 1702-7 ; thinks a larger quantity was requisite to pre- vent scurvy, 1706-8; extra allowance was given to G. Kemish, wardroom steward, for fear of scurvy, 1720-21; was supplied to Kemish and Burroughs regu- larly before their attacks, 2118 ; increase of allowance given to G. Burroughs when suspected of scurvy, 1824 ; dates of increase, 1825-30 ; up to three ounces a-day given in treatment of other patients, 1993-6, 2071; men mended under it, 2071 ; description of the treatment, chiefly dietetic, 1989-90; . men sent on deck when weather got better, 1992 ; a good temperature kept up in steerage, and disinfectants used, 1992 ; advantage of fresh food and lime juice, 1992 ; remarkably beneficial effect of fresh meat, 2184; the amount he was able to give, 2185 ; preserved provisions given, 2186 ; allowance of potatoes doubled in treatment, 1995. Dr. Moss— The medical comforts he took when he went to the relief of the northern sledge, 2372-3. Dr. Ninnis— Lime juice was given to invalids as soon as they came under medical care, 2658 ; from two to eight ounces a-day given to sick, 2696 ; eight ounces readily taken, 2697 ; beneficial effect of administration, 2699-2700; the treatment adopted greatly dietetic, 2648; two deaths, 2649 ; one not under medical care, 2650 ; length of illness before treatment, 2652-7. Dr. Coppinger, Polaris — Lime juice was used in eleven cases of scurvy, 2892 ; and was good, 2894; invalids recovered under it more rapidly than Shepherd under the navy juice, 2897; want of improvement in Lieutenant Beaumont's crew till sup- plied with fresh meat, 2974 ; advantage of kidney-sorrel in treatment of cases at Polaris Bay, 2974-0. Sir L. M'Clintock— Treatment could not be given sledging, 3326. Dr. Pavy—■ Improvement in sick at Polaris Bay due to fresh meat, they having no medicine except lime juice, 5153-4. Mr. Busk- To what extent the fresh meat supplied at Polaris Bay was a curative as well as the hme juice, 5268.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24397945_0547.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
