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?]
Catalogue details

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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    COOKS, continued— Thomas Raw-lings— ' . Duty of cook taken in turn, 7847; what his duties were, 7848 ; took about three hours at night, 7849 ; no man frost-bitten while acting as cook, 7850. COOPER, J., Petty Officer of Discovery — Dr. Ninnis— . , „, . , Illness from scurvy after sledging m North Greenland, 2564-6. CRAIG, PETER, A.R., of Discovery— Dr. Ninnis, Dr. Coppinger— ,T , ,„ . , Illness from scurvy after sledging ra North Greenland, 2578-9, 2749. Commander Beaumont— _ . Recurrence of disease with hard work crossing from Polaris Bay, 921. CRANBERRIES. [See also Diet.'] Lieutenant Rawson— Did not find cranberries on the sledging journeys, 1156. Commander Aldrich— Did not find cranberries or other antiscorbutics, 1393. Dr. Moss— No cranberries found, 2438. Dr. Toms— None obtained in his expedition, 3743; had some pre- served, 3742. Dr. Piers— Doubts their having them in Investigator, 4593. Dr. Dickson— Are good antiscorbutics, 5719 ; not better than lime juice, which keeps better, 5720. Captain Eeilden— None in Alert, 6073. Dr. Rae— Personal longing for them, 8835 ; scurvy m the cases he saw would have been prevented by them, 8839, 8748-52, CREWS, SELECTION OF. [See Men.'] DANDELION. [See Vegetables.'] DARKNESS. [How far it produces scurvy, see Scurvy.] Paper in Appendix. Diagram of darkness .. .. • • • • • • 6 Evidence. Sir G. Nares— Effect of absence of light of arctic winters on mustard and cress, 130 ; absence of sun 142 days with Alert, 138 Discovery, 132; diagram of darkness compared with that of other expeditions, 136. Captain Stephenson— What the extent and amount of darkness was, how far stars were visible at noon, 392 ; believes pallor of crew increased as winter advanced, but darkness prevented its being noticed, 390 ; it was not accompanied with de- bility, 391, 406-7 ; no material difference in crew owing to absence of light, 406-8,426 ; with daylight spirits and energy returned, 391, 408. Captain Markham— Pallor of crew was due to darkness, and appeared with officers and men, 681. Commander Beaumont— Absence of sun did not produce depression of spirits, 984. Dr. Colan— Complete darkness for fifty days, except for the moon, 1631; to what extent darkness predisposed men to sick- ness, 2077, 2144-5. Dr. Coppinger— Absence of light produced no marked effects on men's health, 2833-4. Admiral Richards— The late expedition not so much longer without light than his, 3231; effect of absence of sun in producing pallor, 3231. Sir L. M'Clintock— Depressing effect of absence of light, physically it was general; mentally, partial, 3381. Dr. Lyall— The shorter period of darkness in Assistance expedition, 1852 to 1854, may have affected the case of comparative immunity from scurvy, 4428. Dr. Pavy— The long period of darkness in the late expedition, 5147. Dr. Macdonald— Absence of light produces diseases other than scurvy, 4866. Dr. De Chaumont— Would produce anaemia, 5052-3, 5081. Dr. Dickson— Depresses the vitality, 5712. Vice-Admiral Ommanney— Sun absent in Assistance 95 days, 5790. Mr. Bayley, Boatswain— Lasted 90 days in North Star, 6337. Dr. Barnes— What effect absence of light has on printers, miners, &c.; their want of red particles of blood, 7103. DARKNESS, continued— Alexander Gray— Had never seen so much darkness as in recent expedition, 7312-13. Sir A. Armstrong— The pallor shown incidental to arctic service, and not an incipient sign of scurvy, 8981-3; anamiia incidental to polar service after the winter, 8980 ; absence of the sun and light has no material effects on the system, unless combined with other causes, 8985-7 ; what effect absence of light lias, 9130-34; it will not produce scurvy, 9132. DEPOTS. ' [For lime juice at Polaris Depot, see under that head, and for treatment of the side there, see Scurvy.] Captain Stephenson— . Distance between depots, 481-6 ; what halt is made at them, 487-8; advantage of them in exploration, 484; large one at Polaris Bay, 485 ; no fuel at Polaris Depot except what was sent over, 515 ; no water m early part of year, 516 ; water could be got by sick party from North Greenland sledges, 517. Captain Markham— . Contents of the one made in the autumn, oo6-65 ; depots established by him, 564. ;j DEUCHARS, DAVID, Ice-Quartermaster of Alert — Dr. Colan— Scurvy after two short journeys, 1861-7. DIET. [For Meat, Tea, Spirits, Tobacco, Eggs, Beer, Milk, see also under those heads; Vegetables and Potato, see under Vegetables ; Bum under Spirits]— Subheads 1. General. 2. On board ship in recent expedition. 3. On board ship in former expeditions. 4. Officers'. 5. Sledging or Travelling. Papers in Appendix, and with Beport. No. Dietary of the Alert .. .. • • • • 3 Dietary of the Discovery .. • • 1° Estimation of work done sledging, compared with productive force of diet, with remarks by officers in command of parties .. .. 24' Comparison of the arctic and convict dietaries 25 Dietary recommended by Arctic Committee .. 31 Diet list of sledge parties; letter from Sir George Nares (also shown in Nos. 3, 10) .. 32 Return of provisions, medical comforts, and special clothing supplied to Alert and Discovery with Report, Report on salt beef, salt pork, ox-cheek, and collops .. . • • • • • • ■ ■ • » Evidence. 1. General— Sir G. Nares— Preserved meat and vegetables not enough to maintain health, 87. Captain Markham— A greater variety might contribute to health, 654, 656 ; proposed addition of milk, chickens, parsnip and beet- root, and beer and wine instead of spirits, 655 ; possi- bility of taking a stock of eggs, 700, 708 ; taken when he went in 1873, 704 ; advantage of taking them, 708. Lieutenant May— Thinks general use of condensed milk and egg powder de- sirable, 836. Lieutenant Rawson— Butter and milk should be added to the diet, 11/1 ; and more preserved vegetables, 1172. Dr. Colan— Butter would be an advantage, 2098 ; advantage of and pre- ference for hot meat, 2099, 2101 ; sauces, milk, wine should be supplied, 2102 ; antiscorbutics used by the Esquimaux, 2096 ; blubber only an antiscorbutic as a heat producer, 2105. Dr. Moss— , ■ -i , Desirability of taking more vegetables, fruits and oatmeai, and condensed milk and butter, 2432 ; whether fresh potatoes could be taken, 2435 ; molasses a useful ad- dition, 2494, Dr. Ninnis— Would not take salt beef and collops, less pork, more pre- served mutton or beef and peas, and condensed milk instead of some of the rum, 2710 ; butter and cheese should be added, 2711. Dr. Coppinger— . Should be more varied, vegetables increased, wme substi- tuted for rum, 2929 ; preserved meat increased, 2930 ; addition of condensed milk and butter, 2930 ; increase of pippins, 2930 ; preference for soft bread over biscuit, 2931; would do away with biscuit, if practicable, 2932 ; fresh'vegetables should be included where scurvy is likely, 28°31. Sir L. M'Clintock— Less salt meat, and more preserved fruits and vegetables desirable, 3397. Dr. Toms— Butter would be an improvement, 3750.