Old Weather Forum
Library => The voyages, the work, the people, the places => Topic started by: Randi on 06 January 2013, 03:54:11
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I was working on a page for Thetis when I discovered that the Marine Hospital Service (MHS) ("established in 1798 to provide for the medical care of merchant seamen") led to the development of the National Institutes of Health!
http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/history/index.html
(http://archive.org/stream/journalassociat04meetgoog#page/n593/mode/2up includes people working for P.H.&M.H.S.)
I also found Journal of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States:
http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Association%20of%20Military%20Surgeons%20of%20the%20United%20States%22
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There was a P.H.&M.H.S.R. (Public Health and Marine Hospital Service Reserve) on Sledge Island, near Nome:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~2238~190101:Department-Of-The-Interior-General-?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=w4s:/where/Alaska/when/1906;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=1&trs=2
PHILADELPHIA
MEDICAL JOURNAL (JULY-DECEMBER, 1902):
http://www.archive.org/stream/philadelphiamedi10philuoft/philadelphiamedi10philuoft_djvu.txt:
Smallpox in Alaska. ? The U. S. Treasury Department
has asked the Department of the Interior to transfer Sledge
Island, near Nome, Alaska, to the Treasury Department, to
be used as a smallpox quarantine station, on account of the
prevalence of smallpox in Alaska.
Table
of Public Land Orders, 1951?1960:
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/MINERALS__REALTY__AND_RESOURCE_PROTECTION_/lands_and_realty/public_land_orders.Par.7656.File.dat/1951-60.pdf
2150 July 7, 1960 ... Alaska; revoking EO of Sept. 4, 1902; which withdrew Sledge Island
for use of Public Health and Marine Hospital Service.
25 FR 6566
Smallpox on schooner Monterey at Nome, Alaska: http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/picrender.cgi?artid=1359715&blobtype=pdf
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Very interesting. The whole National Public Health Service started as a one room hygiene lab. :)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/phs_history/seamen.html
And
they used the Coast Guard ships as mobile health care units.
Digging a bit (my curiousity got away from me again!) gave me this
picture for 1915 Bear, whenever we get those logs:
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/phs_history/images.dir/136.gif)
Public Health Service officers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bear.
Since
1879 medical officers of the Service have been assigned to Coast Guard
vessels. Many of the early assignments were on expeditions to Alaska,
the Arctic, and on training cruises from the Coast Guard Academy. The
Bear was built in Scotland in 1873 and was especially designed for
navigating through ocean ice. After being acquired by the Federal
Government in 1884, the Bear served in the Arctic for nearly 40 years on
various rescue, assistance, investigation, and patrol missions.
c. 1915
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/phs_history/healthcare.html#136
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(my curiousity got away from me again!)
Tracking down P.H. + M.H.S. kept me up WAY beyond my bed time :P
(and it obviously could have waited till morning ::) ::) ::))
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Definitely kindred spirits! ;D
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Nome and Seward Peninsula : history, description, biographies and
stories
(http://www.archive.org/stream/nomesewardpenins00inharr/nomesewardpenins00inharr_djvu.txt):
DR. ALBERT L. DERBYSHIRE
DURING the past three years Dr. A. L. Derby-
shire has filled the position of Assistant Sur-
geon of the U. S. Marine Hospital Service in
Nome. This position places him in charge of the
hospital and quarantine work, and requires him to
inspect all vessels arriving at Nome. Dr. Derbyshire
has discharged his duties faithfully, and in a manner to
receive the commendation of the public. Many times
in midsummer he has been awakened after midnight by
a hustling agent of a steamer, and has obligingly
arisen from his bed to go out and inspect a vessel, al-
though the regulations of his department did not re-
quire him to work at these hours. But he is an old
resident of Nome, and understands the conditions here
? the uncertainty of the weather, and the value to
steamship comoanies of a smooth sea when cargoes
are to be discharged, or passengers are to be landed.
Frequently storms come up suddenly, without an hour's
warning, and lash the sea into fury so that steamers
have to seek safety in an anchorage five or six miles
from land, or shelter in the lee of Sledge Island, twenty miles distant. D
DERBYSHIRE.
Derbyshire's
BIOGRAPHIES AND STORIES. 367
prompt response to calls for his official service at all hours is commendable and has been
helpful to steamship companies and the public.
Dr. Derbyshire is a native of Franklin County, Indiana. He was born May
23, 1 85 1 . When a young man he learned telegraphy, and was employed as a telegraph
operator on the Wabash Railroad for a period of six years. It twas during this time he
began the study of medicine. He afterward completed his medical education in the Ohio
Medical College at Cincinnati and Indiana Medical College at Indianapolis, and was gradu-
ated from the latter institution Feb. 1 8, 1 886. He began the practice of medicine in Con-
nersville, Ind. In 1887 he moved to San Diego, Cal., and practiced in San Diego and El
Cajon Valley. He spent a year at Cedrous Island, Mexico, as physician for a mining com-
pany, and moved to Oregon in 1 893, locating at Stayton, seventeen miles from Salem. Five
years later he moved to Portland where he resided until the spring of 1 900, when he came
to Nome. He tried his hand at mining for a couple of years, but resumed the practice
of his profession in 1902, subsequently receiving the Government appointment heretofore
noted.
Dr. Derbyshire was married in 1879. The issue of this marriage is a daughter,
Laura, now twenty-three years old. Mrs. Derbyshire died in 1 882. Thirteen years later
he contracted a second marriage with Miss Francis A. Briggs, of Stayton, Oregon. Dr.
Derbyshire is a courteous gentleman, and a man of worth.
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Dealing with a crew member who contracted scarlet fever: Patterson
-- Discussion: Questions and Comments
(http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?topic=3340.msg77063#msg77063)
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Yellow fever on Jamestown in 1866/67
http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?topic=3933.msg81233#msg81233
The
World of "Septic Vapours:" Yellow Fever and United States Shipping,
1798-1905 by Benjamin H. Trask
(http://www.cnrs-scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol15/tnm_15_2_1-18.pdf)
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medical supplies obtained at Shanghai, China:
2 lbs Hydrargi Oleas 6.00
1 Ko Hydrargri Ungt 5.00
10 lbs Magnesia Sulphas 1.25
5 lbs Absorbent Cotton 4.75
40 yds Muslin 6.00
1 lb Mustard 1.50
2 oz Protargol 8.50
10~00 Tablet bottles. Fil Hydrargri Prato-Iodide 5.00
wikipedia
has an entry for hydrargyri "blue pill" - a mercury based medicine used
for syphilis, TB, constipation, toothache, parasites, and pain of
childbirth. Blue pill + black draught was a standard cure for
constipation (especially on ships!). Black draught laxative is a
combination of senna + magnesia. Protargol is a silver based
astringent, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory. It was used to
treat gonorrhea. The hydrargri proto-iodide was prescribed for
everything from acne to kidney disease, and syphilis.
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I forgot about this new topic when reading the Unalga's efforts to
nurse and aid the Spanish Flu victims and their orphans. Immense,
long, difficult, and tragic as it was, the heroic efforts of the Unalga
crew should be noted.
Unalaska:
http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?topic=3342.msg101575#msg101575
http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?topic=3342.msg101814#msg101814
Bristol Bay:
http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?topic=3342.msg102054#msg102054
Transporting orphans:
http://forum.oldweather.org/index.php?topic=3342.msg102345#msg102345
Definitely giving health care to those who need it.
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From Thetis requisition form for medicines etc. - not seen one of these before
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Thetis/vol011of024/vol011_164_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Thetis/vol011of024/vol011_165_0.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Thetis/vol011of024/vol011_165_1.jpg
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Thetis/vol011of024/vol011_166_0.jpg
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Have you seen some of these things???
Colchici, Digitalis, Ergotae, Belladonna - all poisons
Plumbi acetas - I'm not mad on that as a medicine
Strychnia, Cupping glasses :o :o :o
Only good things? Whisky and Port wine :D
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Interesting to see that they were using metric units.
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Having majored in chemistry, I know the scientists of America went
completely metric a very, very long time ago - certainly well before I
was born. It was much more important that their papers be read
accurately world wide than matching them to anything being measured out
on the street. I'm not surprised that medicine and doctors in
general are included in that.
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This is a modern news item, but it really hit home for me: Waiting for the ship that could save a man's life (http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33936323)
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You know it takes me about 20 minutes by car to get to my local
hospital, one of the very best in the South of England. This story makes
me realise just how lucky I am. It was super sad to read that the
journey did not end in a successful treatment :(
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Rest in Peace, sir, your whole community loved you.
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Here is another one that is a bit off the subject, but this article reminded me of our RN logs for WWI...
Did Civil War Soldiers Have PTSD?
One hundred and fifty years later, historians are discovering some of the earliest known cases of post-traumatic stress disorder
Smithsonian Magazine - January 2015
In
the summer of 1862, John Hildt lost a limb. Then he lost his mind. The
25-year-old corporal from Michigan saw combat for the first time at the
Seven Days Battle in Virginia, where he was shot in the right arm.
Doctors amputated his shattered limb close to the shoulder, causing a
severe hemorrhage. Hildt survived his physical wound but was transferred
to the Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington D.C., suffering
from ?acute mania.?
Hildt, a laborer who?d risen quickly in the
ranks, had no prior history of mental illness, and his siblings wrote to
the asylum expressing surprise that ?his mind could not be restored to
its original state.? But months and then years passed, without
improvement. Hildt remained withdrawn, apathetic, and at times so
?excited and disturbed? that he hit other patients at the asylum. He
finally died there in 1911?casualty of a war he?d volunteered to fight a
half-century before.
The Civil War killed and injured over a
million Americans, roughly a third of all those who served. This grim
tally, however, doesn?t include the conflict?s psychic wounds. Military
and medical officials in the 1860s had little grasp of how war can scar
minds as well as bodies. Mental ills were also a source of shame,
especially for soldiers bred on Victorian notions of manliness and
courage. For the most part, the stories of veterans like Hildt have
languished in archives and asylum files for over a century, neglected by
both historians and descendants.
This veil is now lifting, in
dramatic fashion, amid growing awareness of conditions like
post-traumatic stress disorder. A year ago, the National Museum of Civil
War Medicine mounted its first exhibit on mental health, including
displays on PTSD and suicide in the 1860s. Historians and clinicians are
sifting through diaries, letters, hospital and pension files and
putting Billy Yank and Johnny Reb on the couch as never before.
Genealogists have joined in, rediscovering forgotten ancestors and
visiting their graves in asylum cemeteries.
...
[there is quite a bit more]
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http://whaling-data.oldweather.org/subjects/logbookofbelugast00unse_0087.jpg
...
This
happened in 1897, and while the doctor-barber thing was still
commonplace, this was essentially the golden age for anesthetics.
Cocaine had been in use as a local anesthetic for a little over a
decade, and morphine had been around (and more importantly, hadn't been
made a strictly regulated drug at that point) for nearly a century.
Additionally Laudanum would have been widely available, cheap, and
wouldn't be *tightly* regulated until 1970.
I'll admit, I had to
read that several times before it really sank in, and was even more
surprised to find that it was available *over the counter* until the
early 1950's.
All of that aside, this was a whaling vessel,
rather than Navy, so it's altogether possible (and incredibly probable)
that Captain Tilton just got the guy good and drunk before lopping his
finger off.
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Pertaining to hygiene:
Jamestown (1886)
06/08/1887 - http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Jamestown/vol058of067/vol058of067_150_1.jpg
Recd in Pay Department 15 Boxes of Soap
On the following watch:
Piped down aired bedding.
The following day:
07/08/1887 - http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Jamestown/vol058of067/vol058of067_151_1.jpg
The weather was described as "Sultry" and the following entry made:
"Saratoga" signalled get up sea clothes lines, and scrub and wash clothes.
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8)
First mention I have seen of "sea clothes lines", but I suppose that explains this:
(http://www.uscg.mil/history/img/USRC_27.jpg)
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Well, when you need to wash your skivvies, you *really* need to get
them dry. That's a better place to hang them than in the rat lines.
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Clothes stop.
A small diameter cord about 12 inches long with metal ends to keep the
cord from fraying. This short cord was used to tie laundry to a clothes
line or other convenient object for drying. Also used in a sea bag
inspection to secure rolled clothing. Every recruit was issued a length
of clothes stops in boot camp instead of clothes pins. They ceased to be
issued in 1973.
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8)
First mention I have seen of "sea clothes lines", but I suppose that explains this:
(http://www.uscg.mil/history/img/USRC_27.jpg)
That's the Thetis....love that clothes line... :-* :-* :-*
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Albatross 2nd July 1905 Mare Island
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol041of055/vol041of055_0009_1.jpg
Shortly
after 12:00 mer. B.Reilly, F.1c., was burned on right hand by steam
from bursting water gauge in steam launch; dressed with picric acid.
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So... chemistry is another feather in my cap, especially as it
relates to anything that can make a rather loud and visually impressive
boom. Picric acid is a heavily nitrated acid (synthesized with a phenol
base, although it's a bit more complex than that sounds), which in
laymen's terms means it has a rather interesting tendency to explode
rather violently.
In the late 19th century, it was heavily used
in artillery ordnance as one of the primary high-yield explosive
elements used in shells. However, it was later discovered to be
incredibly unstable (especially when used in artillery shells, as it
reacts rather... poorly with metals) but remained in widespread military
usage until it was replaced by TNT in the period between the World
Wars.
Somewhere around the turn of the 20th century (dates aren't
very clear on exactly when) it began to be used as an antiseptic,
treating everything from burns to smallpox and even trench foot. It
became a rather famous chemical when it was used in the treatment of
burns suffered by the victims of the infamous 1937 Hindenburg disaster.
Surprisingly, it works incredibly well as a burn treatment, although it
does stain the skin brown for as long as a month.
It was
determined somewhere before the start of WWII that picric acid was
*incredibly* toxic, and while it was a miracle treatment for superficial
burn damage, it was likely doing more harm than good in the long run.
While it's no longer seeing use as a medical treatment option, it still
sees widespread use in medical research, drug testing, and fireworks
(for the high pitched screech it makes during combustion; that same
"Whistling Pete" screech you hear when playing around with fireworks is
actually the reason why you hear that whistling bomb-drop sound in
movies).
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So...
chemistry is another feather in my cap, especially as it relates to
anything that can make a rather loud and visually impressive boom.
Then you would enjoy reading Ignition!, by John D. Clark, if you haven't already. 8)
It's freely available in PDF form.
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Downloading to my phone as I type this, always up for a good read about things that go 'splodey. :D
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From Thetis Sept 16, 1893, Mare Island Cal.
[sometimes hard to decipher writing...]
stores received in Medical Dept
Acidum borainum powdered 200 gram bottles gm 200
Acidum gallicum 25 gram bottles 25
Glycerina 200-cc bottles 600
Hydrarg Chlor cowos 100 gram bottles gm 100
Hydrarg Chlor mit 50 gram bottles gm 50
Lanolin gm 500
Pepsina saccharat 50 gram bottles
Potas arsenit liq 100 cc bottles cc 100
Quininia sulph 0.2 gram ful no 600
Quininia sulph 0.1 gram ful no 600
Acid Oralicum gm 100
Ext of beef 120-cc bottles 10
Scissors no 1
Tumeric paper lot 1
Spoons table no 3
Spoons tea no 2
Tub, foot no 1
Envelopes, official no 25
Envelopes, small no 25
Paper, official half sheets per 5
Paper, ruled, note per 5
Pens, steel box 1
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From Thetis Sept 16, 1893, Mare Island Cal.
[sometimes hard to decipher writing...]
stores received in Medical Dept
Acidum borainum powdered 200 gram bottles gm 200
Acidum gallicum 25 gram bottles 25
Glycerina 200-cc bottles 600
Hydrarg Chlor cowos 100 gram bottles gm 100
Hydrarg Chlor mit 50 gram bottles gm 50
Lanolin gm 500
Pepsina saccharat 50 gram bottles
Potas arsenit liq 100 cc bottles cc 100
Quininia sulph 0.2 gram ful no 600
Quininia sulph 0.1 gram ful no 600
Acid Oralicum gm 100
Ext of beef 120-cc bottles 10
Scissors no 1
Tumeric paper lot 1
Spoons table no 3
Spoons tea no 2
Tub, foot no 1
Envelopes, official no 25
Envelopes, small no 25
Paper, official half sheets per 5
Paper, ruled, note per 5
Pens, steel box 1
DECIPHERIN' TIME!
Acidum
Borainum - isn't something I'm familiar with, but I wonder if it
might not have been Acidum Boracicum, which is boric acid. It would have
been brought on board as an antiseptic and/or a treatment for athletes
foot. It's still widely used in medicine to this day.
Acidum
gallicum - more commonly known as gallic acid. used for writing
confidential correspondence (invisible ink) and as an ink remover.
Glycerina
- Glycerine. This stuff is used for oh so very much cool stuff, from
food to medicine to antifreeze. In the case of coming in 200 cc bottles
to the medical department, it was probably a base for medicinal
tinctures/syrups.
Hydrarg Chlor - First entry is probably
Hydrargyrum Chloride. Corros., which would have been old medical
shorthand for Corrosive Sublimate of Mercury Chloride. This... is a
syphilis treatment that fell out of favor in the mid 1930's when people
realized that mercury is incredibly toxic. It's still in use today, but
it's used in the manufacture of PVC plastics rather than medicine.
Historically, it was also used as an antiseptic, but it would have
fallen largely to the wayside by the 1893 outside of the Arab world.
Hydrarg
Chlor - Second entry is almost certainly Hydrargyri Chloride Mite, or
Mild Mercurous Chloride. Like the corrosive sublimate, it's *incredibly*
toxic, but during the late 19th century, it would have been used in
medicine as a diuretic and laxative. This particular compound is now
extensively used in electro and photochemistry.
Lanolin - This is
actually what got me into chemistry when I was younger, because I
always saw it proudly advertised on shampoo bottles, and wanted to know
what the heck it was. It turns out to be rather less than spectacular,
as it's literally the natural grease secreted by sheep into their wool.
For a long time it was thought to actually be a fat oil, but it's
chemical composition isn't that of a true fat. It's actually a
surprisingly singular substance with more cosmetic uses than I can
count. However, a half kilo being in a medical department of a navy
vessel leads me to believe that this was most likely used to soothe
sunburns and other skin damage associated with being at sea for long
periods of time.
Pepsina saccharat - This is, in fact, what you
probably think it is. Or rather, the precursor to what typically pops
into my head when the word Pepsin rears its head in 19th century texts.
This stuff is Wine of Pepsin (probably Lieb's Wine of Pepsin, given its
popularity) which was basically uncarbonated Pepsi. It would have been
used to treat indigestion. If you're a fan of the drink, you really
don't want to know how it gets its signature chemical ingredient. It's
pretty disgusting, and turned me off drinking Pepsi products for the
better part of a decade.
Potas arsenit liq - also known as liquor
of potassium arsenite, which is a fancy way of saying it's a thick,
distilled liquid made by combining potassium hydroxide and arsenic. It
was used to treat a ton of medical issues, from rheumatism to syphilis
to leukemia. It was surprisingly effective in treating indigestion and
had some commercial success as a hair tonic (it made horse coats glossy
and thick, but didn't really work on humans). However, it turns out that
it's carcinogenic, and can be a rather painful way to die in the case
of accidental overdose (arsenic poisoning isn't a good way to go). It's
still widely used today, but only as a way to kill pests of a furry,
chitinous, or leafy variety.
Quininia Sulp. - more commonly known
today as Quinine Sulfate. This is, to this day, *the* go to treatment
for malaria, and is considered one of the single most important medical
discoveries in human history (discovered all the way back in 1632,
although it wasn't extracted as a unique chemical until almost 200 years
later!). In addition to malaria, it's also used to treat lupus and
arthritis, and until recently was used as a treatment for restless leg
syndrome. That last bit changed when the FDA issued a warning
essentially stating that taking it for restless leg syndrome could be
fatal. Fun fact about quinine: it's the reason why tonic water tastes
the way it does, and glows a bright blue under ultraviolet light. Fun
fact number 2: it's an ingredient in my ancestral homeland's national
beverage; IRN-BRU.
Acid of Oralicum: This took me a while to
figure out. I think it's referring to Oxalic acid (unless the crew of
the Thetis discovered penicillin decades before Fleming). I have
absolutely *no* idea why they would have brought it aboard, as the only
medical purpose I can fathom for it prior to 1960 is intentionally
causing someone's kidneys to fail. Were they perhaps trying to develop a
chemical weapon? Or did they figure out the secret to mineral
supplement pills 70-ish years early?
Ext of beef - almost certainly beef broth. Kind of a weird way to label it though.
The rest of the stuff on the list is pretty self-explanatory I think.
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Oxalic acid is the reason why you DO NOT eat rhubarb leaves.
However, one thing I learned in a mis-spent scientific career is that it
does work quite well at low concentrations to deal with iron stains on
fabric. In the case of dyed fabric then check for interactions first.
I
once sent my mum to get some from the chemist, warning her that she
might have to sign the poisons register and she came back with a
commercial product containing Hydrofluoric acid with
very inadequate safety instructions. I know which I would sooner
risk! I used the commercial product with the precautions we took in the
lab because I didn't fancy hours of severe nerve pain if some got onto
my skin - one of the technicians described it when there was a
pinhole in his gloves on a hot day and he didn't realise that some
dilute acid had got in contact with his skin.
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Oh wow, I think I'd rather be shot than get a drop of HF on my skin.
One of the reasons I have this public safety job is because the company
I work for uses hydrofluoric, hydrochloric, sulfuric, and nitric acids
in production. My hazmat certifications are largely because the storage
and neutralization tanks for those four acids are right next to liquid
oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and liquid nitrogen tanks. If there was ever a
fire in the chemical storage area... I shudder to think of how bad it
would be for anyone within a few miles downwind.
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There was an etching solution in use at the time called Tuckers etch
which as I recall was conc sulphuric, fuming nitric (or the other way
round), picric and HF, used boiling!
In case of HF exposure we
had capsules of calcium gluconate available with instructions to take an
appropriate number to the A&E 5 min walk away and INSIST it was
injected immediately under the contact area. If you swallowed it then
you could try to drink milk before you went to A&E, eyes then you
contacted the Eye Hospital via 999. In all cases take the capsules with
you just in case. Posters giving all sorts of treatments for chemical
exposures were prominent, we also had a lab with enough cyanide to
poison the whole city. Still, I survived it.
My mum worked on one
of the original polythene plants, high temp & pressure exothermic
process controlled (it was WW2) by girls operating a pressure valve. The
reactor building had a hinged roof for faster repair since every so
often someone turned the control the wrong way. In between sessions on
the controls she used all sorts of toxic hydrocarbons on what they
described as 'gas testing' with minimal protection. COSHH eat your heart
out.
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:o :o :o
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I'll up you one on that jil
:o :o :o :o
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;D
or should that be
;D ;D ;D ;D ?
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well we like to be jolly - go for the last option ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Glad you all had a smile over the horrors of the scientific past.
COSHH applied sensibly was a good idea. But some of the implementation
left something to be desired.
One chemical supplier decided to
fulfill their obligation to provide hazard data with every chemical by
providing regular customers with a handbook - obviously put together
with lots of copy & paste judging by the advice on this substance.
Contact with eyes - wash with water
Inhalation - remove from contact, check breathing, seek medical advice
Ingestion - drink water, seek medical advice
Contact with skin - wash with water
[Some editorial simplification but it was over 20 years ago.]
The substance in question was distilled water! ???
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The London Dispensatory ... Seventh edition:
https://books.google.fr/books?id=JqldAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA753&lpg=PA753&dq=Acid+of+Oralicum&source=bl&ots=zx9WoUL8eX&sig=D2IFHc_fVBAI3ul0Fx3LkSRAmV8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiJoYaC44TLAhXGNxQKHbCBDBEQ6AEILzAE#v=onepage&q=Acid%20of%20Oralicum&f=false
"It may also be employed to check an external haemorrhagy"
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Jamestown (1886)
23/08/1887 - http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Jamestown/vol058of067/vol058of067_167_1.jpg
At 12.50 piped down scrubbed hammocks by signal from "Saratoga".
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Oh dear oh dear - was the Jamestown that smelly AND upwind of Saratoga? ;) ;D
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;D ;D
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;D ;D ;D
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Jamestown (1886)
31/10/1887 - http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Jamestown/vol059of067/vol059of067_053_1.jpg
Scrubbed hammocks.
02/11/1887 - http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Jamestown/vol059of067/vol059of067_055_1.jpg
Scrubbed clothes.
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lets hope that they 'scrubbed selves' too ;) ;) ;D
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Oh dear oh dear - was the Jamestown that smelly AND upwind of Saratoga? ;) ;D
Hmmmm......scrub hammocks........scrub clothes............. :-\
lets hope that they 'scrubbed selves' too ;) ;) ;D
.....some water must have splashed on them, might qualify as 'scrub self' ......somethings still missing though........ :-\
Ahhh, two days later Sarasota must have been downwind again :o
04/11/1887 - http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USS%20Jamestown/vol059of067/vol059of067_057_1.jpg
Issued clothing to all divisions. Aired bedding by signal from "Saratoga" at 10.20
At 1.00 piped down aired bedding in obedience to signal.
Nothing like throwing dirty sheets on a clean bed. ::)
My dear old Mum would have beat me like a drum for that..... :-[ ;) .... ;D ;D
My hats off to all Moms everywhere, it's got to be the toughest job around....... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
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;D ;D ;D
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Albatross October 15th 1907 San Francisco
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol041of055/vol041of055_0134_1.jpg
Unmoored
from dock and proceeded to anchorage off Mission Rock at 6:55.
Anchored in 12 1/2 fms. of water with 35 fms chain on starboard anchor
at 7.37, for fumigation.
Quarantine tug came alongside at 8:45 and made preparations for fumigating.
Battened down all hatches and fumigated ship under direction of Quarantine Doctor, opening up hatches at 4:00 pm.
Albatross
sets off for Honolulu the next day so this seems to be an attempt to
prevent spread of disease from San Francisco - probably by killing rats
as carriers of Bubonic plague.
-
S.F. leaders denied, concealed major plague epidemics
(http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-leaders-denied-concealed-major-plague-5768180.php)
Plague in San Francisco (1900) (http://www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/121_SUP-HC/121SUP016.pdf)
San
Francisco and the Plague
(https://books.google.fr/books?id=Q_s2AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA19&lpg=RA1-PA19&dq=fumigation+1907+plague&source=bl&ots=u7YniX_DAk&sig=nIuG35BIBl3VHXJ3vWmKcPWUKmU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBloqF2-bMAhWESxoKHfrnAaYQ6AEIMjAH#v=onepage&q=fumigation%201907%20plague&f=false)
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Albatross 25th October 1907
Quarantine inspection on arrival at Honolulu
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol041of055/vol041of055_0144_1.jpg
Laid to at 3:30 for quarantine officers permit to enter.
Ship
laying to off the Farewell buoy waiting for instructions from
quarantine officials. At 4:20 hauled down quarantine flag and
stood in for Navy slip No 3, Commanding Officer at the con. At
4:40 secured alongside the dock, rat guards being put on all lines.
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Thetis at Teller Reindeer Station
Examined Eyrath, native, age 15, for insanity. Mild case of Dementia Phaecox with hope for recovery.
-
'Mild' schizophrenia? I hope things worked out for young Eyrath. :(
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Albatross July 30th 1908, Naval Station, Cavite.
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol042of055/vol042of055_0164_1.jpg
H.G.Hoggard, HA1c., continued examination at the Naval Station.
This
is the second day of his examination by a Board of Examiners for
promotion to Hospital Steward. This suggests this post is much
more technically demanding than I had imagined it to be.
-
Hospital Steward - Changed from Apothecary 1898; changed to Pharmacist's Mate 1917.
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USS Patterson, San Francisco, 03 May 1904
(http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/USCS%20Patterson/Book%20126/IMG_4625_1.jpg).
Seaman
E. H. Thun was this day transferred to the U.S.P.H. + Marine Hospital
for treatment for chronic urethritis; (not in line of duty).
The note about not in line of duty is interesting...
I
forgot to log here, about a couple of months earlier, a seaman was sent
to hospital with pain in his groin and testicle. Some weeks later, the
ship's doctor went to the hospital to check on him, but there was no
note as to what the doctor learned.
This just in:
31 May 1904
E. H. Thun (Sea) was this day discharged from this vessel, by reason of physical disability.
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31 May 1904
E. H. Thun (Sea) was this day discharged from this vessel, by reason of physical disability.
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That's a very painful affliction - in the age of antibiotics I'm sure he could have quickly returned to duty :(
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Albatross 15th October 1908 Kowloon, China
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol042of055/vol042of055_0241_1.jpg
At 12:30 battened down all hatches and commenced fumigating ship with sulphur.
The
crew have been staying in quarters on shore while the ship is in dry
dock for repairs. They move their belongings back on board the
next day.
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But what came back on board with the clothes? :-\
-
But what came back on board with the clothes? :-\
Possible answer.
Albatross 30th October 1908 Back at Kowloon, China
Received
on board from Blackhead and Company for deck department 2 rat traps, 1
flour sifter, 1 meat scale; for scientific department 100 lbs. packing
stuff.
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Received
on board from Blackhead and Company for deck department 2 rat traps, 1
flour sifter, 1 meat scale; for scientific department 100 lbs. packing
stuff.
Hmmm - nice find Hurlock. I bet there were a few small free-loaders in those clothes. Glad I didn't have to face the rats. :o
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Albatross Manila April 13 1909
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol043of055/vol043of055_0188_1.jpg
Lieut-Commander
C.M.McCormick, U.S.N., Lieutenant B.G.Barthalow, U.S.N., Asst'
Paymaster H.Dial, U.S.N., and Chief Boatswain R.Rohange, U.S.N., left
ship at 3:15 for U.S.Naval Hospital at Canacao, for medical examination
prior to taking the physical test required by General Order No6, of
January 4, 1909, and returned at 5:00.
The test was to walk 50 miles over 3 consecutive days.
A Navy history blog I found explains this as follows
Today's U.S. Navy espouses a "culture of fitness," and "physical readiness," but this was not
always so. In the early 1900s, many including the president himself, Theodore Roosevelt,
were appalled by the lack of physical conditioning in the Navy.
In his autobiography, Roosevelt wrote, "Many of the older officers were so unfit physically
that their condition would have excited laughter, had it not been so serious to think that they
belonged
to the military arm of the Government."! Not being one to sit aimlessly
aside on any issue of importance, Roosevelt charged forth with an
attempt to change the desk- bound
culture of the military. As a result he helped establish the forerunner of today's Physical
Readiness Training Program.
The new test gave officers the choice of completing one of three options: a fifty mile walk
within
three consecutive days and in total of twenty hours; a ride on
horseback at a distance of ninety miles within three consecutive days;
or a ride on a bicycle at a distance of 100 miles within three
consecutive days. All personnel taking the test would be examined by a
Navy Medical Board to determine whether the test may be taken without
risk and report again to the board upon completion. Officers would
not be promoted unless they passed the exam and their medical record
would now include a fitness report.
-
I suspect that the enlisted men enjoyed that ;)
-
When I was in the Canadian Armed Forces we had to run a mile and a
half twice a year, coming in under some set time limit. Statistics
Canada, or perhaps Sport Canada, sent someone to our base to ask a
sample of us about our exercise habits. I was one of the randomly
selected people. When asked what I did for regular exercise (weights,
cycling, swimming etc), I said that I ran. When asked how far (marathon,
half marathon, 10K, etc), I relied, "A mile and a half." "That's not
very far," she said. "How often? Three times a week, twice a week, etc."
"Once every six months," I said.
The interviewer said that
wasn't regular exercise. I pointed out it was indeed regular, it just
wasn't frequent! ;D ;D ;D
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::) ;D
-
;D ;D ;D
(I exercise like crazy - few can click a pair of knitting needles as fast as me on a good day ;) )
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Vaccination of crew completed.
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Albatross 24th June 1914 Yakutat, Alaska
http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/final/Albatross/vol052of055/vol052of055_0225_1.jpg
E.M.Axelson
came aboard with a Native named Jack Paddy for Medical treatment an was
operated on for tumor by P.Asst Surg C.W.Smith assisted by H.C.Kellers
(Hos st).
Rev. E.M.Axelson and his wife ran the local school in Yakutat.
-
I hope Jack Paddy recovered and had many happy years ahead :)
-
He died in 1928 according to a Yakutat ancestry site.
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I'm impressed that you could find that detail Hurlock :D
I'm glad he had a quite a few post-op years then :D
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From a new transcriber...
Here is the CDC external link to the
'Vessel Sanitation' web site:
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm and the other (historic
Commission Corps/quarantine functions)
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantineisolation.html
Finally, here
is the link to the history of the Commission Corps - a/k/a/ Public
Health Service : https://www.usphs.gov/aboutus/history.aspx
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From a new transcriber...
Here
is the CDC external link to the 'Vessel Sanitation' web site:
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm and the other (historic
Commission Corps/quarantine functions)
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantineisolation.html
Finally, here
is the link to the history of the Commission Corps - a/k/a/ Public
Health Service : https://www.usphs.gov/aboutus/history.aspx
I
looked up one of these lists (the first one) and there are a couple of
cruise ships that I might not want to take a trip on :o
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July 31 1891 Revenue Steamer Bear, Point Hope, Alaska
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919211/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol069/26-159A-bear-vol069_126.jpg
After
making an examination on shore of William Brown, I find that he is
suffering from the effects of frostbite, necessitating the amputation of
his left leg and three fingers of his left hand.
I also find that Stephen Custer has been reduced to a state of destitution by an attack of rheumatism.
As
their lives are more or less jeopardized by remaining on shore without
any care I recommend that they be taken on board this vessel where they
may receive proper medical treatment.
-
Good for Bear!
-
Wow! I've heard of people losing toes, fingers and ears to
frostbite, but only rarely an entire limb. It must have been a severe
case of gangrene. Poor man.
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Revenue Steamer Bear 3rd August 1891 Cape Lisburne
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919211/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol069/26-159A-bear-vol069_129.jpg
Surgeon assisted by 2' Eng'r F.R.Falkenstein, amputated left foot of William Brown.
Expended for use of Surgeon two pairs of blankets of ward-room outfits.
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Revenue Steamer Bear
Bering Sea
1892-06-15
6 to 8 PM
Surgeon amputated injured finger of a native and retained him on board for medical treatment. Issued him one ration daily.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919215/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol072/26-159A-bear-vol072_056.jpg
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Steamer Bear
1899-07-22
Cape Blossom, Kotezubue Sound
5:10 PM
Lieut.
Bertholf accompanied by Surgeon Hanley, and Dr. Jackson, left in steam
launch, towing dinghy and crew, to investigate reports of sickness and
destitution among miners near Cape Blossom.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919225/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol081/26-159A-bear-vol081_085.jpg
1899-07-23
Cape Blossom, Kotezubue Sound
Merid to 8PM
At
1:00 steam launch returned with officers. At 1:30 steamer "Artic Bird"
made fast alongside. Received 32 destitute miners suffering from scurvy.
Delivered to "Artic Bird" 28 sacks of coal. Lieut Bertholf reported as
follows: Found from 250 to 300 miners encamped on beach, north of Cape
Blossom, alarming state of affairs existing, 32 men particularly
helpless from scurvy, many other just recovering, about 15 had died
during winter and spring from this disease and blackleg. Many other had
no means of living and food and food supply exhausted. The steam launch
being inadequate for transportation of so many, the master of the stern
wheel steamer "Artic Bird" brought off the sick, receiving in return the
coal expended. 32 were brought off and put under surgeon's care. There
had been much distilling of wiskey during winter by whites and natives,
but no evidence was obtainable. Principal offenders having left the
country. Two brothers Roger and Al Pickering from Princeton, Ky. were
killed between May 1-4 on portage between Selawik and Krywkuk River by
native named Kokanuk; reports state they first attacked the native; that
Roger Pickering's character was bad and had killed a man named -Martez
on the Nastuk River during the winter. In consequence of the killing no
Selawik natives had come to the coast and Kokamuk could not be found. At
3:30 Lt. Bertholf left on "Artic Bird" for purpose of transporting
miners to this vessel. Sent in 3 cases canned tomatoes, 1 case
evaporated cream, 1 crate potatoes, 1 tin dissicated potatoes, 1 case
canned fruit, to be left with the Rev. Robt. Samms, missionary at Cape
Blossom, for the use of those at the encampment.
Names on miners on board.
Geo.
Sargent, B. Jaster, A. J. Haywood, Frank Harris, H.W. Pike, J. A.
Steed, J. F. Gordon, J. Johnson, C. J. Connely, J. Meyer, G. W. Breed,
Chas. Bush, J. H. Stilner, J. O. Eckles, W. R. Hastings, Theo Francisco,
J. Wilson, O C Ford, G. H. Walley, Thos. Meadow, Geo Sinclair, F.
Etzel, J. H. Cole, H. S. Delong, A. McGavitt, T. M. Lane, Hans Basteau,
C. Hasse, E. W. Martin, J. Berquist, Sabin Harris, A. Fahrenholt
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919225/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol081/26-159A-bear-vol081_086.jpg
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Steamer Bear
1899-07-24
Cape Blossom, Kotezebue Sound
At
3:45 Arctic "Bird" came alongside with Lieut Bertholf and 48 men, 2
women and one child, for transportation to St. Micheals. Between 150 and
200 people left at encampment. Extra rations, fruit and vegetables were
left by cabin and wardroom messes for the care of sick.
5:20 AM underway, with Artic "Bird" and steam launch in tow across sound in compensation for transporting miners from shore.
6:45 AM spoke steamer "Towsend" with W.H. Lane, owner of Arctic Bird on board. Latter took charge of his steamer casting off
Names of persons received at Cape Blossom.
R.R.
Jones, G.W. Berry, J. Madden, A. Johnson, W. Simmons, D. Sullivan, A.
Detzenhoff, E. Humphrey, B. Anasi, C.S. Bushnell, Thos. Russell, D.
Deathe, G.P. Blanchard, M. Thomas, F.E. Smith, J.C. Hollister, A.
Ahlers, F. Dickman, F. Yamock, S.M. Fuller, G.C. Bence, L. Jinnelli, E.
Ahlers, F. Sledder, C. Martenez, F. Statsnell, H.F. Masters, C. Murphy,
C.F. Webb, C. Schlumecher, W.H. Shaffer, G.W. Close, M. Premo, S.D.
Morris, - Mockerzy, H.B. Alzioth, E.W. Clark, F. Ramez, A.C. Thees, C.M.
Smith, H.E. Webb, M. Kane, C. Ashley, A. Scott, D. McConnick, H. Gould,
W.H. Hall, Mrs Alrisa Herman (alias Borvnraw) and infant, Mrs Annie
Smith,
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919225/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol081/26-159A-bear-vol081_087.jpg
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Revenue Cutter Bear
1899-07-27
Norton Sound
8AM to Merid
The
Commanding Officer called upon Captain Walker, U.S.A. commanding Fort
St. Micheals, and turned over to same, destitute miners and their
effects
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919225/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol081/26-159A-bear-vol081_090.jpg
Revenue Cutter Bear
1899-07-27
Norton Sound
Merid to 4PM
Landing destitute miners on shore with their effects, having turned them over to U.S.A. Authorities at St. Micheals
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/6919225/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/bear/vol081/26-159A-bear-vol081_090.jpg
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Loved this quote about a whaler Master, Ellsworth Luce West during his early years afloat:
[...] he learned the trick of using cockroaches to eat the nits that lived in his bedsheets :o :-[
-
:-X
-
Medical essays : compiled from reports to the Bureau of Medicine,
1873 (https://archive.org/details/medicalessayscom1873unit/page/n5)
-
19th April 1881 (https://archive.org/details/atlanticbarkofne00atla/page/1)
Small pox problems:
I
sent Mr Mitchel to the shore to see if the crew could be allowed to
land and have liberty there, soon returned without permission as we had
come from Oahu where the Small Pox was prevailing.
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The Northland January 28, 1935 log had this entry:
1:15 Clarence R. Wallers (110-702) F. 1c admitted to sick list; acute catarrhal fever.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/7284533/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/159a/northland/b1723/26-159a-northland-b1723_033.jpg
(https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/7284533/content/arcmedia/dc-metro/rg-026/585454-noaa/159a/northland/b1723/26-159a-northland-b1723_033.jpg)
At
first because of the handwriting I couldn't figure out what the word
was before "fever". I tried Google searches for things like
"catanhal" and "catanlal". Eventually I came upon "catarrhal
fever", but all the references to it concerned a malady affecting
even-toed animals such as pigs and cows that meant almost certain death,
but nothing concerning catarrhal fever being something that affected
humans. However I eventually found that in the 1800's "catarrhal
fever" was used to describe a wide range of maladies affecting humans
and that today the term is no longer used because there are more
specific terms that have come into use describing all those various
maladies. As far as I can tell, the term was not common even in
1935. So I'm guessing they may have had an older doctor on board
who was continuing to use the term.
Today the word "catarrh" is
sometimes used to describe the initial phase of some respiratory
diseases when symptoms are just beginning to appear.
When I came
across this entry, I was concerned that Clarence may have come down with
some exotic disease, but it appears it may have been the flu since
there were a few entries on earlier log pages concerning crew members
having the flu.
Here's what Wikipedia has to say about "catarrh."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catarrh (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catarrh)
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My ancient pin tin was once a tin of - I think - 'Caldarum' lozenges
for treating various bad chests and I'm sure it said something about
catarrhal fever. The tin would have dated back to the early 30s. Sadly
years of use have scrubbed it almost clear of print :(
-
8)
The word catarrh did sound vaguely familiar as an illness, but I couldn't have defined it.
-
Pitt professor: Past outbreaks provide lessons to study new coronavirus
...
Ms.
Webel points out that is a step not unlike the events that led to the
origin of the word "quarantine," which comes from the Italian word,
'quaranta giorni," which means "40 days." Forty days was the length of
time that Venice during the 14th century required ships to dock off the
coast before they were allowed to unload at port if they were coming
from locations in other parts of the world infected with plague.
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From
Mr Bodfish, 'Chasing the Bowhead' (Bodfish pops up in a lot of places
in our logs - currently he's available on the Beluga ;) ;D
). Here we go....not for any of you of who are at all squeamish...
'The
remains of the hook, with block attached, fell toward me, and that
piece of hook struck my foot, breaking one of my toes and smashing
another. I had to go below at once, and when I had taken survey of the
damage I knew that I must lose a toe. So I sent the steward for the
captain to do the job, but he was busy at the time and asked me to wait.
I
thought rather fast. My foot was numb from the accident. I knew that
the longer I waited, the more painful the amputation would be, so, with
the steward and cabin boy looking on and groaning, I whetted up my knife
and cut it off myself. The way it was injured made it necessary for me
to unjoint the bone from my foot, too, but I did it, and there was
considerable satisfaction in having performed my first surgical
operation.'