Health, Hygiene, Medicine, and Surgery

[Randi]

American: Health, Hygiene, Medicine, and Surgery

[adflora]

Entry in Atalanta log 1944, Jan 17th:
"While performing duty spilled boiling water on right arm. Suffering from second degree burns from shoulder to wrist. Butter was immediately applied, later it was removed and tunic [tannic] acid burn preparation applied then covered with loose bandages."

I know the application of butter was a common burn remedy in the past but it only holds the heat in and has to be removed to apply further treatment. Ouch!! Poor guy.

Anita

[Michael]

It's like rubbing snow on frostbite. A supposed cure that made things worse...

[Randi]

I remember being told to run cold water on a burn

[Michael]

Yes!!! Cold water and loose bandages.

[Randi]

And for frostbite?

[AvastMH]

Frostbite - very gentle warming - tepid water working up to blood temperature over a number of hours I believe. Warming the person up is important - heat from the inside is good.

---

1st July. The Hunter is at Port Clarence with 23 other ships avoiding the ice. Mr Allen reports that the Mate of the James Allen had his leg taken off by the surgeon of the Revenue Steamer Bear (a vessel of great importance in those parts). 'And is doing well i believe'.


My thanks to Randi for tracking down the concomitant report in the Bear's log:


Often whalers had to carry out their own surgery 'in the field' as it were. Not a thought to dwell on...

[AvastMH]

Often whalers had to carry out their own surgery 'in the field' as it were. Not a thought to dwell on...

Prophetic words...

The Navarch is at Herschel Island on the Canadian Yukon coast nearing the end of her second season of over-wintering. Other whaling ships are there.
18th June 1896
(Kay Point is about 60 Km from Herschel Island. And there are no roads of course. I cannot imagine the agony that Mr West suffered. The accident happened at 12.30 at night and they got to Herschel Island at 11.30 that morning.)

'Mr Cottle and Eldridge arived here at 11=30 AM with Mr West on a sled with his arm Badly shatered by the accidental discharge of a Shoat gun while taking it from a boat at Ray* Point the accident happened at 12=30 midnight they came as quickly as posable to the Ship took him to comfortable quarters ashore found upon Examination his arm to be Broakin near the Sholder bone badley Shortened we thought it best to amputate it but at his request we bandaged and Slunterd arm to See what the result would be in trying to save the arm'
*Kay Point

So on the 20th June the inevitable happens...

'Capts Levatt and Bodfish took Mr West arm off'

and the next day reports
'Mr W doing fine as could be expected.'

So I checked our list of ships and discovered that Capts GB Levitt and HH Bodfish* are on the Newport, also over-wintering at Herschel Island, and make a more complete report:
https://archive.org/details/logbookofne ... mode/1up2e
They use choloform. Bodfish takes time to note Mr West's highest pulse rate (95). The analysis of the damage is dramatic as might be expected by a discharge so close to the body and through layers of clothing. The bone had 5 inches missing. Although he needed a little bit of onward treatment by the end of June Mr West is well on the mend.

* I previously reported on an operation by Bodfish - it was his first - he had to take his own toe off

[Michael]

Ouch!!!!!

[arboggs]

July 7th 1888 on board the Mary and Susan:



"Capt Owens Very Sick with imflamation of the Eyes Suffring intense agony Capt Bauldry and Capt Montross came aboard and appllied Hops Poltices which Eased Them Some What"

It takes until August 2nd until the logkeeper says Owens is "feeling easier"

[Michael]

Ouch!!!

[AvastMH]

Oh misery - every time you blink, see light, or get a breeze across your face, it must hurt. Glad the hops worked, even if it was not overnight

[Randi]

Couldn't help blinking and rubbing my eyes as I read this

[Randi]

For Epidemics to Cross Oceans, Viruses on Ships Had to Beat the Odds — In the era when people traveled by
sailing ship and steamer, illnesses usually burned themselves out before boats reached shore, a new study finds.