Observations on naval hygiene and scurvy : more particularly as the latter appeared during a polar voyage / by Alex. Armstrong.
- Armstrong, Alexander, Sir, 1818-1899.
- Date:
- 1858
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on naval hygiene and scurvy : more particularly as the latter appeared during a polar voyage / by Alex. Armstrong. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
38 results
- Found on image 16 / 130 (page 4)…ished in the service as Lind, Trotter, and Blane, inform us of the fearful ravages of scurvy, and prove how much the effi- ciency of the fleet became impaired by this disease in various parts of the world. Towards the close of the last century, the Channel Meet was unable to keep the sea, and the squadron u...
- Found on image 23 / 130 (page 11)…tly battening down the hatches. The consequence was, that the ship became wet and damp throughout, the men’s gar- ments were seldom or never dry, the air between decks was very impure, and the admissions to the sick list were numerous, owing to the causes just mentioned; the diseases consisting for the...
- Found on image 24 / 130 (page 12)…hat were so severely taxed throughout this period; the minds of the men were in a constant state of agitation, either elated by hope, or depressed by despair, as the perilous position in which we were placed, alternately excited either one or other emotion. Notwithstanding the numerous causes, arising from ...
- Found on image 33 / 130 (page 21)…tion that the ventilation of the ship was ren- dered as perfect as the means at our disposal could make it; but, notwithstanding all our efforts, the air between decks in the winter months was cold, moist, and impure. This was caused by the want of sufficient fuel to maintain at a comfortable temperatu...
- Found on image 34 / 130 (page 22)…ce was that the vapour was rapidly condensed by the coldness of the deck above, which was coated with ice, while the deck below was rendered wet. The air* thus became moist and vitiated, and the temperature generally stood only a few degrees above the freezing point during the day, and was always below ...
- Found on image 35 / 130 (page 23)…hink, clearly established. It is evident that this vitiated state of the blood is more readily induced by the operation of those causes which tend to impair the physical powers and energies, and by the want of those agents which afford to the body a proper degree of sustenance. This want is expe- rienced ...
- Found on image 36 / 130 (page 24)…n converts the blood from a healthy into a morbid state, renders it unfit for the maintenance of normal nutrition and secretion, and causes a general impairment of the vital powers and energies, ultimately in- ducing a state of disease, known as Scurvy. I shall now state the result of my experience of the ope...
- Found on image 39 / 130 (page 27)…ll content myself by, no- ticing the change which takes place in meat that has been salted, and show how far its nutritious properties become thereby impaired. I can quote no higher authority than that of Baron Liebig on the subject, who informs us t “ that in the salting of meat, the flesh is rubbed and spr...
- Found on image 41 / 130 (page 29)… Abstract of the Medical Sciences, vol. xxi. p. 350. We miist therefore arrive at the conclusion that the nutritive properties of meat are materially impaired by the process of salting; that debility must ensue from the continued use of salt pro- visions ; and that the action of salt in excess, on the anima...
- Found on image 44 / 130 (page 32)…oduction of that caloric, which cold and moisture have abstracted. Hence, where Scurvy prevails on board ships, the decks should be kept dry, and the air rendered warm and comfortable. A cold, moist atmosphere between decks is at all times pernicious to the health of a ship’s company. I feel satisfied ...
- Found on image 44 / 130 (page 32)…urchased from their own private resources, must also largely con- tribute. It is impossible to deny some degree of influence to the effects of impure air in this disease. I have found, where the ventilation was occasionally rendered less perfect than usual for a few days (from unavoidable causes), and ...
- Found on image 45 / 130 (page 33)…ave found, where the ventilation was occasionally rendered less perfect than usual for a few days (from unavoidable causes), and the escape of impure air was thereby interfered with, that those who were labouring under the disease always expe- rienced more or less aggravation of their symp- toms, I thi...
- Found on image 50 / 130 (page 38)…. The skin is dry and harsh, and if the legs are minutely examined, small dark spots or points will be ol)- served here and there at the roots of the hair, and in other spots also unconnected with the hair, but less numerous. This is a symptom which will readily escape observation, if not very minutely i...
- Found on image 50 / 130 (page 38)…nutely examined, small dark spots or points will be ol)- served here and there at the roots of the hair, and in other spots also unconnected with the hair, but less numerous. This is a symptom which will readily escape observation, if not very minutely investigated by careful inspection. The gums at this...
- Found on image 52 / 130 (page 40)…umerous on the legs and arms than elsewhere; but I have failed to observe them on the face or neck. The small discoloured points of tlie roots of the hair are considerably larger than usual. The legs from the knees downwards were, in a few cases, entirely of a dark purple colour; in others, of a greenis...
- Found on image 54 / 130 (page 42)…scanty and high-coloured, but is not materially affected in density; in two of my cases it was albuminous. The mental faculties are for the most part unimpaired, but I observed that the faculty of memory in the more severe cases became confused and defective, and that there were always strong feelings of depre...
- Found on image 57 / 130 (page 45)…re absence of sleep, with great restlessness, and occasionally incoherence, and all the symptoms underwent aggravation at night. The appetite was not impaired to the extent that might have been expected under such circumstances, but liquid food was taken in considerable quantity, and apparently relished, al...
- Found on image 62 / 130 (page 50)…ged only slightly during the night, and again in the morning. the surface was rather cold, he had some shivering; the power of utterance was somewhat impaired, and there was slight incoherence in his replies. The pulse was weak and small, and the heart s action feeble, the tongue was clean and moist, the gum...
- Found on image 65 / 130 (page 53)…es, one case of which proved fatal, and which I shall briefly relate, was the next most frequent complication. The case in question may be taken as a fair type of tliis disease, \^'ben supervening on a scorbutic habit, and it fully exemplifies the character and extent of the effu- sion in Ascites, and t...
- Found on image 65 / 130 (page 53)…seized with dysentery when doing duty as quartermaster of the watch on the previous night, about six hours before admission, the tem- perature of the air being at the time 46 degrees below the zero of Tahrenheit. On presenting himself to me, he was in a state of extreme prostration and weakness, and so...
- Found on image 65 / 130 (page 53)…tion and weakness, and so faint and helpless that he was quite incapable of walk- ing or even standing without support. His power of articulation was impaired, and he replied to questions in a confused and incoherent manner. His aspect was pale and haggard, the expression anxious, the features collapsed, the...
- Found on image 70 / 130 (page 58)… entirely gone ; great efforts were made to speak, but only dis- cordant, muttering sounds could be uttered, and even the power of uttering these was impaired from partial paralysis or loss of nervous power in the organ of voice itself, lie gazed about in a wild, confused manner, and made great efforts to s...
- Found on image 72 / 130 (page 60)… appeared to improve, but the hopes of recovery were fallacious, for the fluid began to re-accuniulate in the abdomen, his strength became still more impaired, and all the means at my disposal failed to restore him, or even to support him against the progressive debility and utter want of power which super- ...
- Found on image 75 / 130 (page 63)…o the period of his attack ; but, like all the rest of our crew, he had felt his strength declining for some time, and liis health becoming gradually impaired from the supervention of the scorbutic taint. On presenting himself to me on the 2nd April, 1853, his countenance was haggard and dejected. He compla...
- Found on image 84 / 130 (page 72)…ncline to the opinion that, in all cases where Scurvy has become fully developed, the amount of fibrine will be found diminished and its plas- ticity impaired; and I cannot but consider, that in those cases, where analysis has yielded a contrary result, the disease has been either too imperfectly developed o...
- Found on image 85 / 130 (page 73)…stry, pages 135 etseq. t Aiulral, Husk, and others. cases in which the disease was not fully developed, and in which the physical powers were not im- paired to the extent that I have seen them re- duced when the disease was completely established. I incline also to the opinion, that the salts of the blood...
- Found on image 92 / 130 (page 80)…gency may be rendered more complete, it is necessary that those on whom its influence is to act should at least be, in regard to general health, at a fair average standard. This subject, therefore, brings us to the consideration of that important part of the duty of the medical oflicers in the public se...
- Found on image 96 / 130 (page 84)…nothing therefore in the whole range of Naval Hygiene, that appears to me to exercise a greater influence on the health of men, than the state of the air between decks, and of the decks themselves. The former should be pure and dry, and the latter always dry. Tree ventilation to all parts of a ship, by...
- Found on image 97 / 130 (page 85)…ee ventilation to all parts of a ship, by means to which it is unneces- sary here to allude, is always attainable, and should always be promoted. The air, however, may be rendered impure from causes existing within a ship, from the w^ant of proper pre- cautionary measures. The most frequent of these cau...
- Found on image 98 / 130 (page 86)…ntails. I may remark, however, that it is surprising how soon small accumulations of dirt in dark corners, where the purifying influence of light and air may not have free access, become not only offensive, hut injurious, while their existence is quite incom- patible with the observance of a good syste...
- Found on image 99 / 130 (page 87)… process of evaporation does not properly dry them at the end of twenty- four hours, when they become subject to the same process again, and thus the air between decks is kept constantly moist. It was therefore, in my ex23erience, no unfrequent circumstance to find a sick-list almost entirely made up o...
- Found on image 105 / 130 (page 93)…n. 8vo, 1795. The opinion entertained by many, tliat Lemon- juiee beeomes deteriorated by keeping, is quite fallacious, as it will retain its virtues unimpaired for any length of time, provided that due care be observed in the mode of preserving it. That with which we were supplied, was kept in glass bottles,...
- Found on image 105 / 130 (page 93)… in depth, was poured ; the bottles were then carefully corked and sealed, and in this way the acid may always be kept for an indefinite period quite unimpaired. The Lemon- juice on board the “Investigator” was subject to every possible vicissitude of temperature from the highest degree of Equatorial heat, to ...
- Found on image 105 / 130 (page 93)…end of this period, I found it as good and pure as on the day we left England, and its power of neutralizing alkalies was not in the slightest degree impaired. I have previously mentioned that we were sup- plied with two kinds of Lemon-juice; one of which was prepared by adding a tenth part of brandy, the ot...
- Found on image 117 / 130 (page 105)…ase beincf one which no remedial measures could cure, its fatal termination does not in my opinion invalidate an inference, at which we may, I think, fairly arrive—namely, that there are complications associated with Scurvy, where the exhibition of mercury is admissible, and where no other agency is likel...
- Found on image 117 / 130 (page 105)…n of the bowel as a mechanical stimulant to its action. This torpidity was moreover due, no doubt, to the deficiency of the biliary secretion and the impaired power of the intestinal muscles. Those medicines which I found most useful in removing this state, were 01. Ficini and mild car- minative purgatives,...
- Found on image 120 / 130 (page 108)…e complications formerly mentioned, con- finement to bed becomes absolutely imperative. Tliis restriction should be enforced until con- valescence is fairly established, when fresh air, moderate exercise, hilarity and cheerfulness, with light occupation, will be found materially to aid the recovery. As im...
- Found on image 120 / 130 (page 108)…ned, con- finement to bed becomes absolutely imperative. Tliis restriction should be enforced until con- valescence is fairly established, when fresh air, moderate exercise, hilarity and cheerfulness, with light occupation, will be found materially to aid the recovery. As improvement takes place, and th...
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