The conclusion is that oils and grease are of small value for protection against cold and should as far as possible be avoided.
It may be thought that by not washing or having a change of clothes for a long period the skin gets into a bad state. Fortunately, in the Antarctic there are no human parasites, and one does not perspire so freely as in warmer climates. Nevertheless, when working hard in very low temperatures perspiration may be very free, and consequently well-ventilated clothing is necessary. Modern Antarctic equipment consists of warm woollen underclothes and very light windproof overalls made of closely woven material. Furs are not used, though they are favoured still by some Arctic explorers. The theory is often put forward that the best procedure to adopt in the Arctic is to copy as nearly as possible the clothing of the Esquimaux, for, that being their home, naturally they know what is best. This view is strongly urged by Canadians who trade along the Arctic coast. Certainly it has the advantage of cheapness, but I wonder if they went to Central Africa whether they would adopt the loin cloth—also cheap? As a matter of fact, experience has shown that the skin improves in condition and takes on a white, silky softness that some women might envy. It is advisable under the conditions to seize any chance of still air and bright sunshine to remove the clothes, dust from them the flakes of skin which are constantly being shed, and give the body an air bath.
Snow-blindness is a condition of acute and sudden congestion of the eyes, affecting chiefly the conjunctivæ (the delicate membranes which cover the greater part of the front of the eye). The little blood-vessels become dilated, producing a prickly sensation of grit in the eyes, which become painful in strong light. The condition may become worse, leading to a marked congestion with heavy discharge and total blindness. Snow-blindness is produced less frequently by sun-glare on the snow than by a diffuse dull light which casts no shadows and requires continuous strain to pick out hummocks and unevenness of the ice. It is said that people with less pigment, i.e. “blue-eyed” people, suffer more than those with darker, more heavily pigmented eyes, but this is not always the case.
The condition can be prevented by wearing goggles with tinted lenses; e.g. the ordinary dark Crookes lenses are quite effective. The frame is of importance, for it must allow of free ventilation without side glare. The Rowley snow goggle, as used by Amundsen and Shackleton, is a thoroughly effective design. The contour of the face and the depth of the eye sockets differ so much in different individuals that each man should be fitted for goggles prior to starting.
If treated early the condition gives little trouble. Even bad cases are easily treated on board ship, or at a base, by protecting the eye from strong light, and frequent bathing with warm water, boracic lotion, or, better still, very dilute zinc sulphate. If on the march, treatment is more difficult, for lotions will probably not be available. Small, portable and very effective tabloid outfits are obtainable, containing eye drugs in small lamellæ, which, when placed in the eye, are dissolved in the tears and so form lotions. It must be remembered, when selecting the small outfits, that one which may be easily manipulated in the warm showrooms of Messrs. Burroughs and Wellcome may not be so easily handled with fingers benumbed and made clumsy with cold.
For the non-medical man the best treatment is first to place in the eye a cocaine lamella to relieve pain, and follow it in a few minutes by another of zinc sulphate. Pituitary and adrenal extracts have a very rapid effect, but must be used with great care. Untreated snow-blindness in bad cases may lead to permanent results. The condition is preventable and easily treated in its early stage, hence once more the great importance of careful preparation.
Bacterial affections are rare. “Colds in the head” hardly ever occur, and if they do are probably due to germs brought by the party themselves. Wounds, however, readily become septic. Even clean cuts take a long time to heal, and unite with more scarring than usually happens in more temperate regions. This is due to the comparatively bloodless condition of the skin. Steps should always be taken to keep the injured part as warm as possible. When possible it is an economy to rest and carefully look after open wounds however slight, for the reluctance to heal often causes long-continued annoyance.
Every polar surgeon must be prepared to do his own nursing. There is no one else to do it. Conditions for a sick or injured man, even under the best circumstances, are far from being ideal, yet much can be done by improvising and keeping an adaptable mind. Comfort, even for an invalid, is a relative term. The great thing is to keep the patient cheery, and in the ship, at a base hut, in a tent, or even under an upturned boat, one can be continually doing little things to make him feel that he is being well looked after.
The surgeon’s advice is often sought with regard to local food supplies. There is very little in the way of animal flesh that one cannot eat if put to it, and a few precautions in cooking can make almost anything palatable. The meat of whales, seals, sea-elephants, sea-leopards and penguins is all very similar, being composed of a dark red coloured flesh of coarse texture. They have a somewhat strong oily taste, which one learns not to dislike in cold regions. The organs, such as the brains, hearts, livers and kidneys, are edible and are said to be rich in anti-neuritic vitamin. One has to beware of parasites. Fish form the diet of most of these animals, and are a prolific source of tape worm, round worm and small thread worms. Often, also, the liver contains small trematodes. Weddell seals and sea-leopards especially seem to be infested with these parasites; on being cut open they have often an unpleasant toxic smell, the intestines swarm with worms, the heart may have small cysts on its surface, small animalculæ may be detected in the bile which flows from the cut liver, and the spleen and lymph glands are often enlarged, showing that the animal is suffering from a general poisoning. Unless the party is starving, such an animal should naturally be rejected in toto, although the meat may appear to be sound.
The crab-eater seals, which live largely on small crustaceæ, are much more healthy animals. Penguins also require careful examination. Seabirds have a rather strong taste of oil and fishiness, which can largely be removed by soaking them in dilute vinegar for twenty-four hours. Young albatross and paddy birds require no special treatment and are delicious. Fish swarm in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions wherever there is shoal water and kelp, as also round the South Atlantic islands, where crayfish also can be obtained. Every effort should be made to vary a diet of preserved provisions by seizing the chance whenever possible of obtaining any of the above.