Anon, fires are lighted, the air becomes dried, people move about, currents of air sweep through the cabins, and the spores, invisible to the naked eye, are wafted in myriads about the saloon, sleeping-cabins, and galley, until they come to rest on some moist place, there to propagate again if not checked. Fortunately, when the moist place happens to be the mucous membrane of our nostrils, the spores betray their presence, for the motion produced by the impact due to such shape and weight and composition produce the sensations which we term 'a musty smell.' I have frequently noticed objectionable odours of this class about many fine yachts, and most small ones, but they are never absent from short-voyage cross-Channel steamers; these almost invariably reek with them to such an extent that often strong, good sailors feel ill before the vessel leaves the wharf.
With such precautions as I have outlined, almost any boat may be made 'sweet.'
Accidents of a serious nature involving surgical aid seldom occur in yachts; and if the cruise be a short one, a couple of needles, a scalpel, a forceps for extracting splinters, a stronger one for fish-hooks, a thermometer, and a long strip, two inches wide, of india-rubber sticking-plaster rolled up in an air-tight tin-box, will enable one to meet any case likely to arise. And for medicine I carry a mild aperient, magnesia cit., in bottles with air-tight covers, a supply of compound zymine (a most valuable ferment), and Burroughs's pocket-case. Phosphates I administer by selecting the food of the person under treatment. And I see that there is an abundant supply of fruits on board. Often I have noticed individuals in a yachting party come aboard for a cruise of a few weeks, all life and gaiety, and next day be quite depressed by the reaction from the excitement and novelty of the change. Such a person requires a little immediate treatment, or several days may elapse before he or she will be fit to enjoy the pleasures of the situation. It is necessary that there should be agreeable amusements to occupy the minds of the party, when lamps are lighted and all assembled in the saloon; and the function of providing these in some measure falls within the doctor's duty.
The food should be carefully considered by the medical officer. When a party of very young men embark on a yachting excursion they seldom pay much attention to the quality of this necessary fuel; quantity appears to be with them the important consideration. But when the party consists mainly of men who have already embarked upon the responsibilities of life, men whose brain power is severely taxed, the cuisine must be such that, although they be not persons who 'live to eat,' they can regard the table as an additional attraction to the company surrounding it.
One of the most important elements towards the smooth working of the whole party is the presence of a lady, wife or mother or daughter of a member; her advent has a humanizing influence on the male members, however diverging their temperaments may be. If she be an artist or a musician (every lady should be a musician in its best sense) and does not object to smoking—if she be an artist she won't—in a properly ventilated, not draughty, cabin, her presence will be still more appreciated; and whether she be ashore or afloat, the fact that a gentlewoman is a member of the party helps to give a peaceful restful glamour to the whole cruise. These remarks are intended to apply chiefly to small vessels. In large steamers, Transatlantic or others, the duties of the medical officer are rather directed to restoring people when they have become ill. On a yachting cruise his great aim should be to keep people well.
Notes by the Hon. Steward
When I first accepted this post I felt rather inclined to resign at once, for when the party came on board I was saluted with what were intended to be facetious orders. It was nothing but, 'Steward! take care of this ammunition.' 'Steward! let me have some soap and hot water; get my bag down from deck and let me have a brandy and soda, and, look here! be quick about it, like a good fellow.' But having often benefited by the efforts of predecessors, I endured the good-natured badinage, which died off after the first day. My first duty was to see that the cooking appliances, cutlery, and table furniture were in good serviceable condition; and I found that 'Billy' had the entire service present on parade. The stove was a cast-iron one, a 'Fortress,' Smith & Wellstood, of Glasgow. It is a remarkable success. Though perhaps a little large for a small boat, as a great piece of the trunk deck was removable in fine weather, and the galley was otherwise well ventilated in cold, the heat was never objected to—at any rate 'Billy' never mentioned it. Catering for a cruise lasting a day or two, however large the party, does not call for any special remark, as it is easily done; but a cruise of more than four or five days in a yacht of limited accommodation involves some forethought as regards a menu offering a sufficient and agreeable variety. If you can calculate on making harbour periodically, arrangements may be made to have provisions sent from town to the railway station, to be called for. But in that case you are tied to call, and this fixity of programme is objected to by 'Graphics.' It follows that the provisions for the whole cruise must be carried. Now, as regards meats, flies are great enemies to the satisfactory hanging of meat in a boat. It is surprising the number one comes across on a coasting trip. I have often met three or four bees or wasps far away from shore, and big bluebottles turn up in the galley, unexpected and unwelcome guests. One of these is sufficient to make several joints of meat very objectionable in forty-eight hours. A perfect corrective for this state of things is a CO2 box—that is, a box like a refrigerator, fairly air-tight, and with a communication from a small steel cylinder of compressed carbonic-acid gas; this gas is in a liquid state, and a little is allowed to expand into the box occasionally. So long as there is carbonic-acid gas in the box, the lamb, or mutton, or beef, or other food, will not be troubled with insect life, larvæ or otherwise. If it be desired to cool the contents of the box, a good gush of the liquid gas is admitted. As it expands into the gaseous state it absorbs heat, and a temperature of -20º C. has thus been produced. The carbonic acid used is a by-product, hitherto wasted, from the fermenting tuns of breweries. It is now collected and pumped into steel cylinders. I am informed that before long it will be sold for 1d. per pound liquid: at present the price is 3d. in Dublin. In practice we do not use so low a temperature as that above mentioned, which would blister some hands, and leaves a hoar frost over the contents of the box. We simply fill the box with gas at ordinary temperature, taking advantage only of its antiseptic properties. We have kept lobsters under a little pressure for six months. At the end of that time they had not parted with the delicate flavour of fresh lobster, and were totally unlike the tinned lobster one buys, which, with nearly all the tinned meats I know of, will keep you from starvation, and that is all that can be said in their behalf. The prolonged high temperature to which they must be subjected in order to kill the bacillic spores practically destroys the best qualities of the natural juices. Some of the tinned vegetables are good and nutritious. Apples, French peas, French beans, pineapples, sweet corn, potatoes, pears, peaches, and tomatoes, arranged in order of merit as I have found them, are invaluable in a boat; but before using them examine the tins inside, especially those containing acid fruits. If the tins display a beautiful crystalline pattern inside, the contents should be dropped into cold water and rinsed for a few minutes before using. In any case the peas and beans and apples should invariably be rinsed in an abundant supply of cold water, and the fluid contents of the tins thrown away. It often surprises me that the makers of tins for 'canning' purposes do not invariably use those that are enamelled or 'glazed' inside; then there would be no fear of metallic oxides. At present, for what reason I will not state positively, the soups sold in tins do not agree with people. The flavours and the different kinds certainly afford variety enough, and would be unspeakably convenient aboard; but any experimenter, who has not a stomach like an ostrich, will find that if he uses these for a few days he will be ill. I make the statement without qualification. You cannot make any kind of soup in an ordinary way that will keep in bottle. The 'extracts of meat' do not contain any nourishing property; in fact, if you take any two animals, human or otherwise, feed one on water only, and the other on 'extracts of meat' only, the latter will be sure to die first (proven). As a consequence of all this we find it desirable to make our soups aboard, and for that purpose carry meats, &c., in the carbonic-acid box I have described.
Ringsend, Dublin.