Thesis (M.Sc. in Biochem.) -- Mahidol University, 1970.

Christmas Island is situated in Long. 105°43' E and Lat. 10°25' S. The situation is climatically considered, strongly insular, being about 200 miles south of the Western part of Java. It is sheltered from the excessive rainfall of the East Indian Archipelago brought by the Easterly Trades which are greatly drained of their moisture by the time Java is passed. It is also outside the cyclonic region of the Indian Ocean, only one such storm being recorded since 1901, viz, that on 19th February 1904. The highest temperature recorded was 94.1° on 25th January 1903 and the lowest, 66.9° on 16th September 1902 - a range of 27.2°. The mean annual temperature is 80.8°. The mean is under 80.0° in the three months - July, August, September, but is above 80° during the other months of the year. The greatest variation of the temperature of Christmas Island is 20.0° or thereby and the least about 3.0°.

This thesis describes medical aspects of the expeditions of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration (1895-1922). It is divided into three sections. Section 1 describes the drugs and medical equipment taken to the Antarctic by these expeditions. There is an introductory discussion followed by papers on ophthalmic drugs, injections, inhalations and suppositories, oral drugs and topical preparations. Sledging medical cases are considered separately. Brandy was often used as a medicine and the medical uses of alcohol are described. Some expeditions took what were described as “medical comforts”. This term was sometimes used as a euphemism for alcoholic beverages but, in fact, encompassed a wide range of foods for invalids. Burroughs Wellcome and Co. supplied many of the expeditions with drugs and their medical chests. They used the expedition link in their advertising and the relationship between the expeditions and drug companies is described. Section 2 describes some of the medical problems encountered. The most serious problems were scurvy and a condition often called “polar anaemia”, which seems to be the same as a condition known at the time as “ship beriberi” and what is now described as “wet beriberi”. The controversy as to whether Captain Scott and his colleagues died of scurvy is also discussed. Other problems included frostbite and snow blindness. At least 11 general anaesthetics were given, including two for amputation of frostbitten toes. Psychological problems were common and there was some serious psychiatric illness including alcohol abuse. Section 3 describes the doctors and some of the research that they carried out. The most common research done by doctors was bacteriological. Most doctors collected biological data on the explorers including weights and haemoglobin measurements. This was largely for health monitoring but one doctor pursued physiological research. Three doctors and a medical student studied geology.

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An essential part of bioarchaeology is the study of diet and nutrition and its effects on the general health of a person. Interpretation of nutritional and metabolic disease related pathologies often provide additional insight into the daily social and cultural practices of people. It is therefore also an essential part of understanding differences amongst past populations from archaeological contexts and provides an alternative means for cross referencing historical accounts. In this study the skeletal remains of 36 Chinese indentured mine labourers, who worked and died on the Witwatersrand mines during the period AD 1904-1910, were assessed for any signs of metabolic or nutritionally related signs of disease. Historical information suggests that these indentured Chinese labourers came from poverty stricken communities in China where disease and malnutrition were often encountered. Once in South Africa they were again subjected to the harsh living and working conditions associated with mining. Analyses suggest that all 36 individuals were males between the ages of 16 and 45 years, with the majority being of young adult age (20-34 years). Pathology that could be observed included a high prevalence of nutrition-related changes and linear enamel hypoplasia which suggests that the Chinese miners had been subjected to long periods of malnutrition and illness throughout childhood continuing into adulthood. Nevertheless, a large proportion of lesions associated with malnutrition showed some degree of healing. A high frequency of traumatic lesions, specifically peri-mortem fractures, was observed and may have contributed to the death of many of the Chinese miners. It therefore seems that even though the healing of pathological lesions associated with malnutrition indicated a period of improved nutritional intake, possibly during their time on the Witwatersrand mines, the high prevalence of peri-mortem fractures attests to the hazardous working conditions associated with deep-level mining. In order to aid in the interpretation of skeletal pathology associated with metabolic and nutritional diseases non-specific signs of disease observed in a cadaver skeletal sample with known causes of death (related to specific metabolic or nutritional diseases) were compared to pathology observed in the Chinese miners. This provided pathological patterns which enabled a better interpretation of the pathology observed in the Chinese skeletal remains. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / am2014 / Anatomy / unrestricted