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19 juni 2006
Let's Talk Scurvy
ONE INTERESTING PARALLEL between Jonathan Raban's "Bad Land" and Roland Huntford's outstanding "Scott and Amundsen," both of which I read last week, is the appearance of scurvy, a disease caused by a Vitamin C deficiency (the body can only store Vitamin C for 3 months).
Scurvy struck homesteaders out West due to a limited diet, especially when just starting up homesteading, and the lack of knowledge of vitamins, which weren't discovered until well into the 20th century. Scurvy struck Scott's men, but not Amundsen's, due to Scott's poorer rations (and Amundsen's consumption of fresh dog meat). On the fatal walk back from their defeat at the Pole, scurvy struck Scott's party. One of the men, whose leg was one inch shorter than the other due to an old, healed thigh wound, watched his would unheal and reopen--a queer characteristic of scurvy. Scurvy was probably a factor in the men's deaths, not to mention Scott's chronic and astonishing ineptness.
Y. has been scared straight. She took 2 vitamins this morning and for lunch hied over to the Co-Op for a box of strawberries and 2 oranges for lunch, which were delicious. Yes sir, no scurvy here, yet (shudders).
Posted by ypsidixit at 19 juni 2006 13:00
Comments
It's astonishing that polar controversies still rage, right up till today. Take the Cook-Peary debacle. Still alive and well.
And here's one of the amazon reviews for the extremely well-written Huntsford book:
"The best thing about writing a book about a long-dead character is that they can't fight back. Roland Huntford is a professional journalist of the worst kind who literally uses his "intuition" to invent history when the facts inconveniently contradict his view. Huntford's purpose in writing the book was to make money; not to write anything approaching truth. His book is very readable, more's the pity - it's just rubbish.
Rather read Ranulph Fiennes book, "Captain Scott", which tells the story from the viewpoint of someone who knows Antartica and who presents a balanced viewpoint. He also highlights a number of untruths written by Mr. Huntford."
Posted by: Laura at 19 juni 2006 13:43
Fun polar fact (I gotta million of 'em): though Antarctica has 24 time zones, it goes by New Zealand time since that's where planes come from to get to the Pole.
To discern whether someone is a true polar literature fanatic or just an imposter, use this shibboleth: ask him or her how many toes that old crab Peary lost to amputation--yet kept right on truckin' (8).
Posted by: Laura at 19 juni 2006 14:02
Fun scurvy fact: (I gotta million of 'em--well, maybe not that many): Captain Cook got his men to eat what he regarded as an antiscorbutic, sauerkraut, by restricting it to the officers' mess, at which point the regular seamen who'd originally turned up their noses clamored for it.
Carnegie Mellon chapter of the National Association for Scurvy Awareness and Prevention page.
Posted by: Laura at 19 juni 2006 14:30
The Ada Blackjack book I mentioned on the other thread has an absolutely harrowing account of death by scurvy. Apparently, your appetite disappears at some point, so even when fresh vitamin-filled meat appears you may be too far gone to want to eat it.
Posted by: Sandy at 20 juni 2006 22:03
Oh, wow, I have that book! My sis thoughtfully gave it to me. Haven't read it yet, incredibly--but now it's #1 on my list. It got a bit buried in the bedside pile.
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