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Using diaries, journals, and correspondence, the author introduces readers to doctors who endured life on the sea, what types of medicines and surgical tools they used, and what sort of people they encountered. Illustrations and photos.
List of contents
Chapter One - Medicine ar Sea: Woodall's the Surgion's Mate Chapter Two- Shipping Out Chapter Three- The Medicine Chest Chapter Four - the First Leg: Day-to-Day Life Chapter Five- The Whale Hunt Chapter Six Accidents, Injuries and Ailments Chapter Seven- Battling Scurvy Chapter Eight- Encounters with Native Peoples Chapter Nine- Motley, Reckles & Profligate:Troubles with Captains and Crews Epilogue0 The Fates of Our Surgeons Acknowledgements Bibliography Glossary John King's Patient Log Medical Chests:Comparative Chart Index
About the author
Joan Druettis the author of
She Captains: Heroines andHellions of the Sea(2000) and
Hen Frigates: Wives ofMerchant Captains Under Sail(1998). She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
Summary
Using diaries, journals and correspondence the author tells a fascinating story of remarkable men who shipped out as doctors on South Sea whalers in the early nineteenth century.
Additional text
"This book is literally a page-turner - I could not put it down - filled with new windows on history, technology and personal experience. It can be highly recommended." -- John Townley, International Journal of Maritime History"...You definitely do want to read the author's colorful stories." -- The Dallas Morning News"Those who enjoyed Patrick O'Brian's eye for historical detail will delight in Druett." -- Publisher's Weekly"Druett offers us a vivid sense of shipboard life in her descriptions of medicines, surgical tools, the tumult of a whale hunt and treatment of such common ailments as dysentery, dropsy, syphilis, scurvy and insanity." -- The Arizona Republic"Joan Druett's latest work lives up to her reputation as one of our foremost chroniclers of maritime lore." -- Roy Porter, author of The Greatest Benefit to Mankind"A wonderfully effective therapy for anyone interested in the story of the sea...Invigorating." -- Tim Severin, author of In Search of Moby Dick and The Brendan Voyage"Filled with accounts of the drama and tedium of whaling, exciting battles with whales, and the occasional gruesome medical event, the book should please sailing buffs, history buffs, and fans of the well-told, lifely story." -- William Beatty, Booklist
