Cassidy, J: Canadian Journal of Medicine and Surgery, Vol. 1

Excerpt from The Canadian Journal of Medicine and Surgery, Vol. 12: A Journal Published Monthly in the Interest of Medicine and Surgery; July to December, 1902

If the surgeon's preliminary examination of the men before embarking has been at all thorough he will have no cases of hernia, venereal disease, old standing dislocations, abscess, or ulcer from general debility; and the injuries sustained after going on ship board by vigorous and healthy individuals will be found to heal with great rapidity.

The punctured wounds are generally received from the sharp steel barbs upon the ice-gaff with which the seals are killed; the incised from the scalping-knives with which the skin is removed from the carcase the gunshot wounds from the ri¿es with which they art shot, and the lacerated wounds from the fangs or claws of the seal itself when the animal shows fight.

Fractures and dislocations are the result usually of either falls from the ship, in the ship or upon the ice, or from accident on the ship where machinery is used in stowing the seals, and on the ice where spasmodic muscular efforts are often necessary in leaping from pan to pan. Accidents of this sort are always imminent under any possible conditions, and the absence of any such cases for a couple of voyages is a very frail warrant of security.

Gunshot wounds, grave and even fatal, are likely to occur at any time when the men are shooting the old seals; and especially when the ice is occupied by parties from different ships, engaged in the same vicinity. One or two hair-breadth escapes came under mv notice upon the present voyage, but happily nothing more.

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