92 FISHERMEN OF THE UNITED STATES. 



mosl prevalent disease, but since they are well fed this disease is much less common than would be 

 supposed. An experienced physician of Gloucester says that consumption is especially prevalent 

 among young men under thirty-live years of age. 



Colds are somewhat prevalent in severe weather, though many fishermen have the idea that 

 if they go to sea with a cold it will disappear as soon as they get out of sight of land. 



The occurrence of dyspepsia is accounted for, by one who knows, in the following manner: 

 "Fishermen eat from three to five meals a day, and mug up between meals whenever they can get 

 a chance, and in rough weather, when they are getting no exercise, they frequently eat a hearty 

 meal and lie down immediately; this injudicious course results in many cases in chronic indi- 

 gestion." 



Rheumatism frequently results from exposure to cold and wet, and men who are engaged in 

 packing fish in ice are especially liable to this complaint. 



As is always the ease on shipboard, there is much irregularity, and bowel complaints are very- 

 prevalent ; and this also has its effect upon the health of the men. The dissipation into which 

 some of the crews pluuge when upon laud has an injurious effect upon their constitutions, and 

 breaks down many strong men. 



Cases of nervous exhaustion are not at all uncommon, especially among skippers and fisher- 

 men who are ambitious for promotion or to become wealthy. This is particularly observable in the 

 halibut fishery, in which the skipper, while making passages to and from the fishing grounds, is 

 constantly watchful and wakeful for many days and nights, and sometimes does not remove his 

 clothing for many days. The immoderate use of tobacco is believed, in some cases, to have aggra- 

 vated the effects of such over-exertion. Strong young men, in this way, break themselves down in 

 the course of three or four years, so that they are obliged to turn their attention to less arduous 

 branches of the fisheries. The custom prevalent among cod fishermen on George's of fishing night 

 and day in order to be "high line," or first in success among their shipmates, is also wearing 

 in the extreme, and does not fail to tell upon the constitutions of those who practice it. The 

 exhausting character of the halibut fisheries, indeed of the winter fisheries generally, may be 

 judged of from the fact that men over forty-five years of age rarely engage in them except as 

 masters of vessels, young blood and strong limbs being necessary ; and those who have not succeeded 

 in attaining to the dignity of skipper before reaching that age, having become exhausted by the 

 arduous labors, seek either some other branch of the fisheries in which there is less hardship, or 

 some employment on shore. 



Medicines. — All the first-class Gloucester fishing vessels cany medicine chests, but the judi- 

 cious use and proper condition of these depend upon the skipper, who usually administers any 

 remedies which may he needed. These medicine chests are fitted up by reliable druggists in 

 Gloucester, especially lor the needs of the fishermen, and are accompanied by a book of instruc- 

 tions, by the aid of which any intelligent man can prescribe tor the diseases to which fishermen 

 arc liable. Aperients, cathartics, purgatives, salves, and liniments are the remedies most fre- 

 quently called lor. Next to those come expectorants and other cough medicines. The only surgi- 

 cal instrument \\ Inch accompanies the outfit is the lancet.* 



•A typical medii im i tn i was exhibited in the American Bections at the international Fishery Exhibitions of 

 Berlin and London. It is described in the catalogue as follows : 



Fisherman's medii im i hest.— This chest is filled and ready lor use. 'tin contents are: 1. Bulphnr; -2, croam 



..I' tartar ; :!, epsoui salts; 4, arrow-root : 5, chamomile flower : 6, flax seed; 7, flax seed meal ; 8, bicarbonate of soda : 



:>, Turner's cerate; 10, mercurial ointment ; II. basilicon ointment ; 12, Bimple ointment ; 13, glycerine ointment; 14, 



act of paregoric; 15, extract of vitriol ; 16, laudanum; 17, Fryar's balsam; is, essence ••! peppermint : 19, spirits 



of niter; 20, balsam copaiba; -21, sulphuric ether; 22, syrup of squills; 'j:s, Boap liniment ; -21. spirits of lavender; 25, 



