46 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



We are under obligations to the North American Commercial Com- 

 pany for the transportation of Prof. B. W. Evermann and Mr. ISf. B. 

 Miller, the photographer, from Unalaska to the Seal Islands and return, 

 also for subsisting them on the islands and facilitating their investiga- 

 tions generally. 



MEDICAL REPORT. 

 [By T. A. Berryliill, passed assistant surgeon, IT. S. Na\'y.] 



I have to report that during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1S02, the 

 ship being at sea 44 per cent of the time, there were admitted to the 

 sick-list of this vessel 46 patients, of wliom 42 were discharged to duty 

 and 4 transferred to hospital. There were 24.3 working days lost by 

 these x)atients, which is about 3i per cent of the whole number of work- 

 ing days of the entire ship's company. The number of days' work lost 

 on account of injuries was 93, leaving 137 days' work lost on account 

 of diseases due to contagion and infection, and conditions of ship life. 

 The remaining 13 days were lost by a patient sent for transfer to hos- 

 pital. 



At one time there threatened to be an epidemic of " grippe," 5 cases 

 being admitted to the sick-list and many others being under treatment 

 who continued at work, but it was averted or limited, jirobably by the 

 sanitary precautions recommended by the medical officer and carried 

 out by the commander. 



The general health of the officers and crew during the year may be 

 considered as having been excellent. During the cruises of the vessel 

 on the cable survey to Honolulu nothing of medical interest was noted. 



During the cruises to Alaska and Bering Sea medical attention and 

 medicines were furnished the natives and the white settlers at Port 

 Graham, Soldovoi, Coal Harbor, Kadiak, Port Etches, Atka, Attn, 

 Unalaska, and Bering Island. At each place medicines were left for 

 the treatment of cases seen by the medical officer, and in some cases 

 medicines were left, with directions for using, to treat cases that might 

 occur. 



In none of these places could medical advice be obtained except from 

 men-of-war or the revenue cutters. At Bering Island medical atten- 

 tion was given the Kussian governor, there being no doctor there except 

 when a Eussian war vessel is in port. At Unalaska advice and medi- 

 cines were given to the sailors on the whaling and merchant vessels 

 whenever requested. 



While in Bering Sea it was interesting to note the immunity the 

 ship's company enjoyed from colds and catarrhal affections, not one 

 case of respiratory disease occurring. 



The system of ventilation on board has i)reviously been described. 

 By its use the ship can be kept dry and the air in the living quarters 

 kept pure. The use of steam heat has been of great advantage from a 



