210 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



Figures are fallacies, in many cases ; but, in relation 

 to this Mission work on the North Sea, they at least 

 convey some idea of the magnitude of the tasks attempted 

 and the ends achieved. During the year 1910 more 

 than 15,000 patients were medically and surgically 

 treated. 



The Queen Victoria, the Albert, the Alice Fisher, 

 and the Clulow were the sailing vessels which carried a 

 surgeon, and on board of which cases of a serious nature 

 could be treated ; but if the doctor was satisfied that 

 there was no hope for a patient, a run was made for port, 

 unless the sufferer was sent home in his own vessel or 

 the steam-carrier. There were ten berths in the large 

 airy hospital of the Queen Victoria, including two swing 

 cots, most valuable in cases of fracture. The " nurse " 

 was a smacksman himself, and therefore one of the 

 kindest and most willing of attendants on smacksmen 

 who were sick or injured. The dispensary was excel- 

 lently equipped, and a large number of out-patients could 

 be attended with comfort at one and the same time. 



In cases of serious accident there was an ingenious 

 and admirable contrivance in the form of a stretcher, by 

 which the sufferer could be brought on board, and the 

 pain consequent on the transference from one ship to 

 another reduced to a minimum. The introduction of 

 this stretcher alone prevents an incalculable amount of 

 suffering. It makes unnecessary the seizing of a patient 

 by his clothing or limbs when being lifted from the boat 

 to the hospital ship or carrier ; for the weather may be 

 such that one moment the boat is high above the vessel's 

 deck and the next deep in the trough of the sea. 



Before the days of stretchers a dozen strong arms 



