THE FIRST WINTER 20'S 
the Inland Plateau provide the necessary impetus is im- 
perfect. It was Simpson’s suggestion that “‘the deposition 
of snow on the Barrier leads to an expansion due to the 
increase of weight.”” Some admittedly vague ideas as to 
the extent and character of the inland ice-sheet ended a 
clever and convincing paper which contained a lot of good 
reasoning. 
Simpson proved anexcellent lecturer, andin meteorology 
and in the explanation of the many instruments with which 
his corner of the hut was full he possessed subjects which 
interested and concerned everybody. Nelson on Biological 
Problems and Taylor on Physiography were always inter- 
esting. “Taylor, | dreamt of your lecture last night. How 
could I live so long in the world and not know something of 
so fascinatingasubject!” Thus Scottonthemorning follow- 
ing one ofthese lectures.1 Wright on Ice Problems, Radium, 
and the Origin of Matter had highly technical subjects 
which left many of us somewhat befogged. But Atkinson 
on Scurvy had an audience each member of which felt that 
he had a personal interest in the subject under discussion. 
Indeed one of his hearers was to sufter the advanced stage 
of this dread disease within six months. Atkinson inclined 
to Almroth Wright’s theory that scurvy is due to an acid 
intoxication of the blood caused by bacteria. He described 
the litmus-paper test which was practised on us monthly, 
and before and after sledge journeys. In this the blood of 
each individual is drawn and various strengths of dilute 
sulphuric acid are added to it until it is neutralized, the 
healthy man showing normal 30 to 50, while the man 
with scorbutic signs will be normal s0 to go according to 
the stage to which he has reached. The only thing which 
is certain to stop scurvy is fresh vegetables: fresh meat 
when life is otherwise under extreme conditions will not 
do so, an instance being the Siege of Paris when they 
had plenty of horse meat. In 1795 voyages were being 
ruined by scurvy and Anson lost 300 out of 500 men, but 
in that year the first discoveries were made and lime-juice 
was introduced by Blaine. From this time scurvy prac- 
1 With Scott: The Silver Lining, Taylor, p. 240. 
