MEDICAL TREATMENT. 173 



purpose of counteracting the smell of the 

 putrid blubber. It was fortunate the mistake 

 had been no worse, for there also happened to 

 be amongst the medical stores a jar of arsenical 

 soap for preserving skins, and our nautical 

 ^sculapius doubtless looked upon it also as a 

 mild aperient, or some other beneficial drug ; 

 probably he was keeping it in reserve, in case a 

 perseverance in the chloride of lime treatment 

 did not ultimately succeed. I at once put a 

 stop to his homicidal proceedings, and adminis- 

 tered to the two patients " Duse pil. cal. et op. 

 haust. cap." followed after four hours' interval 

 by two Seidlitz powders. I could not by any 

 means make out what was the matter with the 

 two men, although I must own I had some slight 

 suspicions of incipient scurvy, and I was not 

 aware whether in prescribing as above, I might 

 not be acting with as great a violation of pro- 

 fessional custom as Isaac with the chloride of 

 lime ; but except the drugs from the Ham- 

 merfest Apothek, whose Norwegian names and 

 looks quite puzzled me, I had no medicines 

 but the pills and Seidlitz powders, and to 

 them I should unhesitatingly have had re- 

 course if anything had been the matter with 

 myself. 



