92 FISHEEMEN OF THE XmiTBD STATES. 



most 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-five 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 fl.ve 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." 



Eheumatism 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 case 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 plunge when upon land 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 befDre 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. 



Mbdioinbs. — AU the first-class Gloucester fishing vessels carry medicine chests, but the judi- 

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

 remedies which may be needed. These medictue chests are fitted up by reliable druggists in 

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

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

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

 quently called for. Fext to those come expectorants and other cough medicines. The only surgi- 

 cal instrument which accompanies the outfit is the lancet.* 



* A typical medicine-oliest was e£hibited in the American sections at the International Fishery Exhihitions of 

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



Fishbeman's mkdicinb-chest.— This chest is filled and ready for use. The contents are : 1, sulphur ; 3, cream 

 of tartar ; 3, epsom salts ; 4, arrow-root ; 5, chamomile flower ; 6, flax-seed ; 7, flax-seed meal ; 8, bicarbonate of soda ; 

 9, Turner's cerate; 10, mercurial ointment; 11, ba silicon ointment; 12, simple ointment; 13, glycerine ointment; 14, 

 extract of paregoric; 15, extract of vitriol; 16, laudanum; 17, Fryar's balsam; 18, essence of peppermint ; 19, spirits 

 of niter ; 20, balsam oopaiba ; 21, sulphnrio ether ; 32, syrup of squills ; 23, soap liniment ; 24, spirits of lavender ; 25, 



