Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

ut healed fairly quickly. I caught it just in time as the nail bed had begun to
fester.
In July I collected together a medical kit for sledging and typed out a list of
instructions to go with it - just in case I became a victim! Derek developed a bad
headache, possibly from snow glare affecting his eyes.
On l August we weighed ourselves again; we had put on a bit of blubber and
were heavier:
Derek 201 lbs
Dick 181 lbs
Ralph l58 lbs
On 8 August Derek developed a large blister which was exuding pus, but
otherwise looked healthy enough. I put on a dry dressing, which cleared it up.
Another day I felt unwell and went to bed for an hour until dinner; improved
then and typed up notes after dinner.
There were occasional ‘psychological’ problems too. At the end of June Ralph
was rather moody one day for no apparent reason; for five days in August he was
again very moody and in low spirits, which I wasn’t able to raise. At the
beginning of September he was low and suffering from a headache. I took his
temperature but it was only slightly up. He went to bed early, but read until 11.l5
pm so I thought his headache couldn't be too bad! I had one that night too; the
Tilley light was very dim. Next day he was still low and went out early on to
Gourlay Point. I had a long talk with him when he came back and we also had a
drink at dinner, which was cheering. He became much better and we decided he
had been suffering from melancholia. (Nowadays it would probably be
diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD).
One morning I had a row with Ralph because he took some of my special
yellow paint and numbered the snowy and giant nests on Knife Point. I was
annoyed because my stock of these special paints was very limited and they were
intended for marking seals; indiscriminate application was useless. But I knew he
was only trying to be helpful. I have no doubt that the others must have become
annoyed with me from time to time, but don’t recollect any particular situations.
I developed quite badly frostbitten toes on the main winter journey 1948, and
after our return they became very swollen with very large blisters enveloping the
whole front part of both feet; it was painful and my feet were sensitive to
vibration - people walking near. I stayed in bed but there was no improvement in
the foot. Weeks later my toes were still without sensation and it was cold outside
so I stayed in although it was a lovely day. Towards the end of September Derek
wasn't feeling well - a stomach problem - so I kept him in bed. And at the end of
September one of Ralph's eyes was painful, so I bathed it in boracic acid solution
and squirted in some golden eye ointment.
I developed another filthy cold at the beginning of January after I had been
unpacking some clothing. Although I felt like going to bed I was on cook duty, so
soldiered on; it lasted only for a few days but wasn’t an ordinary cold. Another
day I fell and grazed my hand badly and it was covered in noxious dirt from a
seal wallow, but I cleaned it up and later soused it in dettol, when it healed
quickly.
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