Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-767nl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T21:21:53.489Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Human biology investigations during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration (1897–1922)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2013

H.R. Guly
H.R. Guly*
Affiliation:
The Shrubbery, Bedford Rd, Horrabridge, Yelverton, Devon PL20 7QH (hguly@aol.com)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article describes the human biological data that was collected from the participants of the Antarctic expeditions of the ‘heroic age’ (1897–1922). Routine body weights, waist circumference, spirometry and grip strength measurements were performed on a number of the expeditions for monitoring health and at least four expeditions measured the haemoglobin level and demonstrated that anaemia did not occur. The only true research was done by Dr A.L. McLean of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, who measured hair and nail growth and investigated immunity. By modern standards, the data collected is of little value but McLean's work laid the groundwork for modern research into the effects of Antarctic residence on the human organism.

Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 2014 , pp. 183 - 191
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anonymous. 1902. Liste des rapports scientifiques. In: Koehler, R. (editor). Résultats du voyage du S.Y. Belgica en 1897–1898–1899. Zoologie: échinides et ophiures. Anvers: J.E. Buschmann: unnumbered pages at back of volume.Google Scholar
Anon. (Anonymous). 1912a. The polar malady. Scientific American 106 (25): 559.Google Scholar
Anon. (Anonymous). 1912b. Séance du 27 Février 1912. Bulletin de la Societé Zoologique de France 37: 47–48.Google Scholar
Atkinson, E.L. 1913. Report of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910–1913. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute MS 280/281/1–2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, E.L. 1915. The British Antarctic Expedition 1910–1913. Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 1: 1–14.Google Scholar
Atkinson, E.L. 1924. Equipment and stores. In: Lyons, H.G. (editor). British (Terra Nova) Antarctic Expedition 1910–1913. Miscellaneous data. London: Harrison and Sons Ltd for the Committee of the Captain Scott Antarctic Fund: 30–60.Google Scholar
Bernacchi, L. 1901. To the south polar regions: expedition of 1898–1900. London: Hurst and Blackett Ltd.Google Scholar
Booth, J. 1977. A short history of blood pressure measurement. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 70: 793–799.Google Scholar
Borchgrevink, C.E. 1980. First on the Antarctic continent. London: C. Hurst and Co. (First published in 1901).Google Scholar
Boycott, A.E. 1912. Sahli's hæmoglobinometer. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine (Pathology section) 5: 43–45.Google Scholar
Charcot, J.-B. 1978. The voyage of the ‘Pourquoi Pas?’ Translator Walsh, P.. London: C. Hurst and Co. (First published in French in 1910.)Google Scholar
Cherry-Garrard, A. 2001. The worst journey in the world. London: Picador. (First published in 1922).Google Scholar
Cook, F.A. 1980.Through the first Antarctic night. London: Hurst and Co. (First published 1900)Google Scholar
Cope, J. 1917. Medical report of the Ross Sea Base ITAE. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute MS 157/4/3.Google Scholar
De Gerlache de Gomery, A. 1998. Fifteen months in the Antarctic. Translator M.M. Raraty. Huntingdon: The Erskine Press and Bluntisham Books. (First published in French 1902.)Google Scholar
Donovan, K.M. 1977. Antarctic environment and nail growth. British Journal of Dermatology 96: 507–510.Google Scholar
Ekelöf, E. 1904. Medical aspects of the Swedish Antarctic expedition October 1901–January 1904. Journal of Hygiene 4: 511–540.Google Scholar
Ekelöf, E. 1905. Die gesundheits und krankenpflege während der Schwedischen Südpolar-Expedition Oktober 1901–Januar 1904. In: Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Südpolar-expedition unter leitung von Dr Otto Nordenskjöld. Vol. 1, parts 3 and 4. Berlin: A. Asher and Co.: 1–30.Google Scholar
Evans, E.R.G.R. 1937. How the sailor looks at the surgeon and the medical aspects of polar exploration from a sailor-explorer's viewpoint. Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 23: 14–30.Google Scholar
Fawcett, L. 1947. Letter to the secretary, Royal Geographical Society 11 March 1947. London: Royal Geographical Society Archives MS RFS.Google Scholar
Filchner, W. 1994. To the sixth continent: the second German South Polar Expedition. Translator, W. Barr. Huntingdon: Bluntisham Books. (First published in German 1922.)Google Scholar
Fogg, G.E. 2005. A history of Antarctic science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gazert, H. 1927. Ärztliche erfahrungen und studien auf der Deutschen Südpolar-Expedition 1901–1903. In: Auftrage des Reichsamtes des Innern. Vol. 4 (1). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter and Co.: 297–352.Google Scholar
Gormly, P.J. and Ledingham, J.E.. 1983. Nail growth in Antarctic regions. Australasian Journal of Dermatology 24: 86–89.Google Scholar
Gourdon, E. 1913. Thèse pour le Doctorat en Médecine; un hivernage dans l'Antarctique. Paris: G. Steinheil.Google Scholar
Gray, J. 1908. A new instrument for determining the colour of the hair, eyes, and skin. Man 8: 54–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guly, H.R. 2012. ‘Polar anaemia’: cardiac failure during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Polar Record 48: 157–164.Google Scholar
Guly, H.R. In press a. Dr. Koettlitz, Reginald (1860–1916): Arctic and Antarctic explorer. Journal of Medical Biography.Google Scholar
Guly, H.R. In press b. The understanding of scurvy during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Polar Record. DOI: 10.1017/S0032247411000428.Google Scholar
Guly, H.R. In press c. Bacteriology during the expeditions of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Polar Record. DOI: 10.1017/S0032247412000356.Google Scholar
Haldane, J. 1901. The colorimetric determination of hæmoglobin. Journal of Physiology 26: 497–504.Google Scholar
Institut de France, Académie des Sciences. 1907. Instructions pour l'expédition Antarctique organisée par le Dr Jean Charcot. Paris: Gauthiers-Villars.Google Scholar
Jones, A.A. 2011. Scott's forgotten surgeon. Dunbeath: Whittles Publishing.Google Scholar
Jones, M. (editor). 2005. Robert Falcon Scott journals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Jones, S.E. and McLean, A.L.. 1915. Appendix V. Medical reports. In: Mawson, D. (editor). The home of the blizzard: being the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911–1914. Vol. 2. London: William Heinemann: 307–310.Google Scholar
Koettlitz, R. 1902. Letter to R.F. Scott, 3 October 1902. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute MS 366/14; ER.Google Scholar
Koettlitz, R. 1904. Physiological measurements and bacteriological notebooks. London: Natural History Museum Archive (MS National Antarctic Expedition 1901–1904).Google Scholar
Lawrence, C. 1978. Physiological apparatus in the Wellcome Museum. 1. The Marey sphygmograph. Medical History 22: 196–200.Google Scholar
Lawrence, C. 1979. Physiological apparatus in the Wellcome Museum. 3. Early sphygmomanometers. Medical History 23: 474–478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawrence, C. 1985. Moderns and ancients: the ‘new cardiology’ in Britain 1880–1930. Medical History Supplement 5: 1–33.Google Scholar
Lewis, H.E. and Masterton, J.P.. 1963. Polar physiology. The Lancet 1: 1009–1014.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloyd, G.E.R. (editor). 1983. Hippocratic writings. Translators Chadwick, J. and Mann, W.N.. London: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Lugg, D.S. 2000. Antarctic medicine. Journal of the American Medical Association 283: 2082–2084.Google Scholar
Macklin, A.H. 1921. A polar expedition. The Lancet 1: 660–662.Google Scholar
Macklin, A.H. 1923. Appendix V – Medical. In: Wild, F.Shackleton's last voyage: the story of the ‘Quest’. London: Cassells and Co. Ltd: 352–365.Google Scholar
Marshall, E. 1909. Appendix 6. Report on the health of the expedition. In: Shackleton, E.H.The Heart of the Antarctic. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co.: 426–428.Google Scholar
Marshall, E. 1950. Letter to Dr E.J.C. Kendall, 22 August 1950. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute MS 656/1–4.Google Scholar
Massy-Westropp, N.M., Gill, T.K., Taylor, A.W., Bohannon, R.W. and Hill, C.L.. 2011. Hand grip strength: age and gender stratified normative data in a population-based study. BioMed Central Research Notes 4: 127.Google Scholar
Mawson, D. 1911. Letter to Dr A.L. McLean,. 23 Sept 1911. In: McLean, A.L.. Scrapbook. Sydney: Library of New South Wales MLMSS 7642X Microfilm - CY 4655.Google Scholar
McLean, A.L. 1919. Bacteriological and other researches. Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911–14. Sydney. (Scientific reports seriesC, vol. VII, part 4).Google Scholar
Miisho, S. 1912. Appendix VII. The report of the medical officer. In: The Shirase Expedition Supporters’ Association. The Japanese South Polar Expedition 1910–12. Translators Dagnell, L. and Shibata, H.. Huntingdon: Bluntisham Books: 281–285. (First published in Japanese in 1913).Google Scholar
Murray, G. (editor). 1901. The Antarctic manual for the use of the expedition of 1901. London: Royal Geographical Society.Google Scholar
Murray, J., Duke of Argyll J.D., Hooker, G., Neumayer, C., Markham, A., Geikie, and Thompson, D.W.. 1898. The scientific advantages of an Antarctic expedition. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 62: 424–451.Google Scholar
Osler, W. 1907. The principles and practice of medicine (6th edition). London: Appleton and Co.Google Scholar
Porter, R. 1997. The greatest benefit to mankind. London: Harper Collins.Google Scholar
Sapin-Jaloustre, J. and Goddard, T.H.. 1956. A French follow up of research carried out in 1912 by Dr A.L. Maclean of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911–1914, on the slowing down of the growth of hair and nails in Antarctica. Medical Journal of Australia 2: 639–641.Google Scholar
Skelton, J. 2004. The Antarctic journals of Reginald Skelton. Cheltenham: Reardon Publishing.Google Scholar
Taylor, G. 1916. With Scott: the silver lining. London: Smith, Elder and Co.Google Scholar
Williams, C.T. 1876. The influence of climate in the treatment of pulmonary consumption. British Medical Journal 1: 38–42.Google Scholar
Wilson, E.A. 1905. The medical aspect of the Discovery's voyage to the Antarctic. British Medical Journal 2: 77–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, E.A. 1966. Diary of the ‘Discovery’ expedition. Editor Savours, A.. London: Blandford Press.Google Scholar
Wilson, O. 1953. Physiological changes in blood in the Antarctic. British Medical Journal 2: 1425–1428.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, A.E. 1897. On a simple method of measuring the alkalinity of the blood. The Lancet 2: 719–721.Google Scholar
Wright, A.E. 1900. On the pathology and therapeutics of scurvy. The Lancet 2: 565–567.Google Scholar
Wright, A.E. and Colebrook, L.. 1918. On the acidosis of shock and suspended circulation. The Lancet 1: 763–765.Google Scholar