Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-10
COLD AND DRINK.

COLD AND DRINK.
Cur1o us Statistics of Total Abstinence in
| the Arctic Regions.
| From the London Times.
Among other results of the Arctic
expedition, some curious statistics
have been obtained with reference to
the question of total abstinence The
abstainers who went out with the ex-
petition were six, viz: William NAL
lay, Adam Ayles, William Gore, Joiner
and Self, of the Alert, and Henry Pet
ty, of the Discovery. There were two
or three other seamen who joined the
temperance cause during the commits
sion, and it is only fair to state that the
novices suffered from scurvy like the
rest of the crew. Malay was not en-
ployed on any long journeys, but was
repeatedly out with supporting parties.
He states that the sledging parties of
the Alert suffered greater privations
than those from the sister ship. They
had pushed beyond the limit of animal
life, and their supplies of reindeer and
musk-ox were soon exhausted. They
were constantly obliged to subsist en-
tirely upon ships stores, and this en-
| forced abstinence from animal food
made them in q special degree suscep-
tible to scurvy. On the termination of
the sledging duties at the end of July,
the abstainers found that they had sur
passed the remainder of the Alert's
crew in the number of days sledging
performed. On this occasion Ayles had
been out 10 days and Malay SO, "and
| it is a remarkable fact" the latter re-
marks, -" that neither of us was attack
ed by scurvy, but enjoyed good health,
and were only weakened by
our arduous duties in sleigh
ing work" Adam Ayles is a
teetotaler of many years standing.
He was not out for ITO days sleighing,
but on one occasion he Was out no less
than eighty-four days from the ship at
a time. On this occasion scurvy had
attacked the party, and had gained on
them SO suddenly that, with the excep-
ton of Lieut.. Aldrich and Ayles, the
whole of the men (seven in number)
were in a helpless condition. Dodge
and Mitchell still managed to struggle
by the side of the sledge, but the other
four invalids who had held out until
the last moment, were obliged to be
carried. We have already stated that
OF the two who were free from scurvy
Adam Ayles was one. The other was
Lieutenant Aldrich, who, although no
abstainer, was next door to one, dilut-
ing his rum more than any other mem
Der of the expedition. During the
whole of his sledge journey Ayles ate
and slept well, and bore the cold better
than those who were accustomed to
take stimulants. The rest Of the party
had a double allowance Of grog, forty
five above proof, before turning in.
They also smoked great deal, but for
his part, Ayles says he neither drank
nor smoked, and he took care that
his allowance of grog was stopped on
joining the ship. Twice week there
was beer served out, which was con-
sidered q great luxury, as 1t occupied
much room in travelling, and was dealt
out very sparingly. He was never in
better health in his life than at the
present time.
Henry Petty, teetotaler Of sixteen
years standing, was the only total ab-
stainer in the Discovery. He accom-
panied Captain Stevenson in all his
sleighing excursions, and as it fell to
his lot to act as cook while they were
away from the ship, and he was thus
obliged to get out into the cold for an
hour and half in the morning and
for the same period IN the evening; he
was most exposed to the frost of any
man in the ship. He was sledging
sixty days in all. On one occasion he
accompanied the Captain to the Alert,
a distance of ninety miles, doing the
journey in four days and eight hours,
and returning in three days and half.
He had been medically examined on
Tuesday by the Doctor of the ship,
with the rest of the crew, and he learned
that he had never been treated for
scurYy. He had only suffered cut in
the hand. He believed that his i'm
munity from disease was entirely
owing to his teetotalism. He had slept
well throughout the campaign, and had
relished his food. He had also
escaped frost-bite.
Gore, it seems, had been an abstainer
until be was 81 years old, but in an I'M
guarded moment while on the sledge
Journeys, he succumbed to the tempta-
tons and persuasion of his compan-
IONS, ana IOOK 10 grOg. ITeVlOIs 10
breaking his pledge, Gore states that he
could eat as well as any one. In fact:
after devouring his portion, he was in
the habit of looking about for more;
but no sooner had he taken to grog
drinking than he found his appetite to
fail, and he was deprived of the re-
freshing sleep which he had formerly
enjoyed. He was the only Good Tenn
plar who joined the expedition that was
attacked with the scurvy, and for this
he was no doubt indebted to his un-
faithfulness. He gave stimulants, he
remarks, a fair trial, and he is now con-
WINGED that it was the grog which did
the mischief. Itmay be noticed that
the testimony of the whole ships COM
panies and officers included