The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-01
FIFTEEN DAYS ADRIFT ON
 A RAFT @",

A RAFT
 Four men were rescued from small raft and one man from life boat after they had been adrift | fifteen days in August, near the Grand Banks of New Foundland. j Of the 41 men on the torpedoed ship twelve were able Nto board rafts and an overturned ,lifeboat, three men on each of three rafts, three clinging to the lifeboatA After three days the three men clinging to the lifeboat succeeded in right ing it, but one man drowned dur ing the process. One raft with three men abroad became separated from the rest and was never seen again. On the 18th day one of the two remaining rafts began to break up, and one occupant was able to trans fer to the other raft.
 The two men remaining on the damaged raft had been drinking sea water for two days. As a result of this they became irrational and too weak to transfer to the other raft. They made no attempt to help | themselves and their shipmates were too weak to help them. When their raft broke up they drowned. ] Then there were just four men left on the remaining raft.
 Originally there was about three gallons of water in water break | CT on the raft. The men allowed themselves very small rationS of water, and they add a little sea | A1 otals tn it last longer.
 Lieut.. Harry s. Good, Medical Corps, U. s. Naval Reserve, report ing his observations of the men after rescue (U. s. Naval Med. Bull letin, Mar, 43), says he has found | that mixing sea water with fresh water in the proportion of 1:6 does not give a salty taste, but Is does make 1t taste salty.
 i pr. Good observes that no doubt these survivors lost a considerable quantity of salt each day via the | kidney and by sweating, as they became day by day progressively more dehydrated. It was therefore rather fortunate that they did add a small amount of salt water to the fresh water they had to drink, and probably most physiologiStS and physicians will agree with this na- val surgeons sound observation. It has been generally recognized in recent years that any one who is | exposed to natural or artificial heat, at work or play or during heat wave, derives more refresh ment fi'Um drinking salted water or taking a good pinch Give or ten grains) of salt with every drink Of water than from drinking water or other beverage without salt. This replenishment of the body's salt supply when considerable salt is lost in sweating (visible or inSen- sible swea0 is advisable also for prevention or treatment of heat ex- haustion or heat cramps or sun stroke.
 Dr. Good observed further that areas of the skin that were black with oil Gin which the men had been immersed at the time of the i torpedoing) were in better condi- tion than the exposed skin. He suggests that two or three quarts of suitable oil for application to, the skin should be included in each life boat box or raft equipment.
 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
 If It Is Mild It is Right
 The iodine vial is labelled "con- tains 87q5 alcohol but it does not 1 say what the iodine strength is. 1 Is this the right iodine for the Iodin Ration? (Mrs. c. H)
 Answer-If it is the right iodine 1t should be labelled Mild Tincture of Iodine U. s. P.-the amount of alcohol is insignificant. Send stamp ed envelope bearing your address for Instructions for Taking an Iodin Ration"
 Cri-Free Family
 1 And I thought you might like to know that since reading your book i let Call it Cri'' two years ago we haven't had it in our family, and prior to that we had more than our share every year. (Mrs. K. P.)
 Answer-Thank you. Your report means much more to me than you may think. I think of cri (pro- nounced kree, meaning whatever l common respiratory 1nIeCClOH IL proves to be) as the preventable cause of three-fourths of the every day illness attended by physicians, easily most of the loss of time from work or duty Epidemic meningitis, infantile paralysis, measles, flu, pneumonia, simple coryza, acute sore throat-these are all the cri in fact, although often spread, un- der the approval of physicians and health authorities, in the guise of "juSt a bad cold"
 Copyright 1914, John F. Dille Col sign. The timing of the break with | kI1o x,Axrv @Iao lot .