Allergies

[j.sabourn]

I can well remember in 1968 having an Indian 3rd. Engineer who rolled up to my door at sea one day, he was hardly reconizeable his head was nearly twice the size and his eyes were like two little slits. The Shipmasters Medical Guide was put to good use and the only conclusion was that he was allergic to something. Most F.G. vessels carry a well stocked medicine cabinet, and also anti-allergy tablets which we used copiously, his head going back to nearly normal size before we landed him ashore 2 days later. On the other extreme when I was asked why I didn't administer a morphine injection to someone who later died, the medical stores on the vessel consisted of a biscuit tin with elasterplasts and bandages and maybe a tube of savlon. The only shot of morphine was in my cabin drawer somewhere and might as well have been on the moon. If the people asking questions are not aware of the facts they are not worth answering, and should be aware of in a court case before hand and educate themselves to a situation, and not try and make a big show of everything, they are just play acting for the press. Accidents and occurrences do happen at sea whether we like it or not. Another case where the master fell down the hold on passage from Singapore to Sydney in 1956, he didn't die, but you never heard much about that, he was crippled for life and the office gave him an office boys job, which he must have lost when the Company moved to Glasgow. The list is endless when you come to seafarers with damages to themselves before and after all the Safety meetings and such like. Seafaring is a dangerous profession always has been and always will be. Cheers JS