Mental Illness and the MN

[John Cassels]

Sailed with quite a few Masters who must have been pretty well borderline cases.

One of the worst was nicknamed "Harpic " , as he was clean round the bend !.

[happy daze john in oz]

At the Vindi a medical consisted of a couple of jabs in the arm, drop your pants and cough, followed by, NEXT!
Many a ships captain would be close to being out of their tree, Swivel eye Lloyd and his brother Logger would come close and i knew a few chefs who also fitted the bill.

[alf corbyn]

medical to join the sea school, various medicals at odd times, one chest x-ray with fleuroscope, but never a mental test to my knowledge. many and varied were the weird people we met in our travels.
one irishman used to cut the heels and toes from new socks because they wore out there anyway.
one of my mates drank film developing chemical then swan dived from the jumbo derrick onto the deck. lots of men drank after-shave and other mixtures and one brewed his own beer, with various obnoxious addatives. mental? yes insane? perhaps. alkies yes they were many. alf

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Jacyn,

I'm mindful not to try and mislead you, 'Cockney Girl', for you were born in the very same 'manor' as my dear old Dad, however, I must tell you that it's not easy for most of us ex-seaman to give you a satisfactory answer to your question without resorting to humour. This is not in any way meant to demean the nature of your enquiry, but it's just our way. Most of what has already been said on this thread is true.

In the 'old days' we all thought the general purpose of a M.N. medical ( whether for the Shipping Federation or a particular Shipping Company) was to ascertain whether, or not,you were physically capable of performing the duties required of you as a merchant seaman. From my own experience, these examinations were never designed to establish ones psychiatric condition. They were pretty much as described by Happy Daze John and Bob Hollis in earlier posts i.e. 'Drop 'em - cough- your in, son'. Obviously they were far more interested in ones physical capabilities than anything else.

If truth be told, after a few years spent at sea, some seamen did became a bit 'schizo' or a little different to the rest of us. Was this due to the very nature of the life? A life in which most days were spent in an environment totally alien to what most folk would consider normal, who can say?. Jacyn, I sailed with a few 'nutters' in my time, as most of us did, but generally speaking I was never sure whether their behaviour was the result of the life itself, or a pre-existing mental condition.

I do so wish I could be more helpful, but please don't be too disappointed if few of us are capable of providing an informative answer for you.


..........regards, Roger

[John Arton]

Jacyln
If you go on the UK Marine and Coastguard web site there is a section called "Working at Sea". Going to that you can then view/download the requirements for present day seafarers to be passed fit for seagoing duties and be issued with a form ENG1.
I cannot remember when these regulations came into force but they are driven by International (IMO) regs.
Prior to that I believe it was up to the doctor employed by the shipping company to pass you as fit to go to sea.
I know when I started in 1967 my medical consisted of been told to strip naked and lie on the company doctors couch (and before any of you lot reading this start thing ...Perve!, read on) which i did. The quack then started to take my blood pressure and whilst he was pumping up the cuff he secretary came wandering in with a load of papers for him to sign...most embarrassing for a young 16 yr. old to be naked in front of a middle aged woman. He started to sign the papers, whilst all the time keeping pumping up the cuff till I thought my arm would drop off. Half way through signing the papers he turned to the secretary and said "what do you think of that one on the couch", her reply was "well he is not going to drop down dead tomorrow is he". To which the doctor said "o.k. son, get up you've passed", eventually releasing the pressure on the cuff without taking my blood pressure.
It was some time in the 70's when standardised medical examinations, carried out by approved MCA quacks came into force and with this lots of companies used these medical standards to get rid of people.
I knew one Chief Engineer, who was particuloarly well liked and good at his job, who ended up having a heart attack and dying because the quack had told him he had to loose weight!!!! and there were many stories going round in the 70's of how companies were using the new medical regs to get rid of otherwise excellent people, rather than having to pay redundancy to them when shipping was in the doldrums.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Jacyn Wade]

Thank you, Roger and Captn John, for your explanations. I think I can understand. I suppose a lot of people thought I was a bit daft after leaving my 18-year office job to get my trucking license, so what you say makes sense. Well, no harm in asking though, and I don't mind the humour at all. I don't think anyone here would be intentionally demeaning.

Thanks to all for your replies, humourous or not, all very insightful. Cheers!

[stewart morrison]

We always had a quick medical before each trip but it was only for physical reasons & were never asked as to our mental
condition. Having said that , maybe there should have been mental tests as I sailed with a few nutters over eight years.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Mental illness in the Merchant navy??? There were no test in my time only short arm ,and needles , you were passed fit unless you were ill , I sail with many who were very odd ??? How could they tell who was crazy after a few rums and a few tennants? They were allways a few strange ones on every ship but they were harmless.Some were at sea because of ill health and other probelms

[Keith at Tregenna]

More likely the Cardiff brews SA (Satan's Ale or Skull Attack)

Although the Brains esp Dark is quite formidable.

Remember years, upon years ago: working in London, driving to Barry with my best mate and one night in the Sea View, Barry accepted a challenge at Darts. Had a pint and and were World Class, thrashing our opponents well, then another pint, still winning and so it goes on. WE LOST SO BADLY.

Those were the days, import the dark nowadays, but do not play darts any more.

Would you know of what then was attributed the hardest pub in Cardiff, apparently in or near Canton? Nick Named: The Bucket of Blood, thankfully never found it or encountered the fine cuisine etc, But was a legend then.

Must catch up for a Dark, near the Park. Cardiff speak for a pint near the stadium and a Clarksies Pie on the hoof.

Did once again travel from London with a party of yanks, built them up all the way on arrival to a good pint of Welsh Ale, destination was Camarthen, 6 walked in to the first pub and ordered 6 Felinfoel's. The bar maid not pictured in the members only area, but certain have a snap said "Felinfoel is off today"

Any one not local / Welsh Felinfoel has been known as "Feeling Fowl" for years but, is actually a lovely pint.

Merry Christmas to yourself and all. Will try and look up MN and illness etc more ASAP.

Still get BRAINS FLAGONS rather than cans. Bit like 2 litres.

HOPEFULLY TO BE CONTINUED, MAY HAVE TO START A NEW POST.

Seriously will attempt to add all I can find on the actual post ASAP.

K.

[Capt Bill Davies]

To bring a little levity into this depressing thread. I would relate an incident that was supposed to have happened at the Odyssey Works, Birkenhead (Blue Funnel) in the late 50s. The crowd were standing around the lobby waiting for the Nurse to call their name to be examined by the Company Doctor.
Let me set the scene this was a room across the hall from where Greenwood and Capt Ronnie Symons gave you your ship. The room was linoleum tiled in BF blue with a one foot border in black. There was a AH logo within a triangle in the middle of the room.

A certain Lampy was called in and asked the same question as everyone else., ‘What’s the colour of your Urine’ OK…….. Right the ‘chit was signed and out went the Lampy with his ‘chit’ to present to Ronnie Symons or Greenwood.

As the Lampy was walking across the room he, being a company man, collapsed right on top of the spot where the logo was. Several of the crowd, nervously tapping the morning Daily Mirror on their right leg (they all did this) and who were waiting their turn quickly sprang into action with attempts to resuscitate him.
One of the crowd immediately alerted the Doctor who came out of his surgery and bent over the inert Lampy. The ships Bosun, attired in the mandatory BF Navy Blue gabardine mack and trilby advised the doctor that although he was not medically trained he knew the heart was not located around the buttocks /ass pockets to which the doctor replied ‘never mind his heart, where is that chit I just signed. .