Salt tablets

[Dennis McGuckin]

Was it just the big UCL ships that gave out salt and quinine tablets daily?
Recall getting them on the Warwick, but not the Riebeeck
Also other lines I sail on who did similar runs didn't give them.
Must have been a company thing as opposed to BOT.
Think the same principal applied with the dreaded lime juice!
Den.

[Ron B Manderson]

In brockelbanks we were supplied with both. + the anti VD" evans of liverpool kits". and its mate . for the use off... in some houses and bars.
In fact we were posh as we got chocolate covered salt tablets. Looked like brown smarties
We all had at least one tall tin in cabin and two in engine room. and on each table in dinning room.
+ the anti scratch soap( hell I have forgotting the name of the sweat rash.) Help.
This old age no good.

Was lime juice not stopped after fridges come out as fresh fruit a etc, was supplied. Never had scurvee in brockes.
ron the batcave.

[Jim Brady]

The only time I came across salt tablets was on a tanker the Hamilton,it was not compulsary to take them but you went up every Saturday night, handed the two tablets and a glass of water,you had to be seen to take them and you were rewarded with a glass of Four Bells Rum.As Christmas was coming up us stewards fell into line got the shot of rum came aft and it went into a bottle for Christmas Eve.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Tony Wilding]

I CAN REMEMBER SALT TABLETS AND BOT LIMEJUICE ON ROYAL MAIL AND PSNC SHIPS . TRIED MIXING APPELTON ESTATE RUM TO THE LIME JUICE, NOT A SUCCESS. YUK. !

[Dennis McGuckin]

Ron, even in my day, all ships had fridges, well stocked with fruit and veggies.
BOT lime juice was just an added 'goodie'
Maybe it was abolished sometime in the 60ies, as i don't remember getting it in later years.
Back then we didn't know or care what was bad for us. Fags, booze, fatty food.
Dare I say, some ladies who we did not protect ourselves from, etc etc.
Guess salt pills are also a no-no these days, with all the bad press around about sodium.
Glad I had the good years when I thought I was invincible.
Hell, come to think of it, maybe I am. I'm still here.
Den.

[Albert Bishop]

Salt tablets were usually available on Shell, but were optional. Got anti malaria tablets (Paladrine??) but only if heading for a suspect area, Must have worked, because I never knew of anybody in my day, catching malaria, and often ran down the West coast Cheers Albi.

[Keith Moody]

P&O`s Arcadia always put a large container of lime juice on the counter in the mess room when in the tropics or on summer cruises, they said it was to cool the blood and keep the libido down!!!!
I don`t think it did us any good, as most of the guys on there who were straight would chase anything in a skirt.
never saw any on the Ruahine. (NZSCo)
keith moody
R635978

[Ron B Manderson]

mind you the old indian tonic helped to keep the blasted mossy's away.
The drop of gin also kept the pink elelphants away.
Never seen one in the mid indian ocean.
Come to think of it there was limejuoce on the table in brockes.
Even the royal navy stopped the lime then the sods stopped the rum tot in early 60's.
Ron the batcave

[Tony Morcom]

Salt tablets were always issued in Houlders in the 70s.

[Mike Newell]

Had salt and quinine tablets on the River Afton in 1960 when on a ten month stint loading iron ore at Pepel for Ijmuiden. Don't recall any lime juice though. One deck apprentice got malaria and had to be taken off at Lisbon. Didn't see him again.