Diseases on Board
he chirurgeon
and his two assistants took care of the sick. In fact, the chirurgeon
was only allowed to apply bandages and to carry out bloodlettings,
but at sea there was no physician present so the chirurgeon also had to
cure diseases. The most common disease was scurvy, caused by lack of vitamins
and a bad diet. Scurvy
could cause death and the only cure was a healthy diet which could not
be provided at sea, so that only the symptoms could be treated. An important
part of a chirurgeon's job was the amputation of limbs, using a saw. Anaesthesia
consisted in knocking out the patient. Epidemics often occurred as the
sailors were packed together and a disease like spotted
fever could spread easily. Lack of hygiene was an important
cause. Sailors relieved themselves at random and they hardly washed themselves
or their clothing. To try and desinfect the ship, they burned gunpowder
which was a strong desinfectant, however, this could not prevent epidemics.
Initially, the chirurgeons took their own medication cases, but later
one was provided by the VOC and a pharmacy was founded to stock up the
chirurgeons' kits.
a Gallipoit
Enema
Punishment
Punishment on board ranged from fines to the death penalty.
The most severe corporal punishment was 'triple keelhauling',
e.g. if a crew member had threatened an 'officer'.
the offender 
wore
a kind of suit of armour (both for weight and protection), tied to a rope,
thrown into the water and pulled under the ship. The punishment for fighting
was a few days of solitary confinement and bread and water. Sailors were
fined for relieving themselves in inappropriate places. The proper place
for this was the 'foreward
deck', an unsheltered part of the ship that was very close
to the water and could be 'flushed'.
