Death in the Arctic – the tragic fate of members of the Franklin expedition (1845)

Byard, Roger W.

doi:10.1007/s12024-020-00305-5

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The principle of parsimony might then apply by considering the known circumstances that affected the expedition and identified by Park and Stenton (2019) as the remote besetment, the Arctic climate and dwindling provisions. A similar rational appraisal has been made by earlier authors (Fordham, 1991;Lambert, 2009;Woodman, 1991) and in recent summaries (Barnett, 2017;Byard, 2021).…”

supporting

confidence: 76%

“…Autopsies of permafrost-preserved crewmen buried at Beechey Island concluded that granulomata in lung and mediastinal tissues of two men might indicate tubercular or fungal infection (Amy, Bhatnagar, Damkjar, & Beattie, 1986; Notman, Anderson, Beattie, & Amy, 1987). Disseminated tubercular disease was not found (Amy & Beattie, 1985) but Byard (2021) notes that taphonomonic changes (for example, degradation of remains by the burial environment or passage of time) might have obscured the evidence in diffuse, unidentified nodules seen in one man. Pott’s disease (spinal tuberculosis) was suggested in a third man but recent analysis has found no DNA evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to support his death from the disease (Forst & Brown, 2017), and nor from remains of an officer on King William Island (Mays et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Victorian prescience: The Lancet medical journal and the loss of the Franklin expedition, 1845–1859

Millar

2023

Polar Record

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The loss of Sir John Franklin’s Arctic expedition has provoked speculation about the cause of the fatal outcome from the expedition’s departure in 1845 to the present day. This study describes how The Lancet, first published in 1823 and now one of the world’s leading medical journals, drew conclusions at the time of the expedition’s loss, which closely parallel those of today’s most recent research. The journal took evidence from Arctic medical and naval experts to conclude in 1859 that the Admiralty’s misdirected searches committed the crews to ice-bound entrapment, which had fatal nutritional consequences. The Lancet’s prescience has been supported by recent research showing that the unique physical circumstances faced by the expedition had nutritional effects related to vitamin deficiencies, which explain mortality over the third winter and the eventual total loss. It is significant that, although published 160 years apart and with vitamins unknown in the Victorian era, both studies took robust evidence-based approaches to draw similar conclusions.

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supporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Victorian prescience: The Lancet medical journal and the loss of the Franklin expedition, 1845–1859

Millar

2023

Polar Record

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“…Overall, the ultimate success of a space mission relies on food safety and stability, which collectively refer to the long-term preservation of microbiological, sensory (color, taste, flavor, and texture), and nutritional characteristics [ 42 ]. Historically, inadequate provisions are known to lead to ill-fated expeditions [ 43 ]. Since it is not feasible to overload the spaceship with food supplies and it is not convenient to keep resupplying the crew beyond near-orbit stations [ 44 ], astronauts will have to start growing their own food.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Orthopedics and Space Nutrition as Two Sides of the Same Coin: A Scoping Review

Briguglio

2021

Nutrients

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Since the Moon landing, nutritional research has been charged with the task of guaranteeing human health in space. In addition, nutrition applied to Orthopedics has developed in recent years, driven by the need to improve the efficiency of the treatment path by enhancing the recovery after surgery. As a result, nutritional sciences have specialized into two distinct fields of research: Nutritional Orthopedics and Space Nutrition. The former primarily deals with the nutritional requirements of old patients in hospitals, whereas the latter focuses on the varied food challenges of space travelers heading to deep space. Although they may seem disconnected, they both investigate similar nutritional issues. This scoping review shows what these two disciplines have in common, highlighting the mutual features between (1) pre-operative vs. pre-launch nutritional programs, (2) hospital-based vs. space station nutritional issues, and (3) post-discharge vs. deep space nutritional resilience. PubMed and Google Scholar were used to collect documents published from 1950 to 2020, from which 44 references were selected on Nutritional Orthopedics and 44 on Space Nutrition. Both the orthopedic patient and the astronaut were found to suffer from food insecurity, malnutrition, musculoskeletal involution, flavor/pleasure issues, fluid shifts, metabolic stresses, and isolation/confinement. Both fields of research aid the planning of demand-driven food systems and advanced nutritional approaches, like tailored diets with nutrients of interest (e.g., vitamin D and calcium). The nutritional features of orthopedic patients on Earth and of astronauts in space are undeniably related. Consequently, it is important to initiate close collaborations between orthopedic nutritionists and space experts, with the musculoskeletal-related dedications playing as common fuel.

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“…The fate of the members of the Franklin expedition trying to discover the North-West passage in 1845 has been argued, with a number of proposed theories ranging from lead poisoning from soldered tins of preserved food to botulism and scurvy [ 17 ]. There appears no doubt, however, that the men engaged in nutritional cannibalism in the face of dwindling food supplies with recovered bones showing cuts and ‘pot polishing’ [ 13 ] (Figs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannibalism—overview and medicolegal issues

Byard

2023

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Cannibalism, the consumption of another by an individual of the same species, is a widespread practice amongst many animal groups. Human cannibalism or anthropophagy, however, is less common but has been found in many diverse groups ranging from hominids to Crusaders and soldiers in World War II. Although the existence of human cannibalism has been vigorously debated in recent times, it seems clear that well-described cases have occurred. The motivation for consuming human tissues may be (1) nutritional, (2) ritual and (3) pathological. A case of alleged cannibalism involving one of the victims of the so-called Snowtown serial killings in South Australia, Australia, is reported with an analysis of the history and features of cannibalism. Forensic problems may occur in accurately identifying remains that have been cannibalized; however, if ritualistic, serial and/or sadistic homicides are encountered, cannibalism should be considered, particularly if body parts are missing.

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Death in the Arctic – the tragic fate of members of the Franklin expedition (1845)

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

Victorian prescience: The Lancet medical journal and the loss of the Franklin expedition, 1845–1859

Victorian prescience: The Lancet medical journal and the loss of the Franklin expedition, 1845–1859

Nutritional Orthopedics and Space Nutrition as Two Sides of the Same Coin: A Scoping Review

Cannibalism—overview and medicolegal issues

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