Guly H R
Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, PL6 8DH (
Polar Rec (Gr Brit). 2012 Apr;48(2):157-164. doi: 10.1017/S0032247411000222. Epub 2011 Jul 8.
On the expedition (1897-1899), Dr F.A. Cook described a disease that he called 'polar anaemia' and on this expedition it affected most of the expedition members and caused one death. The symptoms were shortness of breath, abnormalities of the pulse and oedema (swelling of the legs) and the disease was clearly cardiac failure. During the heroic age of Antarctic exploration a similar disease affected at least eight other expeditions causing five other deaths. This disease was very similar (and probably identical) to a disease affecting (mostly) Scandinavian seamen and called 'ship beri-beri'. Both diseases were almost certainly what is now called wet beri-beri due to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency though most sufferers were probably also vitamin C deficient and some may have had both beri-beri and scurvy. It may have been exacerbated by invalid diets. This paper describes the disease and how it was considered and treated at the time.
在1897年至1899年的探险考察中，F.A.库克医生描述了一种他称之为“极地贫血”的疾病，在这次考察中，大多数考察队员都受到了影响，并有一人死亡。症状包括呼吸急促、脉搏异常和水肿（腿部肿胀），这种疾病显然是心力衰竭。在南极探险的英雄时代，至少还有其他八次探险受到了类似疾病的影响，导致另外五人死亡。这种疾病与一种主要影响斯堪的纳维亚海员的疾病非常相似（可能完全相同），后者被称为“船上脚气病”。这两种疾病几乎可以肯定就是现在所说的湿性脚气病，是由于硫胺素（维生素B1）缺乏引起的，不过大多数患者可能也缺乏维生素C，有些患者可能同时患有脚气病和坏血病。无效的饮食可能加剧了这种情况。本文描述了这种疾病以及当时人们对它的认识和治疗方法。
