Citation

Aasebø U, Kjaer KG. Br. Med. J. BMJ 2009; 339: b5038.

Affiliation

Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromso, Norway. ulf.aasebo@unn.no

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

19965937

PMCID

PMC2789173

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cause of death in 17 sealers who died in the Swedish house in Kapp Thordsen, Spitsbergen, during the winter of 1872-3. DESIGN: Analysis of skeletal samples from one sealer's grave. SETTING: Field trip to Spitsbergen to exhume skeletal remains. SUBJECTS: One of 17 sailors who died in 1872-3. RESULTS: No objective signs of scurvy were found. The concentration of lead in the bone samples was 102.05 microg/g. CONCLUSIONS: The high concentrations of lead indicate that this man died from lead poisoning, probably from food tins. The absence of macroscopic signs of scurvy supports this theory.

Language: en