Back from the Dead

[PMarione]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8737661/Conditions-in-Nelsons-navy-uncovered-by-scientists.html

I have no access to C4 from Belgium, I would like some opinion on the documentary.
@+P

[brian]

Peter!

I missed it too, but have just see it on the web by typing in 'Channel Four Back from the Dead' on Google. Give it a try.
I thought the programme very good both in terms of background and of the conclusions reached on the small sample of bones examined, especially those showing signs of battle injuries. Although the programme's publicists tried to do so, it is not possible to extrapolate too widely from these results as only 300 odd bones were available for the whole study (so is was a very small sample); the investigators had no personal details nor precise dates for the remains which come from a sixty year period; and, being from the minority who were unfortunate enough to die of their conditions, the subjects did not represent a fair sample of the whole seagoing population.

Brian

[PMarione]

Alas the website is geoblocked so I can't see the documentary but from what I read from the article, I too believe that the sample is completely irrelevant from a statistical point of view.

There probably were 500.000 people involved for the period and so 300 bones are just anecdotic.

From the Ayshford Trafalgar Roll (20.000 people) I can say that the most common ailments were ulcers (probably related to scorbut and leading to many amputations and death) then come fevers (probably typhus and yellow fever).
And a lot of broken bones, venereals and tuberculosis.

Most of the death occured on board and not in hospitals, and burials performed at sea except for admirals pickled in spirit.

And I can't see from where they can conclude that RN crew were middle-class.

@+ Patrick

[Redfish]

[PMarione]

A book on the attitudes of Anglo-American mariners toward death, the dead, and commemoration :
The Sea Their Graves: An Archaeology of Death and Remembrance in Maritime Culture by David J. Stewart, University Press of Florida, 2011
ISBN 13: 978-0-8130-3734-9

http://www.upf.com/book.asp?id=STEWA001

[Dmitry]

You can watch the program here - http://www.videozer.com/video/EffM

The orthopedic surgeon that is featured as an expert, didn't impress me.
He said that Dr.Robert Liston was able to hack a limb off in 2 1/2 minutes. Many-many surgeons could do that, and butchers even faster. Liston was actually able to remove a limb in mere seconds.
Next, he pronounced a fracture of a mandible caused by a cutlass, whereas there is absolutely no evidence of trauma, just signs of infection from a rotten tooth, which healed long before that person died. I am a dentist, so I know what I'm talking about.
The program is quite OK on a whole, if viewed in light of lack of critical standards in television today. Call me a grouch...