Alexander diary, 1917-1918 / Roy Alexander - Page 104
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[Page 104]
1918
Thu. 17th Jan.
Disease is beginning to spread on board.
A long line of scurvy-stricken prisoners line up outside the hospital door twice daily; their condition is gradually growing worse.
The food is mostly to blame; since the "Hitachi" was caught they have lived almost entirely on canned crab ("Hitachi" had 10,000 cases aboard) and disgusting mixture of dried peas, beans, and "Mrs Crippen". Very little lime-juice has been supplied. It is significant that the German crew have not contracted scurvy: they have had lime-juice regularly and, of course, plenty of exercise on deck, the prisoners, on the other hand, are now literally rotting with scurvy in the filthy holds.
There was typhoid on board at the Maldives:- we were all inoculated three times against this.
Several Japs. died of beri-beri.