The Ship Captain's Medical Guide

Publisher: £ 33

Most of us, as amateur sailors, will never have to deal with serious medical or surgical emergencies, though accidents to crew members are an ever-present possibility; and this slim, well-produced volume would be an invaluable asset to any ship's library.

The eleven contributors are experts, and I have never seen so much useful material condensed into so little space, written in language, which is comprehensible to all, and complemented by such excellent diagrams. Much of the content is written for captains of large vessels, and includes a section on pregnancy and childbirth, and another on coping with death; none of which, one hopes, one will ever encounter during a holiday cruise! But for anyone casting off for a longer voyage, there is a mine of information on how to cope with conditions ranging from minor temporary upsets to major catastrophes; and I would say that, although it is written primarily for laymen, medical members would also find it beneficial for revision or as an "aide-memoire"! Note particularly the section on First Aid, the skill most likely to be needed by all of us sooner or later. -SF

Page prepared 7 June 1999