that, in half an hour after, every man lay bathed
in perspiration. There was no other help for it than to leave the cabin,
take a cold bath and a good rub down, dress rapidly, rush on deck for
fresh air, and cool in the temperature of -30 deg. to -40 deg. prevailing there.
Other opportunities for bathing were also given both to the officers and
crew, and the necessary care was taken to secure cleanliness, a sanitary
measure which ought never to be neglected in Arctic winterings.

The state of health on board during the course of the winter was
exceedingly good. Dr. Almquist's report enumerates only a few
serious maladies, all successfully cured, among which may be
mentioned stomach colds and slight cases of inflammation of the
lungs, but not a single case of that insidious disease, scurvy,
which formerly raged in such a frightful way among the crews in all
long voyages, and which is still wont to gather so many victims from
among Polar travellers.

This good state of health depended in the first place on the
excellent spirit which inspired the scientific men, the officers and
the crew of the Expedition, but it ought also to be ascribed to the
suitable equipment of the _Vega_, arranged by Captain Palander at
Karlskrona, and above all to adjustment to the climate of our
dietary, which was settled on the ground of the experience gained in
the expedition of 1872-73, and after taking the advice of its
distinguished physician Dr. Envall. The dietary is shown in the
following table:--

No. 1. SUNDAY.

_Breakfast_: butter 6 ort, coffee 10 ort, sugar 7.5 ort.[253]

_Dinner_: salt pork or dried fish 75 ort, sourkrout 75 ort,
preserved or fresh potatoes 12 ort, preserved vegetables 5.5 ort,
extract of meat 1.5 ort, raisins 5 ort, rice 50 ort, brandy or rum 2
cubic inches.

_Supper_: butter 6 ort, tea 1.5 ort, sugar 7.5 ort, barley-groats 10
cubic inches, cheese 12 ort.

No. 2. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY.

_Breakfast_ same as No. 1.

_Dinner_: preserved meat or fish 1 portion, preserved potatoes 12
ort, preserved vegetables 5.5 ort, preserved leeks 1 portion,
extract of meat 1.5 ort, brandy or rum 2 cubic inches.

_Supper_ same as No. 1 without cheese.

No. 3. THURSDAY.

_Breakfast_ same as No. 1.

_Dinner_: salt pork 1 lb., peas 10 cubic inches, extract of meat 1.5
ort, barley-groats 2 cubic inches, brandy or rum 2 cubic inches.

_Supper_ same as No. 2.

No. 4. TUESDAY.

_Breakfast_: butter 6 ort