Lead poisoning as possible cause of deaths at the Swedish House at Kapp Thordsen, Spitsbergen, winter 1872-3.
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.


METHODS
Analysis of skeletal samples from one sealer's grave.


METHODS
Field trip to Spitsbergen to exhume skeletal remains.


METHODS
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.
Aasebø
Ulf
U
Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway. ulf.aasebo@unn.no
Kjaer
Kjell G
KG
D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D002423:Cause of Death; D005506:Food Contamination; D057141:Food, Preserved / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history*; D008297:Male; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000266:history*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history*; D012614:Scurvy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history; D012621:Seasons; D013548:Sweden
D007854:Lead