NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Navigation errors and Sahara crash 1952
From: Hewitt Schlereth
Date: 2015 Jun 1, 09:51 -0700
From: Hewitt Schlereth
Date: 2015 Jun 1, 09:51 -0700
Yes, the trephining of Joe Plaice takes place on the deck of the Sophie, Jack's first command. It's referred to many times in the course of the series - more and more luridly at each repetition - almost as often as his quip that dog watches are so called because they are "curtailed." Later, in The Far Side of the World, a doctor is all set to trephine a comatose Stephen when Stephen sneezes and wakes up.
Hewitt
Gary,
Re O'Brien books.(most are excellent in my opinion),
Dr Maturin was clearly well ahead of his time (virtually Charles Darwin on the Galapogos), but yes trephining was a pretty ancient technique. well established by 1800s Royal Navy Medics.
The old sailor treated by Maturin had been ill and deteriorating for weeks, so likely had the even more dangerous chronic subdural hematoma. Many of these die even with modern neurosurgery, so Maturin was rather lucky I think!
Amazing that your initial post on this accident has generated such an interesting and wide ranging string!
Francis
