Design for Living

A newly published British Government pamphlet, called A Guide to the Preservation of Life at Sea after Shipwreck, sells for fourpence in London and tells in simple, sometimes grim language the personal lessons learned in World Sea War II. Sample lessons:

Abandoning Ship. "If you do not get away in a boat, go over the lower side if the ship has listed. If you go over the upper side you will be in danger of being badly hurt by barnacles [and] of fracturing your ankles by hitting your heels against the bilge keel. . . . Jump into the water feet first; do not dive. ... If you have to swim through a patch of oil keep your head and eyes high and your mouth closed. ... If you have to jump from the ship into burning oil you may, if you are a good swimmer, avoid being burned. . . . Jump feet first through the flames. Swim as long as you can under water, then spring above the flames and breathe, taking a breast stroke to push the flames away; then sink and swim under the water again. ... To be able to do this, however, you will have to remove your life belt and other cumbersome clothing. . . . The danger of injury from underwater explosion is lessened by swimming or floating on the back."

Food. The minimum amount of food per day for one person includes "one ounce each of high-fat-content biscuits [crackers], condensed milk, chocolate and butterfat." Standard lifeboat provisions include Energy Tablets, each containing 5 milligrams of either metherdrine or amphetamine (stimulating drugs), which should be used only in emergencies. The pamphlet adds: "It may be dangerous to drop off to sleep . . . because the risk of drowning is thereby increased. . . ."

Water. As soon as possible after a ship is torpedoed, a lifeboat's or life raft's leader should count the survivors, compute the probable period before rescue and the prospects of rain, then ration the stock of water. The minimum daily ration should be 18 ounces until only one pint per man remains; after that each should be given two ounces daily. Lips can be moistened, the mouth rinsed with sea water, but "there is no doubt that large draughts of sea water cause death and even small amounts may prejudice a man's chance of survival on a long voyage. . . . The liquid contained in the lifeboat's compass should never be drunk: it is poisonous."

Steps toward Rescue. Continuous rowing uses up more energy than it is worth. When in a lifeboat "do not sing or shout. By doing so you use up your strength and lose valuable water in your breath." Mirages occur at sea as in the desert. "Men adrift in northern latitudes sometimes imagine they can see things which are not there, such as smoke, sails, ships or land. It does not mean that you are out of your mind or even lightheaded. Make very sure that all of you see the same object before wasting your strength in pulling toward it."

Care of Wounds. "Wash or douche the wound with clean salt water; this may sting when applied to a raw area but it is good local treatment. Do not attempt vigorous cleaning of fuel oil from a wound; the oil is unlikely to do harm. . . . Sick men are apt to become restless and lightheaded. . . . Keep a lookout that they do not go over the side, because sick men sometimes imagine they are back at home . . . and will, for example, want to go and get themselves a drink of water."

Death. "If brandy is available it can be given to dying men in order to make their last hours more peaceful. If you have a death aboard, strip off and divide the clothing amongst the survivors before committing the body to the sea."

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