Question
This may seem strange but I am reading a book called Tales of Endurance by Fergus Fleming and came across an account that seems very bizarre.  On page 528 he is recounting the tale of Douglas Mawson who travelled alone (after his partner dies) through Antarctica.  After eating their sled dogs he (Mawson) contracts Vitamin A poisoning from eating their livers.  The symptoms were, among others, the sloughing of skin.  He recounts in his diary that the "hard soles of his feet came away" and that he "applied a layer of lanolin, placed them back on, tying them with bandages" to continue his journey to safety.  So, my question to you is this....Is it possible for the hard sole to come away and also would it be possible to bandage them up and continue your journey.  I am dubious to this account but would appreciate an professional answer.  Might I just add that as I was discussing this with some others at my sons school, there are quite a few people in Edinburgh, Scotland that are anxious for a response.  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Tedi,

I'm assuming that the hard soles of his feet were very thick  layers of callous on the his foot from the long journey.  It is possible for this layer to slough off and then continue with the journey.  There would likely be some soreness but tolerable.

However, if the account is referring the actual sole coming off, it would be impossible to endure the pain of walking.  Also, this would likely expose nerves and require extensive healing before walking distances.  With that being said, since they were in Antarctica, the freezing temperature of the ground could cause enough anesthesia to walk with minimal pain even with a severe injury.  Napoleon's army was known to bring snow down from the mountains to relieve the pain of wounds.

I'll have to say that this has been one of the more interesting questions I've had on this site.  Hi to all in Edinburgh.


Sincerely,

Marc Katz, DPM
Tampa, FL
Advanced Podiatry
www.thetampapodiatrist.com
www.tampacryosurgery.com


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