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Bombard drank some seawater, but also rainwater and liquid squeezed from fish. He sailed solo, so no one knows for sure how much he drank of each. He also got very sick doing it. He might have stayed healthier if hed skipped the seawater.gregorio:From the Times on line:
The French doctor and biologist Alain Bombard achieved worldwide fame in 1952 with a scientific experiment of foolhardy audacity. He set himself to sail alone across the Atlantic in a 15ft Zodiac dinghy in order to show that a human being can survive for weeks if not months by drinking seawater and juice pressed from the flesh of fish.
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From everything2.com:
This came as quite a surprise to many, and is still controversial. He based his findings on studies surrounding the safe intake of salt, and found that a pint and a half of sea water (c. 1 litre) would enhance survival, whilst causing little permanent damage to the kidneys. He was careful to point out that this level of consumption was still dangerous, if it formed the only fluid intake for more than a few days, and at most a week.
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This is no joke at all.
Mr Bombard was pretty famous here at the time, and he risk his life to convince people in order to save life. If it is true then I think it is worth spreading the word.
From the Good Eats episode "Eat This Rock":vondo:There is actually an optimal amount of sea water to mix in with fresh water to make the maximum amount of liquid. Unfortunately a) I don't know this number and b) it is a small percentage.
If, however, you found yourself adrift on this fluid desert you could stretch your fresh water supply by mixing approximately three parts of fresh water with one part of seawater. I say "approximately" because salinity does vary from sea to briny sea. Anyway, if you got your percentages right not only would you be stretching your fresh water supply, but youd be making better use of it.
By consuming some salt, you see, the body would be forced to hold in some of the water to keep it instead of just sweating it out in the tropical heat. Thats why back before sports drinks, athletes used to take salt tablets. Of course, in effect, wed be making our own sports drink here and wed be adding electrolytes which your central nervous system would certainly appreciate when the time came to wave down that ship on the horizon or fend off that hungry band of headhunters.
You always dive with a buddy, Don't you?Nautical Dreamer:You can also survive by giving yourself an salt water enema. But I am not sure how a diver floating in the sea could forcefully inject water into the rectum.
Haha.. I sure dont want my buddy to start injecting anything into my behind!caseybird:You always dive with a buddy, Don't you?
Signed,
not that good a buddy,
Caseybird.