LEAD POISONING !!!! The solder used to seal provisions in canned goods on the voyage leached out into the food. This caused extreme mental problems and lack of good judgment!! That is why so many seasoned and professional seamen made such terrible decisions----like trying to walk out when they should've waited for the thaw! Other MAJOR bad decisions were made also.

This was on TV---National Geographic---complete with the exhumation, thawing etc. A relative from the present of one of the thawed men was along. He even looked like the fellow who was pretty much perfectly preserved. The men were exhumed from the permafrost, thawed and some autopsied. Tissue was tested also and the discovery made of the high levels of lead in the tissues of all tested.

EVERYTHING was replaced exactly where it was found when they buried the men again!

Stan Rogers "NORTHWEST PASSAGE" was the music for the program!

Art Thieme