There is now a suggestion that they were all suffering from lead poisoning to some degree or other , caused by the piping aboard their vessels , which had been specially outfitted with a crude form of "central heating" and such luxuries as baths ( probably officers only !) ; the drinking water would have been piped using the same system (lead pipe based). This,apparently , now accounts for the irrational decisions and bizarre behaviour of the survivors when faced with their predicament ; for example, setting off on a trip across the ice carrying useless junk instead of aids to survival . The food containers probably just exacerbated an already deadly but unrealised complication.