How did sailors prevent seasickness?

Don't go sailing on an empty stomach. Take small meals at regular intervals, and avoid acidic, heavy, or greasy meals, even the night before your sail. If you're beginning to feel queasy, try snacking on saltine crackers. Small amounts of candied peppermint or ginger may also be helpful.



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In the old days, seamen used to treat seasickness with strychnine, chinine, cocaine or nitroglycerine. It´s also said that a mixture of fleabane, warmouth and onions was used to fight the “vacuum” in the stomach – none of these rather poisonous cures have endured until our days.

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Drink plenty of water. Dry crackers and carbonated sodas (such as ginger ale) help some people avoid nausea. People who tend to have motion sickness may want to eat small, frequent meals.

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Mechanical stimulation of the mastoid and diverting attention to pleasant stimuli-like odors or music have been found to ameliorate VIMS. Chewing gum combines both in an easy-to-administer fashion and should thus be an effective countermeasure against VIMS.

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Foods like green apples (Granny Smith) and salted crackers may help mild symptoms, as can ginger-based lozenges, extracts, and teas. Many ships even routinely stock these items for travelers. There are also a variety of modern techniques and medicines to help prevent or treat seasickness.

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Two words: previous susceptibility. If you've gone a little green in a moving car, train, plane or bus, there's a chance the experience may repeat on the high seas. Again, however, the sheer size of cruise vessels mean they are more stable than most of these other vehicles.

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