Oakum is a loosely twisted rope-like material made from oiled jute or hemp fibers. Traditionally manufactured in prisons or workhouses by disassembling old rope lengths and rubbing the strands with ...

New York Times subscribers* enjoy full access to TimesMachine—view over 150 years of New York Times journalism, as it originally appeared. *Does not include Games-only or Cooking-only subscribers.

For permission requests, please contact NEJM Reprints at [email protected] ...