Used to have those salt tablet dispensers on board ships as well. But then again our lifeboat supplies included cigarettes back then.
They used to give salt tablets to football players. I know every death wasn’t broadcast 24/7 back then but I don’t remember hearing about a lot of football deaths.
Early on we had the salt tablet dispensers on board. We didn’t have cigarettes in lifeboat supplies, definetly before my time. Ships have switched to Gatorade. We had cases of powdered Gatorade.
Had one sailor come to me complaining of vomiting every time he tried to drink water. A drink of salted water stopped that.