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OF THE SCURVY.

laid in, and if proper regard were paid to cleanliness and warmth, thatsailors would be the most healthy people in the world, and would seldomsuffer either from the scurvy or putrid fevers, which are so fatal to thatuseful set of men: but it is too much the temper of such people todespise all precaution ; they will not think of any calamity till it over-takes them, when it is too late to ward off the blow. It must indeed beowned, that many of them have it not in their own power to make theprovision we are speaking of; but in this case it is the duty of their em-ployers to make it for them ; and no man ought to engage in a long voy-age without having these articles secured.

I have often seen very extraordinary effects in the land-scurvy from amilk diet. This preparation of Nature is a mixture of animal and vege-table properties, which of all others is the most fit for restoring a decay-ed constitution, and removing that particular acrimony of the humourswhich seems to constitute the very essence of the scurvy, and manyother diseases. But people despise this wholesome and nourishing food,because it is cheap, and devour with greediness flesh and fermentedliquors, while milk is only deemed fit for their hogs.

The most proper drink in the scurvy is whey or butter-milk. Whenthese cannot be had, sound cyder, perry, or spruce-beer, may be used.Wort has likewise been found to be a proper drink in the scurvy, andmay be used at sea, as malt will keep during the longest voyage. A de-coction of the tops of the spruce fir is lika vise proper: it may be drankin the quantity of an English pint twice a-day. Tar-water may be usedfor the same purpose, or decoctions of any of the mild mucilaginousvegetables; as sarsaparilla, marsh-mallow roots, &c. Infusions of thebitter plants, as ground-ivy, the lesser centaury, marsh-trefoil, &c. arelikewise beneficial. I have seen the peasants in some parts of Britainexpress the juice of the last mentioned plant, and drink it with good ef-fect in those foul scorbutic eruptions with which they arc often troubledin the spring season.

Harrogate-water is certainly an excellent medicine in the land-scurvy.I have often seen patients, who had been reduced to the most deplorablecondition by this disease, greatly relieved by drinking the sulphur-water,and bathing in it. The chalybeate-water may also be used with advan-tage, especially with a view to brace the stomach after drinking the sul-phur-water, which, though it sharpens the appetite, never fails to weakendie powers of digestion.

A slight degree of scurvy may be carried ofF by frequently sucking alittle of the juice of a bitter orange or a lemon. When the disease a£fects the gums only, this practice, if continued for some time, will gene-rally carry it off. We would however recommend the bitter orange asgreatly preferable to lemon ; it seems to be as good a medicine, and isnot so hurtful to the stomach. Perhaps our own sorrel may be little in-ferior to either of them.

All kinds of salad are good in the scurvy, and ought to be eaten veryplentifully, as spinage, lettuce, parsly, celery, endive, radish, dandelion,&c. It is amazing to see how soon fresh vegetables in the spring curethe brute animals of any scab or foulness which is upon their skins. It isreasonable to suppose that their effects would be as great upon the humanspecies, were they used in proper quantity for a sufficient length of lime.