SCÜRVY.

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pickled or preserved ones may be used ; and where these are want-ing, recourse must be had to the chymical acids. All the patient'sfood and drink should, in this case, be sharpened with cream oftartar, elixir of vitriol, vinegar, or the muriatic acid.

These things, however, will more certainly prevent than curethe scurvy, for which reason sea-faring people, especially in longvoyages, ought to lay in plenty of them. Cabbages, onions, goose-berries, and many other vegetables, may be kept a long time bypickling, preserving, &c, and when these fail, the chymical acidsrecommended above, which will keep for any length of time, maybe used. We have reason to believe, if ships were well ventilated,had got store of fruits, greens, cider, &c. laid in, and if properregard were paid to cleanliness and warmth, that sailors would bethe most healthy people in the world, and would seldom suffereither from the scurvy or putrid fevers, which are so fatal to thatuseful clafcs of men : but it is too much t/ie temper of such peopleto despise all precaution ; they will not think of any calamity tillit overtakes them, when it is too late to ward oft' the blow.

In the course of the disease particular symptoms may arise re-quiring a separate consideration. Pains of the belly are to be re-lieved by emollients and opiates ; oppression at the chest and im-peded respiration by blisters ; for bleeding is never to be used inthis disease ; contractions of the hams and calves of the legs, byfomenting the part with warm vinegar and water, and by the ap-plication of emollient poultices and frictions ; sponginess of thegums, and looseness of the teeth, by washing the mouth frequent-ly with antiseptic and astringent gargles ;* and foul ulcers are tobe cleansed and healed by washing them with lemon-juice, or atincture consisting of equal parts of the tincture of myrrh, and thendressing them with some kind of ointment, or a sorrel poultice.In bad cases of ulceration the charcoal or effervescent poulticemay probably be serviceable.

It must indeed be owned, that many of them have it not in theirpower to make the provision we are speaking of; but in this caseit is the duty of their employers to make it for them ; and no manought to engage in a long voyage without having these articles se-cured.t

h

" Take Infusion of Roses, 4 ounces,Alum, in Powder, 1J ounce.

Honey, 1 drachm.

Mix them for a gargle.or

Take Decoction of Bark,Tincture of Myrrh,Muriatic Acid,

Make a gargle.

6 ounces.

li ounce.

12 to 20 drops.

t Every body knows how much easier it is to prevent than to cure any disease ; butthis is particularly true with respect to the scurvy. I have therefore recommendedthe most assured means of preserving our seamen from its formidable attacks. Vege-table and mineral acids are certainly the best correctives of the acrimony occasionedby the long use of salted provisions. These are one of the chief causes of tlie scurvynot only at sea, but on land also, where salted and smoke dried meats are a favouriteand very customary article of food. It appears from the reports of modern travellers,that the scurvy is almost unknown to the natives of Canada, though they live entirelyon animal food, but not salted ; while the use of the latter never fails to produce thescurvy. Would it not then be worth while to make various experiments for preserv-ing meat at sea without salt ? Surely the resources of human invention are notexhausted. The absorbent and antiputrescent properties of sugar are well known ; butit might be deemed too expensive a seasoning. I must leave trials of this sort to persons of more leisure. It is enough for me to suggest the hint. I wish it may lead toa discovery of so much importance.