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SCÜRVY.

I have often seen very extraordinary effects in the land-scurvyfrom a milk diet. This preparation of Nature is a mixture of an-imal and vegetable properties, which of all others is the most fitfor restoring a decayed constitution, and removing that particularacrimony of the humours, which seems to constitute the veryessence of the scurvy, and many other diseases. But peopledespise this wholesome and nourishing food, because it is cheap,and devour with greediness flesh and fermented liquors, while milkis only deemed fit for their hogs.

The most proper drink in the scurvy is whey or buttermilk.When these cannot be had, sound cider, perry, or spruce-beer,may be used. Wort has likewise been found to be a proper drinkin the scurvy, and may be used at sea, as malt will keep duringthe longest voyage. A decoction of the tops of the spruce-fir islikewise proper. It may be drank in the quantity of an Englishpint twice a-day. Tar-water may be used for the sam3 purpose,or decoctions of any of the mild mucilaginous vegetables; as sarsa-parilla, marsh-mallow roots, &.C. Infusions of the bitter plants, asground ivy, the lesser centaury, marsh-trefoil, &c are likewisebeneficial. I have seen the peasants in some parts of Britainexpress the juice of the last-mentioned plant, and drink it withgood effect in those foul scorbutic eruptions with which they areoften troubled in the spring season.

Harrowgate-water is certainly an excellent medicine in theland-scurvy. I have often seen patients who had been reduced tothe most deplorable condition by this disease, greatly relieved bydrinking the sulphur-water, and bathing in it. The chalybeate-water may also be used with advantage, especially with a view tobrace the stomach after drinking the sulphur-water, which, thoughit sharpens the appetite, never fails to weaken the powers of diges-tion.

A slight degree of scurvy may be carried off by frequently suck-ing a little of the juice of a bitter orange or a lemon. When thedisease affects the gums only, this practice, if continued for sometime, will generally carry it oft". We would, however, recommendthe bitter orange as greatly preferable to lemon ; it seems to be asgood a medicine, and is not near so hurtful to the stomach. Per-haps our own sorrel may be little inferior to either of them.

All kinds of salad are good in the scurvy, and ought to be eatenvery plentifully, as spinage, lettuce, parsley, celery, endive, radish,dandelion, &c. It is amazing to see how soon fresh vegetablesin the spring cure the brute animals of any scab or foulness whichis upon their skins. It is reasonable to suppose that their effectswould be as great upon the human species, were they used inproper quantity for a sufficient length of time.

I have sometimes seen good effects in scorbutic complaints ofvery long standing, from the use of a decoction of the roots ofwater-dock. It is usually made by boiling a pound of the freshroot in six English pints of water, till about one-third of it be con-sumed. The dose is from half a pint to a whole pint of the decoction every day. But in all the cases where I have seen it provebeneficial, it was made much stronger, and drank in larger quair-»tities. The safest way, however, is for the patient to begin with