_Of the Scurvy_
If I was to write as much on that subject, as I have already written in
this treatise, the whole would only amount to this, that the scurvy is a
state of putrifying corruption in the living human body.
The causes of this disorder is a defective diet, contaminated air, and
want of proper exercise.
In regard to the diet, salt provisions and foul water are the accessory
means, which not only impoverishes the blood, but gives it a tendency to
a putrescency, whereby it loses its spirit, the lymph its
gelatinousness, and the crasamentous part its resinous consistency.
Thence the serum becomes sharp and acrimonious; the lymphatic part in
the blood unable to nourish the stamina of the solids; and the red
crasamentous part becomes crumous, and void of its vivacity: and as the
solids must in consequence suffer in proportion to the state of the
blood, from whence they have their existence, and become maintained, it
must follow also, that they degenerate into the same state of
corruption: thence we find not only a universal lassitude and debility
in the limbs, but gradually the smaller vessels become unable to
circulate the corrupt humours, break, bleed, and even mortify of their
own accord, without any other cause than the putrescent nature of their
containing fluids.
Though the symptoms are in general too well known, not to be easily
mistaken; yet I shall here describe this destructive disease in its
various gradations.
When a patient first begins to be tainted with the scurvy, he feels a
lassitude all over his body, and a peculiar proneness to indulgence and
idleness; work becomes irksome; and neither has he strength, nor
inclination, to do his work with the same chearfulness as before. He
sleeps more in general, but his rest is for ever disturbed with heavy
and melancholy dreams; and particularly of that nature, as for ever to
be engaged in escaping from some sad danger, but unfortunately that his
limbs are so remarkably heavy, that he cannot move them. With these and
the like labour in vain phantoms his sleep is disturbed, till at length
he awakes, and finds himself more fatigued than when he first went to
rest. The mouth is always foul and slimy, and frequently attended with a
disagreeable taint. The appetite is depraved, and the victuals sits very
heavy on the stomach.
This is the first stage of the scurvy; and when a patient is sure of
those symptoms, it is time some remedy should be used, in order to
prevent the approaching evils; which gradually come on thus.
The gums begin to swell, though not very sore; and frequently bleed
either on their own accord, or at the least touch of any thing that
comes near them. The breath becomes very disagreeable, even to the
patient himself. The teeth grow dark, brown or black, become loose, and
the very jaw bone, together with the roots of the teeth are exposed and
seem uncovered from the decayed gum.
Sometimes a scurfy itch ensues, and sometimes little spots appear. The
body becomes remarkably weak, and sensibly falls away, and the colour of
the skin gets a disagreeable tawny hew; which is most remarkable,
together with other emaciated features in the patient’s countenance.
This is the second state, and now dissolution actually begins to take
place.
The patient loses his strength sensibly, so as not to be able to be
supported by his own limbs. Over his body variously appear red, scarlet,
yellow, green, livid and black spots, of various magnitude; some of
which will bleed on their own accord; others will break into malignant
ulcers, and others again will mortify. The appetite fails; a flux
frequently ensues; the urine will be thick and stinking; and the poor
wretch gradually dies merely by putrefaction.
The scurvy has had many definitions, and has been divided into various
classes. All the difference of the disorder is, that sometimes it is
attended with a fever, only in some degrees, more in one habit, than in
another; which may be owing either to the nature of the constitution
itself, but principally depends on the climate the patient is in: to
which I must not forget to add, that frequently the scurvy is
complicated with other disorders. I could make many observations on this
head, but, this perhaps would serve more to indulge myself than to
benefit my reader.
I shall therefore suppose that I have said enough, to proceed to the
cure; which I do with the more chearfulness, as I am happy in knowing it
by experience to be not only easy, but efficacious.
The first time I ever experienced, and had it in my power to examine
into the nature of the _true_ scurvy, I was fortunate enough to discover
so much of its corruptive quality, as to hit upon the true antidote;
namely, the sacharine quality and acidity of vegetables; and upon this
foundation I established my method of cure with success.
I shall not here enumerate the many experiments that I made in the
course of these inquiries, but proceed to the result thereof, and the
method to be observed.
In the first place, sugar is an article of more virtue, than what is in
general known; and of so great a value to seamen, that he ought to
esteem it as one of the greatest preservatives of his health. Next to
this is vinegar, which is not only a resister of putrefaction, but has a
coagulating, and condensing quality to the animal juices; whereby it not
only consolidates the fluids without adding acrimony, but on the
contrary, absorbs animal acrimony, and braces up the solids.
On the same principle, I have found _dried malt_, to be of great
advantage in scorbutic cases; in which, both the saccharine and acidity
of vegetables is contained even in a heightened degree,——This being
premised, I proceed in the following manner:
When a man is found to have evident signs of the scurvy, let his drink
be acidulated with one fourth, or third, &c. of good vinegar, or what is
yet better, lemon juice, and well sweetened with sugar.
If there is malt on board, let a malt decoction, or temporary beer be
made in the following manner: