Qneries and Answers, 89 



to the air in shallow vessels ; frequently rendered a little sparkling, by pass- 

 ing through it a stream of carbonic acid gas ; or slightly chalybeate, by the 

 galvanic action of a small rod of iron immersed in it, round which a fine 

 silver wire was previously twisted in a spiral manner. This, and strict 

 attention to his general health, have secured him from any subsequent 

 attack. 



I have stated that the disease in its early stages is curable in the male 

 subject. Females of the upper classes, who avoid the debilitating course of 

 life to which the peasantry are, from necessity or choice, exposed, are not 

 often seriously affected ; so that the disease exerts its chief malignity on the 

 fair sex of the lower ranks who neglect it in its early stages, after which 

 the remedies prepared from iodine cannot be safely resorted to. Even when 

 applied locally in the form of ointments these are found to act strongly on 

 the glands in general ; so that unless the earliest symptoms are attended 

 to, the iodine has time to affect the glands of the breast, which in some 

 cases have nearly disappeared before the incipient goitre was removed. 



These observations seem to throw some light on the question of Ob- 

 scurus. What noxious qualities of the water in the neighbourhood of Lucca 

 would the iodine contained in them tend to neutralise ? It would be de- 

 sirable to examine the contents of the water, and to ascertain in what state 

 the iodine exists ; but, as iodine is compatible with the presence of tufa, is 

 it not probable that, instead of neutralising the noxious qualities of the 

 water, it may act by rendering the glands capable of resisting their effects ? 

 Its proportion is, no doubt, very trifling ; but it would be well to observe 

 what may be the result of the liabitual use of water containing it. It is so 

 long since I strolled into the vicinity of Lucca, that I have no recollection 

 of having noticed any striking peculiarity in the form of the females ; but 

 should my wanderings again lead me in that direction, I shall not fail to 

 cast an eye towards the busts of the natives, and also to ascertain whether 

 the udders of the cows and goats are materially affected by drinking the 

 water. 



Should any of your readers visit this country with a view to the study 

 of its botany or mineralogy, I shall at all times be happy to supply them 

 with such information as my local knowledge may enable me to afford. 

 Yours, &c. — P. J. Brown. Thun^ Canton of BerUy July 14. 1830. 



Cause of Goitre. — Sir, Obscurus (Vol. XL p. 403.), among several 

 questions which he proposed relating to goitre, or bronchocele, wished to 

 know what was the most generally received opinion as to the cause of that 

 disease. As your correspondents, Mr. J. Aaron (Vol. III. p. 192.) and Old 

 Bengally (Vol. III. p. 470.), have not attempted to satisfy him on this 

 point, perhaps a few additional remarks on the subject will not be deemed 

 superfluous. 



Goitre is a disease very prevalent in Switzerland, more so, I believe, in 

 that country than in any other part of the world ; it is also not uncommon 

 in some parts of England, especially in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and 

 Sussex. As to the cause of this malady, there are different opinions ; but 

 as, whatever it be, it is more predominant in Switzerland than any where 

 .else, it is by examining the physical condition of that country that we should 

 endeavour to discover the nature of the poisonous agent. By some, the 

 swelled necks of the Swiss have been attributed to the air of the deep val- 

 leys ; by others, to their food ; and by others, to the water, not the snow 

 water. It is this latter element, or rather some mineral substance held in 

 solution by it, that is generally accused in the present day of producing the 

 singular deformity in question. We are told that the food of the inhabit- 

 ants cannot be the cause of it ; for some parts of Switzerland are compara- 

 tively free from goitre, while the diet is the same, or very nearly so, through- 

 .out the country. The hypothesis of its being caused by some deleterious 

 quality of the air has but few, if any, espousers in our tinje. It is theq 



