Qiieries' and Answer Si ^7t 



p. 301. 403., which only reached me late in the spring; and this will ac-f 

 count for my not having earlier sent yoii!' a few desultory observations on 

 the subject.- ■ ■,...>; : , ;, ..I'utKjf hu :h- ,)/i.!.^ >f*>,' d m' .\ -r 



On my arrival in fSwitzei-land/ eight 'Jeiais siocfe, I f cHl ' dcsiffOusI lof .form- 

 ing some correct opinion relative totliis defaraiityj my subseqtrent wan- 

 derings have extended to nearly: ev(icy 'corner. .of Switzerland, and most 

 parts of the neighbouring -difetricts of Piedmont, the Tarantaise, and, Savoy, 

 where goitre is excessively frequeBti;' andi-asvmy rambles areJalyyiaiya iper- 

 formed on footi I have had the best opportunities! of fetoppiug "at any mo- 

 ment to tnake such enquiries as might suggest themselviefi; I; began by 

 noting the different opinions which had; been formed uponthe 3ubject,iin order 

 ta ascertain which would be bfest .supported by fehCiEiccumstaucesi joif each 

 individual case ; ahd the result 'of -muchpatiileinli invjefetigatioa i&iiniadopitioia 

 ofithcyiews taken by Goxe, and detailed in Msil^tterifroin'-'the V,alais, 

 dated' ;Aug/22(vl?'7i6. r He there a*tribotjd»jthe diseatee-iioibh&xpresen'CefeQf 

 tufeiui the water ArMk hy th«iioiiiabitanls ;<iandl I have iifevearjoia^serredit 

 to 'jir^'^ail'in* idiitridtgiiycberje /tufaiivasi Mot,> irij/tliefi aeigfeMbrhxpbdirpi'jAhfe' 

 spi'iAjgs,* sor i^tepe ) the> ^M»6el^^.an Jexitradpattoii^ )if^t\\e)iemit&ft&ih hmo fuatally 

 cari'im; 'didinot prove^ttd ismaiJaiwla^^ekyivsidekablebqawa^ 

 m?ii^^ m-'^/u^mimii^okciioniD th«!iatten;iH*»(Qlition!a|)paarsrtesbntiiidyfifei»ffl|ther» 

 caloaii^iis nofhilitiiou^ ipartidle^j hosf qvfeDrinbartrtpyiin)fe 'stiatv4)ofi(Bn»chanicali 

 sHSpeft'sionlpiJOdack'the eifesfi. b3>dkfi)oJi«fflHknpkL ri^-^^j:w0ibtem^skmit^d^ 

 near the>aa»Apcelof>th€i Vispboah^wiiicbassMfes fpamiqheimmenQ© ^ftjciers. 

 extendki^\}3eifi>w^en<Moi^'Rotsacpnxi'Xbe3MirttdrhxMrni yoiiJ are/ pcesoaA^^^ with; 

 water of a milky whiteness, and which I have found atiM<lti*]bid>bft^l\\tt 

 iigpo<3e of tweitty^four 'h<Air§ : • HrefullyrfiU^redjdtithowBver^VrtiftlaSis^^^arfc^ly 

 a trace' of earthy •ri]ial5tery:a(ndi the intitdbitants of dhJb' )ndghb©urbood-«iE€l ifnee 

 from goitre (& proof that snow wkboi* bate nbljhirfijgiito idO'Watbitj).i*he.im*^ 

 petuosity- of'thc kxrrent prevents th^ depbsktiatijof thi^»ioipUritip6,ta[nd)at(ifesi 

 jundtion^^with '^ BhartJe^ after a- c(MniF6«i:of i nitse rletigaesi! at- is^ ne^arij^ -as 

 clouded as at its source. I have not found that persons who c®i!tfele4;hen*-^ 

 selves entirely to the use of this water are troubled with goitrous excres- 

 cences ; neither are those who employ springs (arising probably from the 

 same glacial or snow water, which has become purified by filtering through 

 the soil) in the uppejL%p^^^|Df\t|^^, y^^^t^f St^Njq|iolas, where tufa does 

 not exist: but, approaching the lower levels towarcTs the Rhone, goitre 

 b^gii»-t0> appear aiiiojogst .per(soi]tein»siii^? water/as tiiitipidia* ciyeitaljoJklid 

 which* hasliarariabLyafibcdtod rale stiroAg indieatifiansidf'iidaaJseQiiSimHtitfsriin, 

 solutidn J)aHldI%'enqlliriesilflA^&ial•way«\^ed^to^thdd^ 

 tufa.>5^ Thi&(pnc^ inatanceatey be^m>taskfer€sd^Jia^A.6«firJa^l«^.o£'y^^^ 

 irkar^eaiirorabep crfndiJar/vadiQi^s siniiiaFljflc^ 



have never inclined me to adopt the opiniort that-^oitr^ wasidueStoiithe 

 effect ioffft stagnant awid ssaaffbcating min,< 'althoagli nob.\cljJi*bting in xthe least 

 tlidt s*iich an atoiosphere naayih^wneia teiyipoivyreuflrl inflhence by/induoing a 

 geijeral debility^ iwhidi; may irelnder ihej-coostifeutidhillessi able to resist the 

 ofierotionfof tire prii4iai!y'oafis^li;9FherliEJ(ldowia^oiBcutostances will, perliaps, 

 bBiallowedito support' me mrthasiconcliasion;^-^ I haVe met with many per- 

 sonstof .the middlfeiclassesii-who, in* consequence of a greafeei" attention to 

 cleanliness, ihore exepcise,'a more generous .diet, and using but little of the 

 water, plight be expected tc> enjoy more robust! healthy anel who constantly 

 inhabit places exposed 4o the. most oppressive atmosphere, without being 

 materially or at all affected, although surrounded by goitre in its most dis- 

 gusting forms amongst the lower classes, who are dirty, idle, and ill fed. 

 in many tufa: districts of the Cantons oi Bern -and le Vaud, in which the 

 suffocating air of the Valais is never felt, but where the atmosphere is most 

 salubrious and refreshing, goitre amongst the lower classes is extremely 

 prevalent. Finally, in many parts of Italy, where the air is still more 

 oppressive, if possible, than even in the environs of Sion, the natives, 



G 4. 



