THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 

 AND JOURNAL. 



I. Remarks on Damp Decks, and other Circumstances in the 

 Medical (Economy of Ships. By A Naval Surgeon. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — In allowing in your valuable miscellany [The Philosophi- 

 cal Magazine] immediate publicity to the following remarks on 

 Damp Decks, &:c. you will, in all probability, particularly in §uch 

 humid weather as the present, render an essential service to that 

 useful class of men for whose benefit they are solely intended. 

 I have the honour to be, sir, 



Your most obedient and very humble servant, 

 Portimouth, Dec. 22, 1819. A Naval Sdrgeok. 



Damp Decks, &^c. 



" The ship, in the first place, by frequent diying and ventilation, is pre- 

 served from damp and foul air." — Dr. Parr's London Medical Dictionary, 

 art. Scorb. 



A SHIP in the midst of the deep, having by far its greater part 

 immersed beneath the surface, is a circumstance that suggests to 

 us the natural formation and collection of vapour in it, and like- 

 wise the difficulty of its extrication, on the additional considera- 

 tions of the nature of the one and of the form and structure of 

 the other. 



Besides, water insinuates itself more or less into the holds of 

 all ships, which, with the water in casks, &c. must in a greater 

 or less degree be productive of vapour. If to this be added the 

 great portion of steam which arises at the meals, &c. and the 

 great quantity of exspiratcd vapour thrown out l)y several hundreds 

 of men so closely situated, the quantity of vapour thus collected, 

 is so great as to need an incessant extrication of it, particularly 

 when we consider its intermixture with what is implied by the 

 foul air of ships ; namely, air consisting of a redundancy of car- 

 bonic acid and an ext.ess of azote, or deficiency of oxygen from 

 Vol.55.No. 261. Ja/z. 1820. A2 the 



