SCURVY. 489 



, but it was when the men were obliged to live on marching rations and it was 

 impossible to provide them with fresh vegetables, or any :mti -srorUitir. 



Since the year 1795, scurvy has been all but abolished from the British fleet, 

 ami when we remember that the security of this country has been on several 

 occasions imperilled by the forced disestablishment of the Royal N:i\ y through tin- 

 ravages of this disease, it will we think be granted that we have something to be 

 thankful for. It is to Dr. James Land, "the father of nautical medicine," that we 

 are indebted for the discovery that lime-juice has the power of warding off scurvy. 

 It was, however, nearly half a century after the publication of Dr. Land's celebrated 

 work that any serious attempt was made to utilise it. In 1780 the number of cases 

 of scurvy received into Haslar hospital was 1,457, in 1806 (me only, and in 1807 

 also one. Scurvy is now so uncommon that many medical men, unless they happen 

 to practise in a seaport town, have never seen a case. At the same time there is a 

 growing opinion that scurvy is not such a rarity in the merchant service as it ought 

 to be. Although the Legislature insists, under a penalty, that lime-juice or lemon-- 

 juice should be issued to the crews of vessels on long voyages, there is evidence to 

 show that the provisions of the Act are but too frequently evaded, one of the best 

 proofs being that the Dreadnought hospital still continues to receive annually an 

 average of ninety cases of the disease. There can be no doubt that very frequently 

 no lime-juice at all is furnished, or a cheap imitation, consisting of tartaric acid, 

 sugar, and water, flavoured with essence of lemon, is substituted. 



The " inexplicable and unlooked-for " outbreak of scurvy amongst the crews of 

 the Alert and Discovery, whilst engaged in the Arctic expedition, is too fresh in the 

 minds of our readers to call for any detailed notice. 



Patients who, from disease of the stomach or other similar cause, are unable to 

 take solid food, and are obliged to live almost exclusively upon beef-tea, are some- 

 times attacked with symptoms of scurvy. It is only necessary to bear this fact in 

 mind to guard against its occurrence. 



It has been frequently urged that scurvy might possibly arise from some other 

 cause besides a deficient supply of vegetable food, as, for example, the long-continued 

 use of salt provisions. We have not the slightest hesitation in saying that this 

 proposition is untenable, and for two reasons: (1.) There is no case of scurvy on 

 record occurring in a person adequately supplied with fresh succulent vegetables of 

 good quality. (2.) The occurrence of scurvy in persons living upon salt meat may be 

 prevented by the regular administration of fresh vegetables or lemon-juice. 



It has also been said that monotony of diet is an important element in the 

 production of scurvy. The answer to this is that probably one of the most mono* 

 tonous dietaries in the world is that upon which the poor inhabitants of Ireland 

 thrive, consisting as it does almost entirely of stirabout, milk, and potatoes. They 

 are a fine, well-built, often athletic race, and so long as they can obtain this food 

 scurvy is unknown, but when the monotony is broken by the failure of the potato 

 crop, the disease soon makes its appearance. 



The symptoms of scurvy can hardly be mistaken. The earliest sign of the 

 disease is a change in the colour of the skin, which becomes pale and sallow, and 

 even assumes a greenish tinge. Contemporary with this is a peculiar listlessness, 



