VOL. LXVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS, 403 



very acid, are, together with apples, strawberries, and raspberries, almost the only 

 fruits of these countries. 



In the Foundling Hospital, of which he was a physician, there were every 

 winter several scorbutic patients. This hospital was built near the conflux of 2 

 rivers, in a place the soil of which had been raised at a great expence. As near 

 back as the year 1770 there were still stagnated waters to be seen in the place ; 

 but only a part of the children lived there, the remainder lived in a stone house, 

 situated on an eminence in the neighbourhood. The usual symptoms of the 

 scurvy on these children were, the swelling of the gums, the nauseous breath, a 

 great languor and dejection ; they used to become cachetic, and of a leaden 

 colour. In process of time the swelling of the gums increased ; they were used- 

 to assume a livid colour : pustules were formed in the mouth, the infection of 

 the breath became most intolerable, the gums and all the inside of the mouth 

 became gangrenous, the jaw bones were carious, the fall of the teeth followed, 

 and the bones of the alveoli fell to pieces. The sick could scarce stir, though 

 they had as yet no fever, and had a very good appetite. The legs of some 

 among them were from the first covered with scorbutic spots, and dried crusts, 

 like scales ; others only had these symptoms after the mischief had made a great 

 progress. Most of them had their legs swelled. In some, the flexor tendons of 

 the legs became shorter, and stiffened in such a manner that they were forced to 

 keep always in a lying posture, with the legs near the thighs. In 2 cases the 

 same thing had happened to the arms. 



The gangrene of the gums and mouth, as well as the caries of the bones, 

 used insensibly to increase to such a degree, that the bones of the alveoli and 

 the spongious part of those of the upper jaw, used to fall out. The mischief 

 however usually made a slow progress ; there often elapsed a fortnight, and 

 sometimes more, after the beginning of the gangrene of the mouth, arid caries 

 of the bones ; and many months between the first symptoms and the stage of 

 the disorder above described. Even in this stage, dreadful as it was, they still 

 took nourishment sufficient, and even much more than it would be thought 

 possible they should have taken in such a situation. It was impossible however 

 they should live long in such a state, and death soon put an end to their 

 torments. 



The mode of treatment which he commonly made use ot in curing the greater 

 part, provided the mischief had not made a considerable progress in the spon- 

 gious bones of the upper jaw, was this : the first thing he did was to put them 

 on a vegetable diet, and order them soups, with a great many greens dressed in 

 light broth, such as sour cabbage, carrots, turnips, and onions, &c. to which 

 he added stewed onions and sorrel. The drink of the larger sort was quas or 

 sour small beer ; the lesser ones (none of which were ever seized with the scurvy 



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