404 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1778. 



under 1 years old) drank water. During the spring, those who had the scurvy 

 took, in proportions suitable to their ages, a drink made of whey, in which 

 were infused antiscorbutic plants, such as cochlearia, nasturtium aquaticum, 

 becca bunga, acetosa. This infusion was sweetened with plain syrup, or syrup 

 of sugar. Besides this, in the course of the day, they used a gargle, made of 

 an infusion of herbs, rue, sage, agrimonia in water, to which was added spirit 

 of cochlearia, and honey of roses. When the gangrene began to shew itself 

 at the mouth, besides the remedies abovementioned, they used to take a strong 

 decoction of bark, part of wliich decoction was also added to the gargle. The 

 gangrened parts were also touched with honey of roses, mixed with a small 

 quantity of spirit of sea salt. This method of treatment had succeeded per- 

 fectly well the first 3 years ; so that the greater part of the sick, as well adults 

 as infants, were commonly cured in 3 weeks or a month, when the distemper 

 was not far advanced. It was in spring and winter that the scurvy used to be 

 most fatal. 



In autumn 1770, the foundling children, who remained in town to the number 

 of 1000,* were lodged, contrary to his advice, in the wing of the house finislied 

 but about a year before. In a climate where the summer is so siiort, new walls 

 made of bricks take a great time in drying, and this house was situated on a soil 

 which had been a bog a few years before. Notwithstanding all the precautions 

 that could be taken, a damp was felt in the room the whole winter. The scurvy 

 showed itself early in the spring, and he had many more children ill than in the 

 preceding seasons. The violent symptoms were also much more frequent. Many 

 had gangrenous pustules at the mouth, the jaw bones were carious in some; the 

 limbs, particularly the legs of many, were drawn up and stifi". He put all these 

 sick persons in the wooden house, which had already served many years as an 

 hospital for the scurvy, and gave them the food and medicines above-mentioned ; 

 but the disorder was more stubborn than ever it had been, and all he could do 

 could hardly keep it down. In the middle of May, seeing that the remedies he 

 had formerly tried were unsuccessful, he began to think of other methods. 

 The reflections communicated above, which he had made on the diet of the lower 

 people, determined him to give his patients those vegetables raw which they had 

 before been used to eat boiled. lu consequence he ordered them, every morn- 

 ing, radishes, sweet turnips, carrots, and young onions, which they eat like 

 apples. At dinner, besides the soup and greens as usual, ihev eat sallad with a 

 little vinegar and a very little oil; in the afternoon the same roots as in the morn- 

 ing, and at night, greens and sallad. The remedies were continued as before. 

 In a few days all the bad symptoms decreased: those who were at the worst, and 

 had been ill for some time, began to get better; those who had been but slightly 



'- • The greater part of the sucking children were at nurse in the country. — Orig. 



