28 Horticultural Jottanda. 



to be indigenous at a greater elevation than about 4000 ft. 

 above the level of the sea; but this is much disputed. 



The swelling of the throat affects women and children much 

 more than men. Except in extreme cases, it is never painful, 

 and then it is always attended with idiotcy more or less com- 

 plete. I have scarcely seen a woman in Switzerland that has 

 not an unusual fulness of flesh about the throat, which, 

 although not deformed, seemed to have a tendency to goitre. 

 Foreigners are not supposed liable to it. 



When incision is made into the diseased gland, it is found 

 cellular, and filled with a viscous fluid, occasionally containing 

 portions oF calcareous or siliceous concretion. Various causes 

 have been assigned for this remarkable afl'ection; the principal 

 of which are the following : — 1st, That it is caused by drink- 

 ing snow water. 2dly, By drinking water impregnated with, 

 or holding in solution, siliceous or calcareous matter, which 

 the water from glaciers generally is, although sometimes quite 

 transparent. Sdly? That it is produced by the ardent heat and 

 stagnation of the air of the valleys which is the opinion of 

 Saussure. 4thly, That it is produced by an imperfect oxy- 

 genation of the blood, from the rarity of the atmosphere in 

 highly elevated countries affording a less quantity of oxygen 

 to the blood, in a given time, than a denser atmosphere would. 

 To all these theories cogent objections have been made, and 

 the (]uestion still is matter of dispute. It is asserted, however, 

 that of late the exhibition of iodine, as a remedy for the dis- 

 ease, has been attended with almost universal success. 



The chief objections to the first supposition is, that snow 

 water differs in nothing from common water but in temperature, 

 and that goitres are found where snow is unknown. To the 

 second, that in the majority of cases no secretion of solid or 

 earthy matter is found in the gland. To the third, that the 

 disease is found existing under various climates and states of 

 the atmosphere. And to the fourth, that the rapidity of 

 respiration is accelerated in a rare atmosphere, to compensate 

 for the diminished supply of oxj'gen. 



However, amidst all this speciousness, the most universal 

 coexistence^ and probable cause of goitre, is[^the drinking water 

 loaded with earthy matter, which is the case with almost all 

 the water of Switzerland ; and, from my own observation, I 

 know that the peasants pay no attention to what water they 

 drink. I have seen them drinking the water of the Aar, a 

 glass of which, when laid by, soon deposits a large quantity 

 of silex, and after some time an impalpable precipitate of 

 tufa. 



Idiotcy, as one of the frightful attendants on the disorder. 



