26 R. M. Bache on Sea-sickness. 



to sea bj her father, who was the captain of the ship. She too 

 was not sea-sick. I should be very sorry to mar a strong case of 

 evidence in favor of the theory which 1 have advanced, by an 

 assertion of the truth of which I am not positive, even if I were 

 willing to state any thing of which I am not absolutely certain. 

 I give my investigation of this subject, for what it is worth in 

 the thoughts of those who may read this article. I shall not 

 support my theory in any measure whatever upon the result of 

 that slight investigation. Therefore I do not assert, that the in- 

 sane are not liable to sea-sickness. 



I think it sufi&ciently clear from all that has been said, that im- 

 pression of the brain is the cause of nausea on the ocean, since 

 I have shown, that it is not motion " per se " nor the appearance 

 of motion " per se " which causes it, but an idea, which I have 

 termed one of undefined motion, derived when the body is sub- 

 jected to motion in an unusual manner, from the " violation of 

 the habitual conception of contrasted effects of motion." There 

 are minor causes of sea-sickness, or rather, not so much causes as 

 aggravations of it. These are close cabins, smell of bilge-water, 

 unusual food, and as I have said, the stomach reacts upon the 



A precaution frequently taken by people about to commence 

 a sea-voyage, is to eat nothing or scarcely any thing. Another 

 precaution taken, is to get immediately into a berth. Neither 

 plan is good. Neptune is the most insatiable highwayman on the 

 globe, and attempts to levy toll on all. The traveller who comes 



■ " "^ ssfuUy resist. 



: of food, and 



is therefore more liable to be acted upon in the production of 

 nausea, and if nausea should ensue, retching is probably more 

 distressing without than with food. Lying down is an excellent 

 plan to adopt for the purpose of avoiding nausea, but when the 

 posture is assumed in a berth with the nauseous smell of bilge 

 water around and as is often the case, with a tin vessel of ques- 

 tionable nicety, hooked on the edge of the berth, the plan is no 

 better than the first. 



Persons fre(iuent]y imagine that some particular article of food 

 cured their sea-sickness. It is a general rule, that whatever a 

 sea-sick person is able to eat at all while sick, or convalescent, 

 gets the credit of the cure. The most heterogeneous articles are 

 spoken of as specifics. The best preparation to avoid sea-sick- 

 ness, is to go aboard ship with the stomach supplied with its 

 accustomed amount of food. It is best, as far as possible, to 

 maintain the habits of shore. 



Many reasons combine to render the deck of a vessel in any 

 thing like fair weather, the proper place to remain, either to 

 avoid sea-sickness, or to recover from it. It is there, that the 



