SCURVY. 



efpecially with the nature of the remedies. As the difeafe 

 is molt frequently occalioired in modern times by 3.fea d'nt, 

 it has been afcribed to the ufe of falted meats ; but this 

 opinion is ahogether erroneous, and has been amply refuted 

 by Drs. Lind, Milman, and others. It has occurred, indeed, 

 to a great extent, where faked meats were not uled ; but it 

 has been equally prevalent where the diet confifted princi- 

 pally of farinaceous or other unfermented vegetable matters, 

 fuch as hard bifcuits, peas, and beans, or of fmoke-dried 

 fifli or flefli, cheefe, &c. In fome experiments, made by 

 Dr. Stark in his own perfon, relative to the effefts of par- 

 ticular articles of diet, fymptoms of fcurvy were induced 

 by living a fhnrt time exclufively upon fugar. (See Stark's 

 whole works, 4I0. Loud. 1788.) And in the Ruflian armies, 

 at the fiege of Afoph, in 1 736, and fubfequently in their 

 march to Oczakow, the fcurvy prevailed to a great extent, 

 although their diet did not confiit of falt-proviiions. They 

 had little fuel to enable them to drefs their viftuals, and the 

 fat indigei^ible fi(h of the river Don, being half-cooked, and 

 their bread ill-baked, produced frequent ficknelfes, and ul- 

 timately the fcurvy. (See Dr. Nitzfch's account of this dif- 

 eafe fn the Ruffian armies, quoted by Dr. Lind.) The fame 

 calamity occurred in the imperial army in Hungary, about 

 the fame period, although the army had frelh beef in plenty; 

 but their other food conlilled of a grofs and vifcid bread, or 

 other farinaceous matters, and efpecially of a fort of glu- 

 tinous pudding, called rollatfchen, which was principally eaten 

 by the Bohemians, who were indeed almoll the only people, 

 who fuffered from the fcurvy. (See Geo. Hen. Kramer. 

 DifT. epiftolica de Scorbuto ; which contains the cafe of the 

 imperial troops, addrefled to the college of phyficians at 

 Vienna.) There is no doubt, therefore, if we examine the 

 hiftory of the malady, that perfons predifpofcd to it, ii they 

 live upon any fpeci^-s of iiidigeftible food, whether it be of 

 an animal or vegetable nature, — whether preferved with fait, 

 or not at all impregnated with it, — will be equally attacked 

 with fcurvy ; and thofe perfons are obferved to fufter the 

 moft, who make the freelt ufe of thefe indigellible fub- 

 ftances. In all thefe inllances, however, frejb vegetable fub- 

 ftances did not probably conftitute any conliderable portion 

 of the diet. 



Other exciting caufes, however, mull co-operate with 

 this diet to produce the fcurvy, efpecially in its fevere de- 

 o-recs. And hence whatever contributes to impair the health, 

 and deprefs the mind, during the ufe of inch food, mate- 

 rially accelerates the occurrence of fcurvy ; and we have al- 

 ready ftated the effefts of indolence, over-fatigue, and the 

 depreffing paffions, in predifpofing the conltitution to take 

 on this difeafe. Indolence and inaftivity conduce to excite 

 the fcurvy, becaufe the hai^d and indigellible diet jult alluded 

 to requires a certain degree of exercife to fubdue it in the 

 ftomach. The influence of ext rtion was curioudy exempli- 

 fied in the cafes of thofe perfons who have wintered in high 

 northern latitudes. The fcurvy was the (ource of fatality 

 which they had to dread : and it is fingular, that th'^fe who 

 went prepared to fpend the winter in thele frozen climates, 

 and fupphed with provifions, clothing, fuel, &c. have uni- 

 formly died of the fcurvy ; while thofe who have been ac- 

 cidentally left, without any provifion, have efcaped that dif- 

 eafe and enjoyed good health. In 1633 two trials were 

 made by the Dutch of ellablifliing wintering-places at Spitz- 

 bergen and on the coail of Greenland, in latitude about 77° 

 or 78°. Seven failors.were left at each, amply furnilhed with 

 every article of clothing, provifion, and utenlils, thought 

 tiecelTary or ufeful in fuch a fituation. Tlie journals of both 

 companies are preferved. The men at Greenland began to 

 make a conitant fire to fit by in October, ferved out their 

 2 



allowance of brandy, and now and then killed a bear : but 

 in March they were all very ill of the fcurvy ; and on April 

 fixteeiith the firft man died, and all the reft were entirely dif- 

 abled, except one perfon. This poor wretch continues the 

 journal to the laft day of Apnl, when they v^ere praying for 

 a fpeedy releafe from their miferies. They were all found 

 dead. The men left at Spitzbergen killed but one fox the 

 whole time. The fcurvy appeared among them fo early as 

 November twenty-fourth, and the firft man died January 

 fourteenth : the journal ends February twenty-fixth ; and 

 thefe too were all found dead. Accident, however, foon 

 afterwards gave rife to an experiment which had a very dif- 

 ferent refult. For on the fame fide of Spitzbergen, and in 

 nearly the fame latitude, a boat's crew, confifting of eight 

 EngHfhmen, v.-ho had been fent afhore to kill deer, were by 

 fome m.iftake left behind, and reduced to the deplorable ne- 

 ceffity of wintering in that dreadful country, totally unpro- 

 vided with any of the neceffaries. Takinjr advantage of a 

 large fubftantial wooden building, creAed for the ufe of the 

 coopers belonging to the fiflicry, they rendered it warm and 

 comfortable by building a fm.illsr one within it, and by deer- 

 fkin beds, &c. They were tolerably fupplied with fuel from 

 old caflcs and boats, which they broke up, and, before the 

 cold weather fet in, they laid-in a confiderable ftock of veni- 

 fon, having killed a good number of deer, the greater part 

 of which thev roafted, and flowed in barrels, referving fome 

 raw, which became frozen. This venifon, with a few fea- 

 horfes and bears which they killed fi-om time to time, confti- 

 tuted their whole winter's provifion, except a very unfavoury 

 article, which they were obliged to make out with, at firll 

 two and afterwards four days in the week, which was whale's 

 fritters, or the fcraps of fat after the oil has been prefled 

 out. Their only drink during the whole time was running 

 water, procured from beneath the ice on the beach, till 

 January ; and afterwards fnow-water melted by hot irons. 

 The melancholy of their fituation was aggravated by the 

 abfence of the fun from the horizon, from Oftober four- 

 teenth to Fcbruar)' third, of which period twenty days were 

 palled in total darknels. They contrived, however, to keep 

 their fire and lamps continually burning during this period. 

 At the approach of fpring, they had the good fortune to 

 kill feveral white bears which proved excellent food ; and 

 thefe, together with wild fowl and foxes which they caught, 

 enabled them to difpenfe with their fafting days on the 

 mouldy fritters, and foon improved their vigour. Upon 

 this fimple fare, without fpiriis or fermented liquors, they 

 were able to pafs this rigorous winter, unaff ftcd by fcurvy 

 or any other difeale : at the return of the (hips on May 

 twenty-fifth, they ali appear to have been in health ; and all 

 returned in fafcty to thiir i.ative country. (Set Mem. of the 

 Liter, and Philof. Society of Manchefter, vol. 1. p. 89, et 

 feq ) Another ftil! more ftnking illuftration is related by 

 Dr. Aikin, in the paper juil referred to, in the cafe of four 

 Ruffians, who were left at Spitzbergen, ai.d alio found a 

 hut in which they refided above fix years, living on the bears, 

 deer, and foxes, which they caught, and drinking the run- 

 ning water in fummcr, and melted ice in winter Three of 

 them remained entirely free from the fcurvy during the whole 

 of their abode ; but the fourth died of it, after lingering to 

 the fixth year. This perfon, it is remarked, was of an in- 

 dolent difpofition, and could not conquer his avciflon to 

 drinking the rein-deer's blood. The continual exervife, re- 

 quired by the hunting of thefe animals, appears to have been 

 the great fonrce of health, and to have kept at a dillance the 

 fcurvy, which is endemic in Lapland, Norway, Sweden, 

 RufTia, and in latitudes much lets northerly than Green- 

 land. 



Other 



