In the Merchant Service. 59 



containing 3122 convicts, of whom 3 died of Scurvy, 4 of dysentery, 

 and 2 of diarrhoea, and 8 of other diseases, shortly after arrival, 

 and that 1 died of dysentery, and 12 of other diseases during the 

 voyage. In the autumn months, 9 vessels with 1909 convicts 

 arrived, of whom 1 died of Scurvy, 1 of dysentery, and 1 of diarrhoea 

 and 4 of other complaints, shortly after arrival, and 13 died of 

 Scurvy, 1 of dysentery, and 19 of other diseases during the voyage. 

 In the winter months, seven vessels with 1778 convicts arrived, 

 of these 1 died of Scurvy, 2 died of dysentery, and 11 of other 

 diseases, shortly after arrival, and 2 died of diarrhoea, and 29 died 

 from other diseases during the voyage. 



I have notes of upwards of thirty post mortem examinations of 

 persons dying in Tasmania from Scurvy — also, many dying from 

 other diseases in their bodies, the effects of Scurvy would be 

 detected. 



From August 1836. to May 1846, out of upwards of 3000 ad- 

 missions into the Colonial Hospital, Hobart Town, I find 52 

 admitted with Scurvy, and 8 of these died. 



These hospital admissions, and the number of deaths, do not 

 represent all the injuries produced by Scurvy in the periods re- 

 ferred to. No case of Scurvy was taken into hospital if the man's 

 strength allowed him to be as an out patient, where his recovery 

 was quicker. This accounts for the small number of admissions, 

 and the larger proportion of deaths to the patients taken into the 

 house. 



It is clear from the records from the Dreadnought, and the 

 facts I have stated, that whatever may be the state of the navy, 

 as yet, the merchant service and transport service are not free 

 from Scurvy. 



It will not, therefore, be unwise for me to remind you, in a few 

 words, of what has been the havoc committed by Scurvy. 



The earliest account given of Scurvy was its appearance in 

 the army of Louis 9th, in Egypt, in 1260. 



Vasca de Grama lost more than 100 men out of 120 in his voy- 

 age. Of four ships that sailed from England in 1609, for the 

 establishment of the East India Company, there were lost nearly 

 three fourths of the crew before reaching the Cape of Gfood Hope. 

 The Commodore's ship was not attacked, this arose from the daily 

 issue of lime juice to the men. Tet, this remedy was neglected 

 for 150 years afterwards. 



Sir B.. Hawkins states in his accounts of two voyages to the 

 South Seas, in 1593, that upwards of 10,000 mariners had died 

 under his own observation alone, during 20 years. 



Larrey states that in 1801, during the siege of Alexandria, 

 which was commenced in May, and ended in August, 3,500 scor- 

 butic patients were received into the military hospitals. 



In 1760, the British troops in Quebec, after its capture by the 

 French, lost 1000 men from Scurvy. 



