In the Merchant Service. 65 



Dr. Menton, of Vienna, in 1776, in the philosophical transactions, 

 describes cancrum oris with disease of the large intestines, pro- 

 duced by want of vegetables, and cured by their use. 



Dr. Crampton, of Dublin, in 1818, describes exactly the same 

 appearances in the large intestines, and ' the food of the poor 

 was universally bad during the two preceding years, the potatoes 

 wet, the wheaten flour musty.' 



In the Orphan Schools in Tasmania, I had several cases of 

 cancrum oris, which in fatal cases was connected with disease of 

 the large intestines exactly similar to the morbid appearances 

 seen by me so constantly in Scurvy among convicts, and as de- 

 scribed as taking place at Vienna and Dublin. 



I eradicated the dysentry, diarrhoea, and cancrum oris, at the 

 TasmaDian Orphan Schools, by attention to diet ; and vegetables 

 were given in all such cases. 



Dr. Browning, a naval surgeon, who made several voyages to 

 Tasmania with convicts, in a small book, he published in 1812, 

 says : " A youth was affected with a slight cough, and occasional 

 diarrhoea — but neither of his ailments was I disposed to regard 

 as connected with Scurvy. He was received as a patient into 

 the colonial hospital, and in three weeks was laid in his grave. 

 Nearly the whole of the (large) intestines, especially the liver, was 

 covered with ulceration, and discovered other marks of Scurvy, 

 very familiar to the medical officers of the colonial hospital at 

 Hobart Town." 



This was an example of many cases that fell in a similar way 

 victims to Scurvy in its obscurer forms. 



It was my practice with convicts recently landed, to keep them 

 out of hospital if possible, as fresh air, moderate exercise, and 

 the greater freedom acted beneficially on them ; and I am sure 

 many in that way recovered, whereas with the depressing influ- 

 ences of hospital restraint, on first landing, they would not have 

 got well. 



I was so fully impressed with the existence of severe diseases of 

 the large intestines, of a scorbutic character, even without 

 diarrhoea or dysentery, that if from any cause a purgative was re- 

 quired during the first month or so after landing, I only ordered 

 the mildest and those that acted chiefly on the upper bowels. 



That the ravages from obscure Scurvy have been great I am 

 convinced ; that they exist now far more than is supposed I fully 

 believe — certainly in the merchant and transport service. I trust 

 not in the navy. 



But the remedies for the more declared and more obscure forms 

 are one and the same — vegetables, the great means of cure ; 

 and on board ship, those means advised by Cook and Blane, for 

 the preservation of the health of seamen, should be enforced if 

 possible by law, for they will not only prevent Scurvy, even 



