ADVICE TO NAVAL SUESEONS. 1? 
dinner I could not help looking round me, at tlie novelty of being 
waited on by boys and girls, nearly in a state of nature: indeed 
one named little Harry was quite an adept. The above gen-, 
tleman once lived at Sierra Leone; and ïs well known for the 
goodness of his disposition and pleasantness of bis manners: he 
had lately been in England^ and intends sending his son thither 
to finish his education. When our boat went to the main land, 
to, draw the seine for fish, îhe priiîce always came down, and 
they invariably complimented lîim with a few choice ones. 
Here we hi'st besan to s'i^e our men bark in' wine : a g;lass 
before they went, and another when they returned, under the 
idea of preventing fever. 
Whatever medical gentlemen may think of this practice, I shall 
call it a hocus-pocus mode of driving away fever. 1 am of opinion, 
it might be much better reserved till another opportunity, when 
it is really wanted, and might prove of great utility. If, instead 
of this, the men were allowed double the quantity of wine^ 
it would be of more service ; for can any one seriously suppose, 
that a dram of bark, only occasionally exhibited, can be of any 
advantage ? Again, the surgeon is by this, reducing his stock, 
when it cannot be replenislied^ as here, money could not purchase 
it, though for want of this useful tonic, his people were dying 
round hiiiî. 
There is another circumstance necessary to be attended to 
with respect to medicines at sea. All powders, especially bark, 
should, when sent to hot climates, be put into bottles, well corked 
down, and then dipt in rosin or vvax ; for it is well known, that the 
loss of the virtues of this medicine in these climates, is owing to 
its being exposed to the air. One proof I shall lay before my rea- 
ders — From Apothecaries'-hali 1 had bark in jars; viith a bung 
and a wrapper tied over it : I had also from the same place some 
in bottles, which 1 dipped in rosiii. When I opened them, at 
Sierra Leone, there was a wonderful difference in their quality, 
the jar did not smell more arooîatic than the small quantity in 
the bottles; that iîi the jar appeared to hang together as if mites 
were among it, and, though the utmost care had been taken of it, 
it seemed to be damp: samples from each were easily dis- 
tinguished. As this article is of such material consequence, 
1 hope care will betaken in future, to bottle it in the saisie manner 
as the lime juice, which latter might be curtailed on this station, 
as limes and acid fruits are in plenty, and may be obtained for 
the trouble of gathering. 
JMovv I am on this subject, 1 hope Ï shall not be thought 
tedious in mentioning some of our necessaries, as they are termed, 
more especially the tea^ if such 1 may call it, as is allowed for 
SPILSBURY.] c 
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