3»4 
scorrs last expedition 
[August 
leading to feebleness of heart action. The method of 
securing and testing serum of patient was described 
(titration, a colorimetric method of measuring the per- 
centage of substances in solution), and the test by litmus 
paper of normal or super-normal solution. In this test 
the ordinary healthy man shows normal 30 to 50 : the 
scurvy patient normal 90. 
Lactate of sodium increases alkalinity of blood, but 
only within narrow limits, and is the only chemical remedy 
suggested. 
So far for diagnosis, but it docs not bring us much 
closer to the cause, preventives, or remedies. Practically 
wc arc much as we were before, but the lecturer proceeded 
to deal with the practical side. 
In brief, he holds the first cause to be tainted food, 
but secondary or contributory causes may be even more 
potent in developing the disease. Damp, cold, over- 
exertion, bad air, bad light, in fact any condition excep- 
tional to normal healthy existence. Remedies are merely 
to change these conditions for the better. Dietctically, 
fresh vegetables are the best curatives — the lecturer was 
doubtful of fresh meat, but admitted its possibility in Polar 
climate; lime juice only useful if regularly taken. He 
discussed lightly the relative values of vegetable stuffs, 
doubtful of those containing abundance of phosphates 
such as lentils. He touched theory again in continuing 
the cause of acidity to bacterial action — and the possi- 
bility of infection in epidemic form. Wilson is evidently 
slow to accept the ' acid intoxication ' theory ; his attitude 
is rather ' non proven/ His remarks were extremely 
