66 2 
Dr. de mertans’s Obfervations 
havoc amongft crews engaged on long navigations, it was 
neceffary to find out forae food of an oppofite nature to 
this, capable like wife of being preferved at fea. 
Salt provifions are hard of digeftion ; and we all know 
that all food, which our powers of digeftion cannot re- 
duce to a good chyle, undergoes in the primce vice fuch 
alterations as are proper to the refpedtive fpecies of it in. 
regard to heat and humidity * confequently, the chyle 
produced by fait provifions partakes altogether of an 
animal nature tending to putrefaction. When it mixes 
with the blood, it increases this difpofition which our 
fluids have of themfelves ; and thus, by degrees, intro- 
duces that flow putrid degeneration which we call fcur- 
vy, of which, I am perfuaded, there is but one fort, dif- 
ferent in its degrees. I am likewife perfuaded, that the 
fea and land fcurvy are the fame diforder, arifing from 
fimilar. 
pour les conduire, il failoit chercher a y oppofer dcs alimens d’urie nature can- 
traire et qui fe confervaffent fur frier# 
Les viandes falees font de difficile digeftion, et nous favons que les aliinens 
que nos forces digeflives ne peuvent pas reduire en bon chyle, fubiffent dans les 
premieres voyes les alterations propres a leur efpece dans la chaleur et l’humiditei 
par confequent le chyle produit de viandes falees feules, tient entierement de la 
nature animale tendante a la putrefa&ion* Lorfqu’il fe rnele au fang, il aug- 
mente cette difpofition, que nos flu ides ont dejapar eux memes, et par la peu a 
peu introduit cette degeneration putride lente* que nous appellops fcorbut, dont 
je fuis perfuade qu’il n’y a qu’une feule efpece, qui a differens degres. Je fuis 
$uffi convaincu que le fcorbut de mer et celui de terre font la ineme maladie, 
produitc 
