Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The practice of medicine / by Thomas Hawkes Tanner. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![cantile service, and recent Arctic navigators have also suifered from it.* The mortality from this disease was formerly frightful; more seamen dying from it than from all other causes put together, not omitting the accidents of war. Thus, Admiral Hosier sailed from England for the West Indies, in 1726, w4th seven ships of the line, and twice lost his whole crew by scurvy. Again, two years after Lord Anson's memor- able expedition sailed from England in 1740, this disorder had proved fatal to four out of every five of the original crew; whilst in 1795 the safety of Lord Howe's Channel fleet was seriously endangered^by its virulence. Now, by taking care to supply the men with fresh succu- lent vegetables or fruits, or their preserved juices, the circumnaviga- tion of the globe may be accomplished without the loss of a hand from it. When, therefore, a sailor dies from scurvy, some one must be as responsible as if the fatal event were due to poisoning. Our knowledge of the pathology of this disease is not very precise. There can, however, be little doubt that the blood is altered in com- position ; but if it be asked wha,t ingredients are deficient, or in excess, or deteriorated in quality, we can only point to statements which are very contradictory. The red corpuscles are probably much diminished, while the water and fibrine are increased. Dr. Aldridge holds that the real cause is a deficiency in the food of certain minerals which are es- sential to the existence of nearly all the proximate principles by which the animal structure is built up. These principles are phosphorus, sul- phur, lime, potash, and soda. And he finds that both seeds and flesh are usually deficient in sulphur and the alkalies. Dr. Garrod in some measure confirms this view ; for while attaching little importance to the absence of sulphur and soda, he still believes that the blood is deficient in potash, and that all antiscorbutics owe their virtues to the quantity of this salt the}^ contain. He says, moreover, that scorbutic patients will recover Avhen some of the salts of potash are added to their food, without the use of succulent vegetables or milk.—Land scurvy and sea scurvy are identical complaints in all respects. The Symptoms of scurvy show themselves gradually; commencing with lassitude, mental anxiety, offensive breath, the appearance of pe- techise on the legs, stiff'ness of the muscles, wearying pains in the bones, a pale exsanguine appearance of the gums, and dyspnoea on the least exertion. The appetite, however, continues good, and digestion is well performed ; while, in the very aged, the callous and toothless gums re- main healthy all through the disease.—Then, in the second stage, the countenance gets sallow and of a dusky hue ; the gums swell, are spongy, of a livid color, and bleed on the slightest touch ; the teeth loosen ; and the breath becomes still more fetid. As the disease still further ad- vances, the debility increases ; the dyspna?a often becomes most urgent; the gums frequently slough ; and hemorrhages occur from the gums, mouth, nose, stomach, and intestines. Ecchymoses, or eff*usions of blood beneath the skin, also appear, especially on the lower extremities * Dr. Robert Barnes, in his Report on Scurvy in the Merchant Service (Sixth Report of the Mofliefll Officer of the Privy Council, with Appendix, 1808), shows tlifit durinjjj the twelve y(;iirs, 18r)2-(i;), no Jees than 10)8 cas(!s ol this diseases have b('<-n admitted into the IIos|)ital ship Dreadnought; the total nunib<'r of in-palicnts for this period beine; 25,480. In the year 1803 alone, this institution received 80 cases of scurvy ; 1 ])atient in every 28 of the whole number admitted being afiiicted with this jireventable disease.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21079948_0060.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
