and general efficacy in all thofe numero which take their rife from foul or vapi from a bad digeftion. The animal fpi borated from the blood. Such there blood is, fuch will be the animal fpi lefs, weaker or stronger. This fhe fulness of tar-water in all hyfteric and driac cafes; which together with t from indigeftion comprise almoft the of chronical difeafes.

88. The fcurvy may be reckoned mates an univerfal malady, as peopl are fubject to it, and as it mixes mo almost all difeafes. Whether this pr want of elasticity in our air, upon w of the veffels depends, and upon that fecretions; or whether it proceed moisture of our climate, or the gro food, or the falts in our atmosphere, thefe together; thus much at leaf abfurd to fuppofe, that, as phyficians Italy are apt to fufpect the venereal latent principle, and bear a part in fo for as good reafon the fcurvy fho fidered by our phyficians, as having in moft diforders and conftitutions tha way. It is certain our perfpiration as in clearer air and warmer climates. humours not difcharged will ftagnate A diet of animal food will be apt juices of our bodies alcalefcent. H and corrofive humours and many difo air makes vifcid blood; and faline air vifcid blood. Hence broken capillar fated blood, fpots, and ulcers, and o fymptoms. The body of a man at bibes the moisture and falts of the 3 BINBURG

fles, , or ela

s the

pre or

eufe

chonladies e tribe

efe cligeneral lefs in is from

the tone - feveral rom the

s of our from all ems not

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illness,

be con
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not fo free
Perfpirable
nd purify
Tender the
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5, extrava-
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C's and in
and what

ever noars in
the atmosphere, which, as it is com-
mon to all, fo it affects all more or lefs.
lefs.!
89. Doctor Mufgrave thinks the Devonshire
fcurvy a relique of the leprofy, and that it is not
owing to the qualities of the air. But as thefe infu-
lars in general live in a grofs faline air, and their vef-
fels being lefs elaftic, are confequently lefs able to
fubdue and caft off what their bodies as fponges draw
in, one would be tempted to fufpect the air not a
little concerned, especially in fuch a fituation as that
of Devonshire. In all thefe British islands we enjoy
a great mediocrity of climate, the effect whereof is,
that we have neither heat enough to exalt and diff-
pate the grofs vapours, as in Italy, nor cold enough
to condenfe and precipitate them, as in Sweden. So
they are left floating in the air, which we constantly
breath, and imbibe through the whole furface of our
bodies. And this together with exhalations from
coal fires, and the various foffils wherein we abound,
doth greatly contribute to render us fcorbutic and hy-
pochondriac,

90. There are fome who derive all diseases from the fcurvy, which indeed must be allowed to create or mimic moft other maladies. Boerhaave tells us, it produceth pleuritic, colic, nephritic, hepatic pains, various fevers, hot, malignant, intermitting, dyfenteries, faintings, anxieties, dropfies, confumptions, convulfions, palfies, fluxes of blood. In a word, it may be faid to contain the feeds and origin of almoft all diftempers. Infomuch that a medicine which cures all forts of fcurvy, may be prefumed good for moft other maladies,

91. The fcurvy doth not only in variety of fymptoms imitate moft diftempers, but also when come to a height, in degree of virulence equal the moft malignant. Of this we have a remarkable proof, in that horrible defcription of the scorbursc

F 2

patients

patients in the hofpitals of Paris, giver fieur Poupart, in the Memoirs of the demy of sciences, for the year one t hundred and ninety-nine. That autho faw fome refemblance in it to the plague It is hard to imagine any thing more da the cafe of thofe men, rotting alive by in it's fupreme degree. To obviate faction, I believe the moft effectual me be, to embalm (if one may fo fay) the 1 with tar-water copioufly drunk; and not without experience.

92. It is the received opinion that falts of a found body are of a neutral, benign nature: that is, the falts in the the primæ viæ, are neither acid nor al ing been fubdued by the conftitution, a into a third nature. Where the conftit force to do this, the aliment is not dul ed; and fo far as the falts retain their lities, fickly fymptoms enfue, acids and perfectly fubdued, producing weak fer juices. Hence fcurvy, cachexy, and a of ills.

93. A cachexy or ill habit is much kind with the fcurvy, proceeds from th fes and is attended with like fymptoms fo manifold and various, that the fcur be looked on as a general cachexy, i whole habit and vitiating all the digefti have reckoned as many forts of the fcur are different taints of the blood. Othe pofed it a collection of all illneffes toget it an

fieri, Othe accumulation of feveral

take it for an affemblag

A

liques of old diftempers,

94. But thus much is certain, the cure of the fcurvy is no more to be attempted by ftrongly active medicines than (to ufe the fimilitude of an ingenious writer) a thorn in the flesh, or pitch on filk to be removed by force. The vifcid humour must be gently refolved and diluted, the tone of the veffels (recovered by a moderate ftimulation, and the tender fibres and capillary veffels gradually cleared from the concreted ftuff, that adheres and obftructs them. All which is in the apteft manner performed by a watery diluent, containing a fine vegetable soap. And although a complete cure by alteratives, operating on the fmall capillaries, and by infenfible difcharges, muft require length of time, yet the good effect of this medicine on cachectic and fcorbutic perfons, is foon perceived, by the change it produceth in their pale difcoloured looks, giving a florid healthy countenance in lefs time than perhaps any other medicine.

95. It is fuppofed by physicians, that the imme diate cause of the fcurvy lies in the blood, the fibrous part of which is too thick and the ferum too thin and fharp and that hence arifeth the great difficulty in the cure, because in the correcting of one part, regard must be had to the other. It is well known how extremely difficult it is to cure an inveterate fcurvy: how many fcorbutic patients have grown worfe by an injudicious courfe of evacuations: how many are even rendered incurable by the treatment of inconfiderate phyficians: and how difficult, tedious and uncertain the cure is in the hands even of the belt, who are sobliged to use fuch variety and change of medicines, in the different ftages of that malady: which nevertheless may be cured (if I may judge by what I have experienced) by the fole, regular, conftant, copious ufe of tar-water,

96. Tar

96. Tar-water moderately infpiffate balfamic virtue, and renders mild the fharp part of the blood. The fame, medicine, diffolves the grumous concre fibrous part. As a balfam it deftroys t acrimony of the humours, and as a de opens and cleans the veffels, reftores thei ftrengthens the digeftion, whofe defects a cipal cause of fcurvy and cachexy.

97. In the cure of the fcurvy, the pr is to fubdue the acrimony of the blood But as this acrimony proceeds from diffe or even oppofite, as acid and alkalin good in one fort of fcurvy proves da even mortal, in another. It is well k hot antifcorbutics, where the juices of are alcalefcent, increase the disease. fruits and vegetables produce a like e fcurvy, caufed by an acid acrimony. I blunders are committed by unwary p who, not diftinguishing the nature of do frequently aggravate, inftead of cu I may truft what trials I have been able this water is good in the feveral kinds acid, alcaline, and muriatic, and I bel only medicine that cures them all wit hurt in any. As it contains a volatile ad a fine volatile oil, why may not a me in one part and warm in another be a either extreme (b)? I have obferved it a kindly genial warmth without heat, be aimed at in all forts of fcurvy. balfam in star-water fheaths all fcom alike: and it's great virtues as a digefter