lieved by many, that this particular alone, i f well attended to,
would prevent .the appearance of the fcurvy, or at lead mitigate its
virulence; yet weobferved, during the latter part of our run, that
though we kept all our ports open, and took uncommon pains in
cleanling and fweetning the fhips, the difeafe ftill raged with as
much violence as ever; nor did its advancement feem to be there-,
by fenfily retarded.
However, I would not be underftood to affert, that frefh pro-
vifions, plenty of water, and a conftant fupply o f fweet air between
decks, are matters of no moment : I am, on the contrary, well
fatisfied, that they are all o f them articles of great importance, and
are doubtlefs extremely conducive to the health and vigour o f a
crew, and may in many cafes prevent this fatal malady from taking
place. All I have aimed at, in what I have advanced, is only to
evince, that in fome inftances, both the cure and prevention of
this malady, is,imp.oflible to be effedted by any management, or by
the application of any remedies which can be made ufe of at fea.
Indeed, I am myfelf fully perfuaded, that when it has got to a
certain head, there are no other means in nature for relieving the
lick, but carrying them on Ihore, or at lead bringing them into
the neighbourhood of the land. Perhaps a diftindt and adequate
knowledge .of the fo.urce of this difeafe may never be difcovered ;
but in general there is no difficulty in conceiving, that as a continued
fupply of frelh air is necelfary to all animal life, and as this
air is fo particular a fluid, that without lofing its elafticity, or any
of its obvious properties, it may be rendered unfit for this purpole,
by the mixing with it fome very fubtle and otherwifc imperceptible
effluvia ; it may be eafily conceived, I fay, that the Hearns arifing
from .the ocean may have a tendency to render the air they are
fpread through lefs properly adapted to the fiipport of the life of
terreftria] animals, unlefs thefe fleams are .corredted by effluvia of
another kind, which perhaps the land alone can afford.
To what hath been already laid in relation to this difeafe, I (hall
add, that our furgeon (who .during our paffage round Cape Horn,
had afcribed the mortality we fuffered to the feverity of the climate)
exerted
«erted himfelf in the prefent run to the utmoft : But he at laft declared
that all his meafures were totally ineffeaual, and did not
in the’leaft avail his .patients. On this it was refolved by the Commodore
to try the fuccefs of two medicines, which juft before hts
departure from- England, were the fubjeft of much difcourfe, I mean
the pill and drop of Mr. Ward. For however violent the operations
of thefe medicines are faid to have fometimes proved yetun the
prefent inftance, where, without fome remedy, deftrufeoH-feemed
inevitable, the experiment at leaft was thought, advifeable : And
therefore one or both of them, at different times, were admtmftered
to perrons in every ftage of the diftemper Out of the numbers
who took them, one,foon after fwallowing the pfll, was fazed with
a violent bleeding at the. nofe : He was before^gtven.over by the
furgeon, and-lay almoft at the point of death ; but he immediately
found himfelf much better, and continued to recover^ thoughidlow-
ly, till we arrived on (hore,. which was near a fortnight after. A
few others too were relieved.for fome days, but the difeafe returned
again with as much virulence as ever. Though neither did thefe, no
the reft, who received-no-benefit, appear to be reduced to. a^worfe
condition than they would have been if they had taken, nothing.
The moft remarkable, property o f thefe medtctnes,, and what was
obvious in almoft every one that took them,, was that they aded.
in proportion to the vigour of the patient; fo that thefe who were
within two or three days of dying, were fcarcely affefted; and as the
patient, was differently advanced in the difeafe, the operation was,
either a gentle perforation, an eafy vomit,, or a moderate purge :
But if they were taken by one in full ftrength, they , then produced
all the aforementioned, effefts with.confiderable violence which
fometimes continued for fix or-eight hours together with little inter,-
J R However, let us return to the probation of our voyag^.
I have already obferved, that a few. days after our .running, off
the coaft of Mexico, the Gkucejler had her. mam-maft. cut down to
„ and we were obliged to filh our fore-maft,;, and that thefe