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o f ice, on which fome diffolved ice-water was poured; and then
ftruck them down into the hold, the temperature o f the air. w,as
commonly very fuddenly altered, -fo that from 50° of. Fahrenheits
Thermometer, the mercury1 at once fell down to 3 5°; and befides
this it is well known that ice expels all fixed air -from water, nor
is the melting of the ice by fire,; an operation whigh can properly
r e f to r e its natural quantity o f fixed ahxto it. T h e .want o f which
may very probably caufe obftrudtions in the glandular fyltem o f
our body.
Befides the above, the chief difeafes were fevers. However
our fliip’s company was more free from them, than might be
expected on a voyage, where we underwent fo many changes o f
climate. In the year 1774, in February, March, and April,
after we left the .cold climates, and were advancing towards the
milder regions, the Captain, my fon, my fervant, and two or
three perfons more in the fhip were attacked by the bilious colic;
among its fymptoms were acute pains, and the difeafe rofe to a
dangerous height;, the - Captain efpecially grew by negleCting
the difeafe in the beginning, very weak, and had for about twenty-
four hours a continued hiccough, however, by the indefatigable
affiduity and fkill o f Mr. P a t t o n , our excellent furgeon, the
patients were reftored to health; and though they . recovered but
ilowly whilll we were at fea, for want of frelh and nourilhing food,
5 refloratives
refloratives and.greens; yet as foon as we came to Taheitee they
durft not venture to eat any o f the common fruits o f the country,
as' .bread-fruit, coco-nuts, . and bananas, • becaufe they renewed
their pains; But having at laft ventured to eat the fine apples o f
this countryJ (Spondias) which havé a peculiar kind of tartnefs
joined to an agreeable fweetnefs much approaching to the tafte of
pine-apples; they foon felt the falutary effects, o f this moft: excellent
fruit, and were in a few days perfectly reftored.
T h e feq-fcurvy did not make fuch ravages on board our ihip as
might have been expected, on account of the regulations enumerated
before and the ufe o f the excellent prophylactics and remedies;;
which were freely adminiftered, and o f which we have
fpoken very fully.
T h e venereal difeafe was. very frequent among our Ihips-
company, fo that fometimes thirty or forty" perfons were at once
infefted; but the vigilance and fkill o f Mr. Patton alwayTpffevented
this difeafe from rifing to any great height, and from leaving any
dangerous effeCts. I cannot conclude this article without mentioning,
that I i have lately learnt from a letter written by Dr.
H e n s l e r , Phyfician to the King o f Denmark, to a friend of
mine, who kindly communicated its contents to me, that he has
collected many very old hiftorical faCts from Chronicles and Records,
by which it appears beyond a poffibility o f doubt, that this evil
4 N , was
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