The diseases incident to armies. With the method of cure. / Translated from the original of Baron van Swieten, physician to Their Imperial Majesties. ; To which are added; The nature and treatment, of gun-shot wounds. By John Ranby, Esquire; surgeon general to the British Army. ; Likewise, some brief directions, to be observed by sea surgeons in engagements. Also, preventatives of the scurvy at sea. By William Northcote, surgeon, many years in the sea-service. ; Published, for the use of military, and naval surgeon [sic] in America.

THE SCURVY

THIS is a common distemper, and of difficult cure, more especially in sieges and unhealthy places, where some|times the troops are obliged to take up their winter-quarters.

IT begins by a numbness of the limbs, with an unusual lassitude of the whole body: after walking, the limbs and muscles feel quite fatigued, and, as it were, broken. In the increase of the distemper, respiration be|comes short and difficult; sometimes the thighs swell; at first the face is pale, then grows brown, and the skin is stained with spots of different colours, the mouth begins to smell, the teeth loosen in the sockets, the gums swell, itch, grow painful, and bleed on the least touch; lastly, wandering pains affect different parts of the body.

IN the progress of the distemper, the gums putrify and exhale an horrid stench; the teeth grow yellow, then black and calious. Sometimes happen violent haemorrhages; very bad conditioned ulcers break out, espe|cially on the thighs; the patient feels vio|lent and painful shootings in all his limbs, which increase in the night, and the body is covered with black spots. At this period

the distemper suddenly grows worse, Fevers come on of different kinds, every thing grows quickly putrid, and mortal haemor|rhages break out of the mouth, the nose, or about the anus; the viscera putrify; and faintings succeed, which are soon followed by death.

THIS distemper is frequent in winter quarters, from the following causes.

NOISOME vapours, arising from marshy, grounds and stagnating waters, inaction, scarcity of greens and vegetables, drinking of corrupted and stagnating waters, the use of salted and smoaked flesh and fish, and of cheese too old and acrid; damp and low lodgings, and not being open to the course of the winds.

FEAR and sorrow also occasion this dis|order, and increase it in those already at|tacked with it. By that, and by bad food, it often makes such ravages in besieged places.

EXPERIENCE shows, that the humours in this disease are not only putrid and acrimonius, but also condensed.

THEREFORE, in the cure, care must be taken to attenuate the viscosity of the hu|mours, and to prevent or correct putre|faction.

WE, are to lend all the assistance of art

to prevent, or avoid the causes of this evil, and thereby preserve the soldier from the ravages of this distemper.

FIRST, by correcting the impure waters. This is done by mixing two ounces of vi|negar, and two ounces of brandy, to every pot of water. For want of these, some slices of calamus aromaticus may be steeped in the water. This is a sort of reed, very common, growing almost every where, in such low, marshy, and damp grounds, as are most subject to the Scurvy.

STRONG purges, vomits, and bleeding, do no service in this distemper.

BUT as bad nourishment is one cause that produces the scurvy, the stomach and intestines must be cleared, and evacuated, which is easily done, by gentle and reite|rated purges, such as No. 34. to be taken three times, with the interval of a day be|tween each.

THE food should be broth, with chervil, sorrel, spinage, lettice, endive, succory, cabbage, especially red cabbage, young nettle buds and tops, or any other sort of tender herbage, boiled in it; the preference to be given to those easiest to come at.

FRUIT quite ripe, used moderately, al|ways produces a good effect: but if neither fruit nor greens can be procured, the pa|tient

must have his broth with barley, oats, or rice; he may eat likewise a little veal, or fowl, but it must be moderately.

AFTER the use of light purgatives, anti|scorbutics will be proper, but which are to be varied according to the different consti|tution of the patient.

IF he feels himself cold, his face pale, his legs swell, and his thirst is not great, let him take two ounces, that is, about a tea-cup of the decoction No. 62. thrice a day.

IF he is hot, his pulse feverish, his thirst great, his breath bad, his gums bleeding and half putrid, the decoction No. 62 is not so proper as No. 6••. to the quantity of three ounces thrice a day.

RIPE fruits, and roasted apples and pears, easy to be procured, are also very proper.

THE remedies are to be continued a great while. When the limbs move easier, and the pain diminishes, the distemper grows better, and then exercise and good food will be sufficient to compleat the cure. To carry of all relicks, it will be proper, on recovery, to take fifty drops of the elixir No. 64. in wine and water, equal quan|tities thrice a-day.

ALTHO' it be certain, that when the distemper is at an end, the symptoms

ought likewise to cease; yet it is no less true, that after the scurvy, we often see those who have been attacked by it subject to ulcers of the gums, lips, inside of the cheeks, and of the palate, which soon spread, and corrode these parts, and in a little time turn to a gangrene. These ul|cers often deceive those who do not rightly understand them: they appear in form of white or yellowish spots, red, and inflamed round the border, and often very painful. A great stench accompanies them, and the spittle, which comes in plenty, is also of a bad smell. This evil requires an imme|diate remedy, otherwise all would soon be infected with a gangrenous putrid hu|mour, the teeth would fall out of the sockets, the jaws would be affected, and entirely corrupted.

BUT this disorder is easily got the better of, by touching the parts lightly and often in the day with a little lint dipped in the pre|paration No. 65. Little compresses, imbued with the same, may also be applied between the gums and lip, and renewed from time to time.

CARE must be taken not to rub the parts affected too much, as is the bad custom of some, for the evil and pain is thereby aug|mented.

IF the stench is great, and the ulcers ex|tend themselves rapidly, the quantity of spirit of sea salt is to be augmented, till you get the better of the gangrenous cor|ruption.