A Treatise on the Scurvy

Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1772 edition. Excerpt: ... would not have published any thing upon, the subject. There is an edition of Roujjetii put down by Mercklin si J and Lipeniusk in the year 1564; arid of Wierius observa* tions in 1567. The learned Dr. AJiruc (/) Is of opinion, that these last were not pub* listied till 1580. It is thus far certain, that those authors corresponded together; and upon Wierus sending to Ronjfeus Ecbthius's letter, now called his Epitome, he published it, together with his own work, Wierus*s observations, and two of Langius's epistles* in the year 1583. CHAP. IL Bibliotheca scorbutica: or, A chronological /view of what has hitherto been published on tbejcurvy. A. D. DEGREESfOan. Echthii defcorbtito, velscorbu* 1541**/ tica pqffione DEGREES epitome. He proposes it as a question, Whether the blood in the scurvy may not be corrupted* without the spleen or any other of the bowels being affected ? but is inclined to think the spleen often is. He assigns as causes of this disease, gross and unwhole some si) Linden, rtnwat. sk) Bibliotheca rial, medic. (I) Lib, dt morbit venereis. some food, such as salted, dried, or putrid flesh and fish, rancid pork, spoilt bread, bad water, &c. He distinguishes the symptoms into two classes. The first contains such as appear at the beginning, and are common to it with other diseases; the second, the succeeding and more certain signs of the malady. Under the first, he comprehends a heaviness of the body, with an unusual weariness, generally most sensibly felt after exercise; a tightness of the breast, and a weakness of the legs; an itching, redness, and pain of the gums; a change of colour in the face to a darkish hue: and observes, that where all these symptoms concur, we may fortel an approaching scurvy. But the more certain