stefansson-wrangel-09-40-003-001

[written in left margin]: from N.Y. Globe

You won't approve
of this

HOW to KEEP WELL
By A. F. CURRIER, M. D.

SCURVY.

In the days when sailors made voy-
ages lasting one, two, or three years,
on which they were fed largely on
salted food, with no vegetables at all,
or scarcely any, one of the ailments
almost sure to visit every ship was
scurvy. The same disease was com-
mon in armies, prisons, poorhouses,
and other institutions where individ-
uals were fed at public expense on
food which was supposed to go the
furthest and cost the least.

Those who had this disease be-
came very anæmic, prostrated in mind
and body, suffered with hæmorrhages
in various parts of the body, had soft
and spongy gums, which bled easily,
and hardness and pain in the mus-
cles, especially those of the legs. The
blood of those who have scurvy is
thin and dark, is deficient in red
corpuscles, and clots very easily, and
the important internal organs under-
go fatty degenerative changes.

The disease begins with pallor of
the skin and great muscular weak-
ness and emaciation. Then there are
pains like those of rheumatism in
the joints, and muscles, difficultly in
breathing, and constipation, though
the appetite may be good. After a
while small hæmorrhages into the
skin take place, and larger ones into
the loose tissue under the knees, in
the armpits, and under the eyes.
Then the gums swell, become soft,
and perhaps bleed, the teeth become
loose, and may drop out, and the
breath becomes terribly offensive.

The weakness and exhaustion may
be so great that death will result
from the profound condition of mal-
nutrition. This may occur after
weeks or months of suffering, the
end being hastened when the appe-
tite fails, the bowels become loose,
and the evacuations offensive.

For a long time there was uncer-
tainty as to the cause of this dis-
ease, but it was at length determined
that it was purely a preventable dis-
ease, and was caused by absence
from the diet of citric acid and po-
taesium salts, which are furnished by
fruits and fresh vegetables.

Laws were passed compelling ships
to furnish their crews with vegetables
and compelling public institutions to
give then to their inmates, and
when these beneficent laws became
effective the disease died a natural
death. There are many physicians in
all parts of the world at the present
time who never have seen a case of it.
Except in connection with war, fam-
ine, and pestilence, it is now happily
of rare occurrence.

The knowledge which has been
gained about the cause of this dis-
ease has been of great value not only
to the groups of individuals referred
to but to all who must carry large
quantities of provisions with them in
journeying to places and climates
where the question of obtaining an
adequate supply of suitable food is
predominant. The abundance and ex-
cellent quality of canned vegetables
at the present time have assured suc-
cess to many undertakings and expe-
ditions which heretofore might have
failed solely because of an improper
food supply.
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