stefansson-wrangel-09-40-003

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

SCURVY.

In the days when sailors made voyages 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 common in armies, prisons, poor-houses, and other institutions where individuals were fed at public expense on food which was supposed to go the furthest and cost the least.

Those who had this disease became very anaemic, prostrated in mind and body, suffered with haemorrhages in various parts of the body, had soft and spongy gums, which bled easily, and hardness and pain in the muscles, 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 undergo fatty degenerative changes.

The disease begins with pallor of the skin and great muscular weakness and emaciatipn. 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 haemorrhages 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 malnutrition. This may occur after weeks or months of suffering. The end being hastened when the appetite fails, the bowels become loose, and the evacuations offensive.

For a long time there was uncertainty as to the cause of this disease, but it was at length determined that it was purely a preventable disease, and was caused by absence from the diet of citric acid and potaesium salt's, 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 ease of it. Except in connection with war, famine, and pestilence, it is now happily of rare occurrence.

The knowledge which has been gained about the cause of this disease 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 excellent quality of canned vegetables at the present time have assured success to many undertakings and expeditions which heretofore might have failed, solely because of an improper food supply.