1. Means of preventing the Introduction of Infection.

The introduction of infection is prevented by great caution in admitting men who come from jails, guardſhips, tenders, captured veſſels, and in general thoſe who are remarkably ragged and dirty, or who have come from ſhips or other places where the fever is known to have prevailed.

The mode of manning the navy by preſſing is, I ſuppoſe, unavoidable, [2]but it is one of the greateſt means of ſowing the ſeeds of diſeaſe. As this cannot be remedied, and as the exigency of the ſervice in time of war does not permit that perſons of any deſcription be excluded, it becomes highly neceſſary to prevent the effects of the contagion that may adhere to them. This is done by ſtripping and waſhing their bodies, by cutting off their hair, and deſtroying all their clothes, before they are allowed to mix with the ſhip's company in which they are going to enter. Thoſe who have ſtrictly put thoſe methods in practice know how effectual and in⯑fallible they are, and exact attention is neceſſary, as a ſingle infected man, or any part of his cloathing, will ſpread ſickneſs through a whole ſhip's company. Men in health who are remarkably dirty, or that have been in the company of thoſe who have been affected with an infectious fever, will communicate diſeaſe as much as the ſick themſelves, and the jail diſ⯑temper has been known to proceed from priſoners who were not them⯑ſelves affected by it. When we reflect what havoc an infectious fever ſometimes makes in a ſhip, it will appear how infinitely important it is to attend exactly to this circumſtance; for if the cauſe of the ſicklineſs of particular ſhips be traced to its ſource, it will generally be found to have ariſen from taking in infected men at Spithead, or wherever elſe the ſhip's company may have been compleated.

2. Means of preventing the Production of Infection.

Fevers of an infectious nature are not always produced by the introduc⯑tion of any evident cauſes of contagion, but the infection ſeems frequently to ariſe ſpontaneouſly, as it were, being either actually generated, or being excited or rendered noxious, when it would otherwiſe have been lain dor⯑mant and inactive. The means of preventing this ſort of infection in a ſhip are chiefly freſh air and cleanlineſs, ſhelter from cold and wet, and keeping the ſhip from being too much crouded. Nature has wiſely con⯑trived our inſtincts for avoiding filth, by rendering thoſe places loathſome to the ſenſes which have been long crouded with numbers of people, and by making it offenſive both to ourſelves and others to keep the ſame cloathes long in contact with the body. It is this, joined to a narrow and confined ſituation, that gives riſe to the jail diſtemper, and fevers of a [3]like kind that originate in hoſpitals and ſhips where ſimilar circumſtances concur.

The means that have been found moſt effectual for keeping men clean, and preventing them from neglecting their perſons, from poverty, ſloven⯑lineſs, or parſimony, have been,

• 1. To ſee that all that enter be provided with a proper change of linen, and that a weekly review be made to ſee that the men are clean. Every man ſhould be made anſwerable for a certain neceſſary quantity of ſlops, and it has been the practice of ſome of our moſt able and intelligent Com⯑manders to form the ſhip's company into diviſions and ſquads, the weekly inſpection of whoſe perſons and clothing is aſſigned to as many reſpective officers.^† This would both prevent the unhealthineſs ariſing from naſti⯑neſs, and diminiſh the means of drunkenneſs procured by diſpoſing of ſlops. A review of this kind would alſo prevent ſeamen from allowing their wet and dirty cloathes to lie in a cheſt or corner till they are cor⯑rupted, and become a ſource of naſtineſs and diſeaſe. It will appear clearly to any one who reflects well on the ſubject, that a regulation of this kind is as neceſſary as any other piece of duty, and it perhaps deſerves to be made an article of the public inſtructions, inſtead of being left to the diſ⯑cretion of officers. There are ſhips that allow the men a day in the week for waſhing their cloathes, and I have obſerved the beſt effects from it. The trouble that is taken in attending to neatneſs, order, and ſobriety, never fails to be rewarded with a healthy ſhip's company, to the great ſa⯑tisfaction and private comfort of the Commander, and the unſpeakable advantage of the public ſervice. It is of conſequence that the Purſer ſhould lay in a ſufficient quantity of ſlops, ſuited to the climate for which the ſhip is deſtined, in order that there may be a ſupply after ſhe has been for ſome time from home upon a diſtant ſtation.^‖
• 2. To air and exerciſe the men above decks, when their duty does not lead them to do ſo, and to air their hammocks by expoſing them upon deck, eſpecially after the ports have been long ſhut in conſequence of bad weather. The hammocks cannot be thoroughly aired unleſs they are unlaſhed. This cannot with any convenience be done daily in a man of war, but it might be done from time to time by the different diviſions in rotation, and the ſame may be ſaid of ſcrubbing and waſhing. When they come to be lain upon after theſe operations, the ſame agreeable ſen⯑ſation is produced that one experiences from a change of linen, which highly conduces to health and pleaſure, like all other natural and mode⯑rate gratifications.
• 3. To keep the ports open as much as poſſible, and to have ſcuttles in them for the admiſſion of freſh air. This is extremely uſeful every where, but particularly in the Weſt-Indies. It ſhould never be neglected to cut ſcuttles in the ſides of frigates deſtined for this ſtation, for otherwiſe the heat between decks is almoſt inſupportable.
• 4. To fumigate frequently with fires of wood ſprinkled with pitch or roſin, carried about between decks in a pot or moveable grate, or in a tub with ſnot in it when the ports can be opened; or, if the weather will not admit of this, to burn gun-powder wetted with vinegar. The ſick berth ſhould be occaſionally waſhed all over with vinegar. The good effects of fire and ſmoke is ſtrongly evinced by this, that when it was the cuſtom for frigates to have their kitchens between decks they were remarkably more healthy than they are now that they have them under the forecaſtle, where the heat and ſmoke are diſſipated without being diffuſed through the ſhip, and cauſing a draught of air upwards as formerly, not to ſpeak of the benefit and comfort ariſing from having a large fire round which men may aſſemble and warm and dry themſelves in a ſheltered place. I leave it to thoſe who preſide in the conſtruction of the navy how far an al⯑teration in this reſpect would be adviſeable in fitting this claſs of ſhips.
• 5. To waſh and ſcrape all the decks frequently.^* Waſhing may pro⯑duce [5]unwholeſome moiſture, and care ſhould be taken to do it in dry weather, if poſſible, and as early in the day as convenient, that there may be time for it to dry. It is after waſhing that fires are moſt applicable and uſeful.^†
• 6. To work ventilators, and to put down wind-ſails, as often, and for as long a time as poſſible. This is more particularly neceſſary in large ſhips, where the maſs of foul air is ſo great, and ſo remote from the ac⯑ceſs of the external air, that it cannot be thoroughly ſwept off but by ſuch contrivances. Under this head it may be recommended to keep the decks as clear as poſſible from cheſts and other lumber which are in the way of ſweeping and waſhing, and prevent the free courſe of the air.
• 7. To berth the watches alternately, which at the ſame time preſerves the trim of the ſhip. By this arrangement men lie much cooler, and it is more agreeable in every reſpect, as well as more healthy.

Though foul air and uncleanlineſs are the chief cauſes that produce an infectious fever, yet exceſſive fatigue, too much expoſure to heat, cold, and wet, ſcanty or unwholeſome food, bad water and intoxication con⯑tribute ſeverally to awaken the ſeeds of this diſeaſe.

3. Means of Eradicating Infection.

It too frequently happens that from a neglect of the means that have been mentioned, an infectious fever comes to prevail, and when once it has gained ground adheres obſtinately to a ſhip, in ſpite of cleanlineſs, good air and diet, and all the other means that have been preſcribed for [6]preventing infection. In this ſituation ſome meaſures have been thought of for eradicating this ſubtle poiſon. The means that have been found moſt effectual are,

1. To keep the ſick ſeparate from the ſound, and to cut off all inter⯑courſe as much as poſſible, in order to prevent its progreſs. For this end it is neceſſary to appropriate a ſick berth to contagious complaints, and not only to prevent the men in health from goſſiping about it, but to find out and ſeparate ſuch complaints as ſoon as poſſible, both to pre⯑vent them from being caught by others, and becauſe recent complaints are more manageable and curable. Thoſe whoſe profeſſion it is to ſuper⯑intend the health of the ſhip would find it for their eaſe and intereſt as well as duty, to walk over the different decks once a day or every other day in order to diſcover early thoſe who are taken ill.

2. It has been mentioned before that the cloathes of men are as dan⯑gerous a vehicle of infection as their perſons, and it ſhould be made a ſtrict and invariable rule that in caſe of death from Fever or Flux, every article of bedding and clothing about the body be thrown over-board along with it. Upon the ſame principle, in caſe of recovery from either of theſe diſeaſes, as it ſeldom can be afforded to deſtroy the clothes and bedding, they ſhould if poſſible be ſmoked and then ſcrubbed or waſhed before the men join their meſſes and return to duty, as their hammocks will frequently have occaſion to come in contact with thoſe of the other men. If the trouble of all this be objected to, let us reflect for a moment how much more troubleſome ſickneſs itſelf is, how noiſome and diſagree⯑able, and what a clog it is to publick ſervice; not to mention the regard due to the ſufferings of the objects themſelves.

3. It ſometimes adheres to the timbers for months and years together and can be eradicated only by a thorough fumigation. This cannot well be done but when the ſhip is in ſuch a ſituation that every perſon can be turned out in order that pots of charcoal and ſulphur may burn between decks while the ſmoke is confined by ſhutting the hatches. An action with the enemy has been known to purge a ſhip from infection.

4. To perſevere more regularly and frequently in the uſe of fires, and in the practice of ſcraping and waſhing the decks and beams, particularly [7]in the ſick births where hot vinegar ſhould be ſprinkled twice a day on the beams planks and ſides. The ſumes of pitch tar and other reſinous ſub⯑ſtances has a more powerful effect than any other ſmoke, and beſides what is thrown upon the fires, it would be uſeful to throw pitch upon a red hot iron, or to immerſe a loggerhead in a veſſel where there is pitch or tar. It has an extremely good effect alſo to white-waſh all the decks and beams with quicklime. But a complete ſmoking is the only radical and effectual remedy and the fooner it is applied the better, for the longer infection continues the more it accumulates.

It ſometimes happens that the numbers of ſick in a ſhip are ſo great that it is not poſſible to take proper and effectual meaſures for ſtopping the progreſs of diſeaſe. But when ſhe can be cleared of her ſick by ſending them to an hoſpital, no pains ſhould be ſpared to extirpate the remaining ſeeds of infection. Let their clothing and bedding be ſent along with them: their hammocks, utenſils, and whatever they leave behind, ſhould be ſmoked, and either ſcrubbed or waſhed before they are uſed by other men, or mixed with the ſhip's ſtores: the decks, ſides, and beams of their berths ſhould be well waſhed, ſcraped, ſmoked and dried by fire, and finally white-waſned all over with quick-lime.

It may be proper to mention in this place that the orlop, and all be⯑low it, by being below water is more apt to become a receptacle of naſti⯑neſs, and by being leſs under the eye of the Captain and other officers, is more apt to be neglected. I think I have ſeen ſicklineſs propagated and continued from this circumſtance when the quarter-deck and gun⯑decks have been kept ſufficiently clean. The well and the hold ſhould alſo be attended to, and a grate with fire in it ſhould be let down from time to time. When the hold has been long ſhut, it becomes full of a deadly air, and the common method of trying it by a lighted candle is ſo well known as hardly to need mentioning.^†

4. Means of Guarding againſt Infection.

Laſtly. If an infection actually prevails, and one is unavoidably ex⯑poſed to it, the beſt means to prevent its taking effect are, to live in a hearty and generous manner, particularly in the article of drink, but al⯑ways within the limits of intoxication. It is of the utmoſt conſequence to avoid exceſs, irregularity and expoſure, ſuch as intoxication, fatigue, faſting, watching and getting wet. To theſe may be added certain affec⯑tions of the mind, ſuch as care, grief and fear, which in like manner weaken the powers of life, and render the conſtitution more acceſſible to the aſſaults of diſeaſe. I have already mentioned ſeparation as a principal means of ſtopping the progreſs of contagion, but thoſe who are under the neceſſity of approaching the ſick ſhould avoid cloſe contact and their breath, they ſhould not go within their influence with an empty ſtomach, and ſhould ſmell to vinegar and camphor when near them.

It is highly worth while here to obſerve that the influence of infectious diſtempers does not extend ſo far as is commonly imagined. It is now known for certain that the infection of the Plague does not extend above a few yards, and the ſame ſeems to hold with regard to malignant fevers. This diſcovery is very valuable by aſcertaining the degree of riſk, for when men imagined themſelves in the ſame danger when at a conſiderable diſtance from the ſeat of a particular diſeaſe, as if they had been in contact with the ſick, they expoſed themſelves raſhly and unneceſſarily to the in⯑fection.

All the preceding obſervations concerning infection are particularly ap⯑plicable to the fevers prevailing at ſea, which however are not ſo frequent in this climate as in England.^† There are other ſources of fever only to [9]be met with on ſhore, ſuch as the neighbourhood of woods and marſhes, the vapours of which produce intermitting and bilious fevers, and they deſerve attention here, as ſailors are occaſionally expoſed to them. The preſervatives againſt ſuch fevers; beſides temperance and the avoiding of cold, wet and fatigue, are cold bathing, good living, particularly in the article of drink, and the uſe of ſome bitter medicine, ſuch as an infuſion of Peruvian bark or chamomile flowers.

REMARKS on the WEST-INDIA Station.

The following remarks upon this ſubject are important, as they parti⯑cularly reſpect the Weſt-India ſtation.

1. The abuſe of ſpirituous liquors is extremely pernicious every where, but a number of circumſtances concur to make it particularly ſo here. Rum is not only cheap and eaſily procured, but that which is ſold to ſailors is generally of an extremely bad and unwholeſome quality. Add to this that this ſpecies of debauchery is more hurtful in a hot than in a cold or temperate climate. No pains ſhould therefore be ſpared to keep ſuch rum from them, and care ſhould be taken that they be ſupplied with what is old and ſound. A water or two more ſhould be added to the grog in this climate, or wine ſhould be ſerved in place of it.

2. Seamen ſhould be allowed to go on ſhore as little as poſſible, eſpeci⯑ally at night, for they are here expoſed not only to the land air from marſhes that are generally near the ſhore, and thereby catch intermittent fevers, but they find the means and opportunity of getting drunk. The ſure and natural remedy of theſe evils is to prevent them as much as poſſible from going aſhore, and on no account to permit them to ſtay all night. Many valuable lives would be ſaved by each ſhip hiring a boat's crew of negroes or others ſeaſoned to the climate for the purpoſe of wooding and watering. It moſt commonly happens that part of the ſhip's company are under the neceſſity of performing theſe duties, and in this caſe they will be preſerved from harm by each man taking half a wine glaſs or leſs of the tincture of Peruvian bark before going aſhore.^† If this is [12]too expenſive, or cannot be ſupplied in ſufficient quantity, any bitter tincture, or even a dram of plain ſpirits, will in ſome meaſure anſwer the ſame purpoſe.

3 The cold bath, eſpecially in the morning, before the heat is intenſe and the perſpiration profuſe, has been found of the utmoſt benefit in pre⯑ſerving health in hot clinates. Thoſe who have had the perſeverance to make their men practice it, have been amply rewarded for their trouble by their ſhip's company remaining healthy. I could name inſtances of this fact both in the Eaſt and Weſt-Indies.

4. Care ſhould be taken not to harrais men too much with labour or other hardſhips upon firſt coming to this climate, for theſe are favourable to the attack of the fevers and fluxes with which almoſt all ſhips are more or leſs ſeaſoned upon their firſt arrival.

5. As men are more ſubject to ſickneſs in port than at ſea, this might be remedied by making the ſhip ride with a ſpring upon the cable, and by making her lie as much out of the lee of the land as is ſafe and con⯑venient, eſpecially where the adjacent ſhore is muddy or ſwampy. This laſt circumſtance is in ſome ſituations of the utmoſt conſequence, and a hundred fathoms in a road has been known to make a moſt eſſential dif⯑ference in the Lealth of a ſhip's company.

OF WATER.

As water is one of the articles moſt eſſential to the health of a ſhip's company, it deſerves particular attention. Spring water is to be preferred to running water, as the latter, eſpecially in a hot climate which teems with life, is apt to be impregnated with decayed vegetable and animal ſub⯑ſtances, ſuch as leaves, graſs, wood and infects. This is the moſt pre⯑judicial [13]kind of impurity, for the mineral impregnations common in ſprings are ſeldom at all unwholeſome, and do not tend like the other to make the water corrupt. It is of conſequence that the caſks be well ſea⯑ſoned by age and uſe, and a fumigation with ſulphur before they are filled has the beſt effect in preventing them from contaminating the water. It has alſo been found that butts by being filled for ſome time with ſea water, are thereby prevented from communicating any bad quality to freſh water. If running water only can be had, the beſt means of ren⯑dering it pure and ſweet is to put a pint of quick-lime into each butt when it is filled. I have mentioned that this has been thought to have ſome effect in preventing the flux. There are ſeveral other ſubſtances that have been found uſeful in correcting bad water, ſuch as allum, cream of tartar, burnt biſcuit, vinegar and acid fruits, ſuch as tamarinds.^* If water is groſsly impure, filtering is one of the beſt means of purifying it. As a dripping-ſtone will not produce enough for a ſhip's company, the following expeditious method may be practiſed. Let a quantity of ſand be put at the bottom of a barrel placed on one end, without the head, and let another barrel of a much ſmaller ſize, with both ends knockt out, or an open cylinder of any kind, be placed erect in it, and almoſt filled with ſand; if impure water be poured into the ſmall barrel or cylinder, it will riſe up through the ſand of both barrels, and appear pure above the ſand of the large one in the interval between it and the ſmall one. But if water ſhould be offenſive by being long kept, the moſt effectual and expeditious method of ſweetening it is by expoſing it to the air in as divided a ſtate as poſſible; and this is beſt done by Mr. Oſbridge's machine, which no ſhip ſhould be without. If it is wanting, the place of it may in ſome meaſure be ſupplied by blowing air through the water with a long⯑nozzled bellows, or the following contrivance will be found to afford a ſufficient ſupply of ſweet water to particular meſſes, and will anſwer the purpoſe of a dripping-ſtone. Let the narrow mouth of a large funnel be filled with a bit of ſpunge, over which let there be a layer of ſand and [14]gravel covered with a piece of flannel, and over the whole another layer of ſand. Care muſt be taken to change the ſand, ſpunge, &c. whenever they become loaded with the impurities of the water.

There ſhould be in every ſhip an apparatus for diſtilling water in caſe of diſtreſs. This conſiſts merely of a head and worm adapted to the com⯑mon boiler, and the diſtillation may go on while the victuals are boiling.^* More than eight gallons of excellent freſh water may be drawn off in an hour, from the copper of the ſmalleſt ſhip of war.