The New York herald., 1876-12-11
Scurvy and the North Pole.

The discussion in England over the un-
dition is still kept up in the English papers
with as much liveliness as ever. Our cable
letter Of yesterday states that the question
now uppermost is the breaking out Of scurvy
among the crews of the Alert and Discovery.
1t has, therefore, in large measure passed
into the hands Of the medical men, who are
now endeavoring to solve the problem.
Should they succeed in doing this to the
satisfaction of the average British mind,
then the grievous public disappointment at
the failure of the expedition to reach
the Pole, it's inopportune return and
its strange theories about seas baptized by
them with Greek names will, no doubt, in
large measure relieve the officers from the
heavy weight of public condemnation under
which they have rested since their arrival at
Portsmouth. The Times still severely at
tacks the officers for their failure to issue ra-
tions of lime juice to the men, and some
medical authorities claim that lime juice
does not prevent scurvy, while others vigor-
ously sustain the opposite theory.
OF all the obstacles likely to lie in the way
Of the progress of an expedition to the North
Pole the very last that any one would have
dreamed of was the scurvy. The crews ofships
sailing into the Arctic seas have sometimes
been attacked by that blood disease; for it is
simply that and nothing more. Unhealthy
circumstances and unhealthy food both con-
tribute to its development. The long con-
-rk Al
posed to be peculiarly favorable to its
ravages and yet most Of the Arctic expedi-
tions have escaped from it. Of the three
American expeditions wintering in Smith
Sound two were exempt, while the third
that of DR.. Kane--although attacked, had no
deaths from it. Salt meats, such as are
ordinarily used on shipboard, are generally
supposed to be principal cause Long
voyages, when the crews have been without
fresh food for protracted period. have, in
all climates, bred the disease. 1t is difficult
to assign an immediate cause; but the
result is we'll known to all who have
been long in the practice of "going down
to the sea in ships" The blood seems to lose
its cohesive properties; none of the tissues
of the body receive their proper sustenance;
dark purple patches appear upon the body;
the flesh becomes pufed and habby and
dropsical condition supervenes; the more
tender tissues, such as the gums, bleed pro-
fusely, and in bad cases the teeth fall out;
the brain quickly suffers, and all conscious
ness of danger is speedily lost; the mind
becomes irritable, and all the patient wants
is to be let alone. If so allowed he dies
without pain and seemingly without re-
gret. Its progress and symptoms, if we may
believe those who have been familiar with
it. are really appalling Bulwer, in his
liking Arthur describes it in the following
lines, which almost make ones flesh creep
while reading them. The people of his
imaginary ship are, however, first reduced
to starvation before the disease is mani
festcd for, says the poet
Hudded on deck, one half that hardy crow
Lie shrunk aud withercd in the biting sky,
With hlmy stare and lips of Iivid hue.
And saplcss limbs that stiiI,n where they lie;
Whic the dlrc pest scourge OF the frozen zone
Kots through the vein and gnaws the kno'tcd bono.
This refers to by gone time, when con-
vcniences and comforts known in our day
wcrc unheard OF Mt sea. 1t has latterly
been thought that lime or lemon juice was
an absolute preventive. 1t Is made in
cumbent, under the English law, for all
vessels, public or private, bound on long
voyages, to carry lime juice and use it
freely. 1t is charged in this particular case
that the officers in command and those re-
sponsible for furnishing the supplies were
negligent in this matter The whole sub
jcct is being thoroughly investigated, and it
will be u curious illustration Of the pro-
verbal misuse OF governmental authority,
where no in particular is responsible,
if it should turn out in the end that this
expensive British expedition has failed to
reach the North Pole through the lack OF a