There is no article of the _Materia Medica_ yet known that possesses any considerable power over this disease without the assistance of proper diet. With this assistance, however, it is found, that whatever tends to increase the fluid secretions, hastens very much the recovery of the scorbutic patient. I have observed a very striking instance of this in the effects of a spontaneous diarrhoea; for I have seen those hard livid swellings on the legs, that form one of the most constant symptoms of this disease, almost disappear, and the hams, from being contracted, become flexible in the course of twelve hours after the purging came on. I have endeavoured to imitate this with purgatives, but never with the same effects as the natural looseness. A free flow of urine is also found to promote the recovery, and vinegar of squills is one of the most effectual medicines in this intention. It is likewise of singular service to excite sweat; for an obstruction of perspiration seems to be one of the principal constituents of the disease. The goose skin, which is an early and constant symptom of this disease, seems to be owing to a constriction of the exhaling vessels. Dover’s powder has been employed with advantage as a sudorific, with decoction of the woods drank warm, and plentiful warm dilution. Camphor, combined with nitre, has been found one of the best remedies, and it acts both as a diaphoretic and diuretic. Such external applications as relax the skin are found also to forward the cure. The contraction of the hams and the livid hardness of the calves of the legs are relieved by emollient cataplasms. Burying the legs in the earth, which has a sensible good effect, seems to act on the same principle, for it makes the parts sweat profusely. There can be no doubt that in the scurvy there takes place in certain parts of the body a stagnation of the humours in the small vessels, particularly of the lower extremities, and that it is to this circumstance that the livid hardness of the fleshy parts of the legs is owing. The effect of medicine in removing this, must be to restore the action of those torpid vessels, so as to bring the stagnated fluids again into circulation[121] Purgatives seem to act upon it as they do in the dropsy, by exciting absorption. The irritation of the bowels and their increased secretion thus affecting the minute vessels in all parts of the body, is the result of that sympathy or balance established between every part of the system, in order to support the harmony and effect the purposes of the animal œconomy.