It was remarked, that the men recovered faster on board than on shore; and it would appear that land air, merely as such, has no share in the cure of the scurvy, and that the benefit arises from the concomitant diet, cleanliness, and recreation. The expedient of curing men on board of their ships was here suggested by necessity; but it succeeded so well, that it was adopted afterwards in preference to an hospital, which is indeed a useful relief to a fleet where there are contagious, acute disorders; but with regard to scurvy, I am convinced, that on foreign stations, at least, where the accommodations of the sick are more indifferent than in England, many advantages would arise from supplying men with refreshments on board of their ships. It appears that only four men died of this disease in the whole fleet in the month of June, though there were so many ill of it; whereas it appears by the books of hospitals, that scorbutic men die there in a much greater proportion, and chiefly in consequence of other diseases, particularly the flux, which they catch by infection, or bring on by intemperance. It is farther in favour of this scheme, that great numbers of those sent on shore are lost by desertion. It is also a great saving to Government, the expence not being a fourth part of what it would cost at an hospital. The fleet left Barbadoes on the 10th and 12th of July, and continued healthy till the greater part of it sailed for North America in the beginning of August. PART I. BOOK II. Continuation of the MEDICAL HISTORY of the FLEET, from August, 1781, till the Conclusion of the War in April, 1783. CHAP. I. Some Account of the Interval between the Campaign of 1781 and the Junction of the Reinforcement from England in April, 1782.----The main Body of the Fleet goes to North America--Lord Rodney goes to England, and returns to the West Indies with twelve Ships of the Line--Health of the Fleet in England--Sickness most prevalent in the Beginning of a War--A natural Tendency to Recovery in Ships and Individuals--Advantages of this Squadron in point of Victualling. When the main body of the fleet went to America in August, Lord Rodney went to England for the recovery of his health.--Wishing to lay before the public boards several reforms that suggested themselves to me in the course of the late service, I accompanied the Admiral, purposing to return when the season for hostile operations should have brought back the fleet from the coast of America. Soon after arriving in England, I presented a memorial[6] to the Board of Admiralty, proposing such means for the preservation of the health of the fleet as had occurred to me during my past service.