globe to the other-then, the British flag, triumphant, waved her red lion o'er all watery space.

But, alas! good and glorious actions are soon forgotten, or swept away in the current of passing events, inasmuch as this humorous and thoughtless class of men are too often seen in the most unfavorable point of view, spending their holidays on shore; when they commonly indulge in drinking, and make use of loose and indecorous language, leaving the very worst impression on the mind of the public respecting their general character, and rendering themselves an easier prey to a gang of harpies, who lurk in all our sea-ports.

British seamen, however, are a class of men to whom any general character may be given by their superiors, from the very best to the very worst. They have long and justly been esteemed for a disinterested generosity towards others in distress; and self-interest and personal safety have always been thrown aside, when wanted by their country.

"Alike to him each climate and each blast,

The first in danger, in retreat the last."

In concluding these introductory observations, I think it proper to remark, that no particular ship or officer has been kept in view; but a fair and general statement of the evil has been attempted to be given, and its concomitant bad effects pointed out.

It is, therefore, against the system of washing decks I have to enter my most solemn protest, hoping my humble efforts may call the attention of the scientific world to a fuller investigation of the subject, and that the opinions here set forth may stand or fall according to their merits,

Of the baneful Influence of so frequently Washing Decks on the Health of British Seamen,

“Ex aquâ oritur aër, ex aëre morbus."

THE bad effects of humidity in our habitations, and moisture in the atmosphere, have been mentioned by almost all physicians of all ages, as being highly prejudicial to the human constitution. Heat and cold themselves, in warm-blooded animals, are, in a great measure, regulated by the different changes the skin and lungs are capable of performing, in order to preserve a uniform degree

of animal heat; and, hence, the most sudden transition is frequently not attended with any bad consequence.'

But moisture, when applied to the surface of the body, has the power of robbing it of a large portion of its heat, and leaving the extremities of the vessels, which terminate there, in a weakened and paralysed state, thereby rendering them less vigorous in resisting the impressions of passing vicissitudes.2

Besides, moisture, when applied to the lungs and capillaries on the surface of the body, always produces cold, owing to the large quantity of heat it requires to convert water into vapor; and, in this way, the size of the blood-vesselson these extensive surfaces becomes lessened, whereby the balance of the circulation is destroyed, by being directed chiefly to the main trunks in the interior. The course of the blood being thus confined more to the centre, its impetus there will, in consequence, become increased or deranged; and when there is the least disposition to disease in any internal organ, it is evident how much it will be aggravated, by thus receiving the sudden shock of the circulation from the surface to the centre. Indeed, it is by the injudicious application of water, that three fourths of all the diseases in the navy are induced.

It excites inflammations of every species and degree, from the simple catarrh to the severest pneumonia, and generates complaints of every kind, from the mildest functional derangement, to the most hopeless organic disease.

On board of His Majesty's ships, where several hundred people sometimes live together in so small a space, much attention to cleanliness and ventilation becomes absolutely necessary; and every Englishman, "from the prince to the peasant," is ready to exclaim, "Cleanliness is next to godliness," and this is frequently the motto under which the advocates for diurnal irrigation take their stand; forgetting, that water, like wine, may be misused; and that it is easy and common to convert the greatest blessing into the veriest curse, by misapplication.

Science, however, has always been slow and wavering in its march, and every age and profession have their prejudices; and it is common to shake off one class, only to embrace another.

Thus, under the oscillation of public opinion, I am aware of the great difficulty there will be in attempting to effect any change on a system that has been long established: for, in endeavoring to introduce any improvement, a necessity is naturally implied, and

In passing from the cabin to the open air, and vice versa, the men were in the habit of undergoing a change of from 80° to 120° without any inflammatory disease being produced.-Parry's Voyage to the Arctic Circle.

2 "It has been remarked before, that an animal might be frozen to death in the midst of summer, by repeatedly sprinkling ether on him,"

thus the character or judgment of the individuals concerned becomes implicated.

They, on the other hand, set themselves in array against innovations, and regard with strong veneration the customs and even the prejudices of their puerile years; and the older the individual is, the more obstinate will he be to relinquish his early conceptions, however erroneous they may be. Hence Dr. Cullen used to say, "Habit makes us believe and revere the grossest absurdities." But to return to my subject, viz. the consideration of the pernicious effects of so repeatedly WASHING DECKS on the health of British seamen: and first

Of Washing the Main and Quarter Decks.

WASHING DECKS in His Majesty's navy, is generally conducted under the direction of the lieutenant of the morning watch, while at sea, and by the first lieutenant, or, more frequently, the mate of the morning watch, in harbor. The watery operations most usually commence about half past four, or five o'clock A. M. and are generally finished just in time to go to breakfast a little before eight o'clock.

And as the quality of the officer is frequently estimated by the style in which he performs this piece of service, the greatest pains is, consequently, taken, on the part of the lieutenant or mate, to give complete satisfaction. When the ship is at anchor, all hands are turned up at half past four; but when she is at sea, the morning watch only is called. Immediately the watch comes on deck, water is pumped from the main deck, and drawn from the head, and thrown on the main and quarter decks in the utmost profusion; and this is followed (or sometimes preceded) by buckets of sand being strewed on the decks, and the seamen, during the whole of this period, are compelled to work without their shoes and stockings (although the thermometer may range at or below the freezing point), dragging the large holy stones, working the hand holy stones, pumping and carrying water, and, ultimately, using brooms and swabs to dry the decks, before going to breakfast.

The large holy stones, are stones, en verité, with smooth under surfaces, slung in the middle by a rope, and dragged backward and forward by means of six or eight stout hands; these stones (as may be anticipated) have the property of rendering the deck whiter and smoother, as well as of grinding every species of animal and vegetable matter into a fine pappy consistence.

The hand stones are used in the corners, and where the larger ones cannot be applied; and, during the whole of this process,

the weight of the body is sustained on the naked knee, as they can only be conveniently used in that posture. It would be endless to enumerate the diseases of the knee-joint I have seen excited by thus throwing the whole weight of the body on the knees.

After the large and small holy stones have been kept in play for upwards of two hours, by which the decks have been worn and saturated with moisture, the men's clothes drenched, and every atom of matter finely ground down, they are set aside, and this well-blended heterogeneous fluid is suffered to escape by means of the scupper-holes.

The dumb-scrapers are next used to take out stains, which could not be acted on by either of the holy stones; and, thus, by the assistance of more water, brooms and swabs, the operations (as already mentioned) are completed about half past seven or eight o'clock.

Let us now examine the effects of this system of cleaning the ship on those individuals who had just been turned out from their hammocks, and who have passed three hours and a half of an amphibious existence, previous to going to breakfast. Let us also remember that, in this watery circle, the victims of venereal pleasure, who have just completed their six weeks' course of alterative medicine, meet with the hepatic valetudinarian after a long residence in a tropical climate; or the friend of his youth, who has a predisposition to, or is already affected with, incipient consumption, &c. all performing their various parts in the watery throng. But the evil arising from those early and tedious forms of ablution, has not yet been seen in its most alarming shape; for during the period that water was so lavishly dashed on the decks and sides of the ship, it is evident the seamen could not escape being wetted; and in this state they go down to breakfast; and from which they rise to the cleansing or

Washing the Lower Deck.

THE washing or cleaning of the lower deck, after breakfast, now remains to be described. This piece of service is performed in one of the three following ways: viz. 1st, by dry holy stoning, i. e. using dry sand, and rubbing it on the deck without water; 2dly, washing the deck after the same manner as the main and quarter decks which have already been spoken of; and, 3dly, by sprinkling and scrubbing, that is, watering the deck in a different way, either by throwing it out of a bucket with the hand, or applying it by means of wetted swabs to the whole surface of the deck. Afterwards dumb-scrapers are used, and where those

implements cannot be applied, the seamen's knives are generally called into action, for scraping the previously wetted tables and ladders, &c. and the second ablution is usually finished about half past ten or eleven o'clock.

In those ships where sprinkling and scrubbing are practised to do away with the name of washing decks (but its effects are nearly the same), there are, in general, two days set apart in every week (Thursday and Sunday), for making the utmost effort in the cleaning art. On those days, every wooden surface below is doomed to be visited by holy stones, sand and water, dumb-scrapers, knives, and swabs, so that the decks, &c. may be put in a proper state to meet the approbation of the commanding officer, who generally goes round after such occasions, to bestow praise or censure, as he may judge necessary.

After breakfast, on the above-mentioned days, the bustle of working the holy stones, carrying water, and strewing sand on the deck, becomes general over the ship; and, as the washing is supposed by many to do good, and be salutary, according to the quantity of the element used, I have frequently seen the whole lower deck covered with water to a considerable depth, while the small and great eight-handed holy stones were ploughing the water on the surface of the deck in every direction.'

After these measures have been pursued for a certain length of time, regulated by the opinion of the superintending officer, an effort is at last made to dry the deck, either by swabbing up the water, or allowing it to escape by means of two small scuttle-holes, that are usually cut through the deck close to the ship's side, by which the sand and water, vegetable and animal matter, pass down between the ship's side and her lining, and, ultimately, percolate into the hold.

I sincerely trust the time is nearly past for any one to assert, that no bad effects will arise from this exposure, and the accumulation of such a mass in the lower department of a ship; in any place or climate, but more particularly within the Tropics, where the putrefactive process runs its course most rapidly.2

1

Let us now return and take a careful survey of the lower deck,

It will hardly be credited, that the rage for washing in some ships is carried so far, that the midshipmen's chests and others, on the lower deck, are regularly white-washed about thrice a week, by a man who goes round with a bucket and brush for that purpose. The injury done by this custom is beyond calculation, not only in diffusing moisture, but, also, by the lime or chalk absorbing the oxygen or vital part of the air, for which it has so strong an affinity; and, from this cause, the constitution of the atmosphere of the lower deck becomes greatly deteriorated.

2 On going first to a warm climate, one is instantly struck by the rapidity with which even metallic substances become rusted.