ENPages
(seq. 31)
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caused emaciation, and Dr Booerhave entertained a similar opinion, but we have sufficient proof to discredit this hypothesis. Dr Haller relates in the Phylosophical Transactions, the case of his grandfather who for the last twenty years of his life subsisted on sugar, he eat it on his bread instead of butter, with meat and every article of diet and died at the age of 98 of a Plethora. Mr Hunter was so well persuaded of its nutritious qualities, that he prescribed it constantly in emaciation, & convalescence particularly after salivation. I have myself experienced the good effects of sugar, in giving plumpness and vigour to the system whenever I have had recourse to a vegitable diet for gout. Sugar is likewise nutritious to other animals than man, we are informed by Dr Rush that the planters of the West Indies often fed their horses on sugar, when there is a scarcity of grain and that a pound of sugar will support them much longer then the same quantity of any other article. Sugar is so highly antiseptic, the antients [ancients] were not ignorant of this henc the custom of of embalming their men with sugar and
(seq. 33)
24
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honey &c to prevent putrefaction. The antiscorbutic properties of sugar have been fully proved by Beecher he immersed whole pigs in melted sugar and found they were preserved from putrefaction. It is said to prevent and cure scurvy, it is certain that scurvy is infrequent in the West Indies or other places where sugar is used in great abundance. Dr McBride was in the habit of recommending Wert in this disease, but probably without knowing that it cured by the sugar it contained, it was used with success by Dr Trotter, the external use of sugar I have found efficatious in the cure of the Scorbutic gums, the following case seems very much to invalidate the opinion, that a vegitable diet and one merely sacharine will cure scurvy. Dr Stark took Eight ℥ [ounces] of sugar with forty ℥ [ounces] of Bread and continued this diet for two weeks, at the end of which time his mouth became sore and ulcerated, his gums flaccid and after sometime purple spots appeared upon his shoulders he then left it off, and returned to a generous diet and wine, during the time he lived on sugar he had three or four loose stools a day, this case clearly proves that
(seq. 35)
26
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scurvy may sometimes be brought on by a vegitable diet if it contained oxygen; he found that two pints of water was necessary while living on sugar, and a much smaller quantity when he changed his diet. I have heard of a case of scurvy that occurred for the first time under a vegitable diet. Some authors assert that sugar will prevent the Yellow Fever, this I am convinced is groundless from my own observations. Its occurring more seldom now than a few centuries ago has been attributed to a change of diet I am not of this opinion indeed I have seen severe affections of this kind attack persons under a strict vegitable diet. Sugars has been charged with injuring the teeth but without foundation, for I think I have known it to do service and whenever it has done harm it was when the Enamel was injured. In Scotland and other Countries where sugar is plentifully used their teeth are generally verry good. I am acquainted with a gentleman who used much sugar and had a new set of teeth at the age of eighty four. But I do not suppose sugar is inoffensive to all animals on the contrary some are destroyed by it, it is a verry good anthelmintic, destroying