6. Hulme's Letter to Banks on Treatment for Scurvy

The vessels containing the orange and lemon juice which were sent you by order of Dr. Fothergill were to be marked, that you might know their contents. But least, in the hurry of sending them, that circumstance should have been neglected, I will take the liberty to explain them. No 1. The Case contains six gallons of Lemon-juice evaporated down to less than two gallons. N^o 2 The large Cask contains seven gallons of Orange-juice and one gallon of Brandy. N^o 3 The small Cask contains five Quarts of Lemon-juice and one of Brandy. — When you come to make use of the juice which is in the Casks, do not open the bunghole but draw it off at the end of the Cask, by means of a wooden-cock, and make a vent-hole at the top of the Cask, with a peg in it, and always observe this method when you draw off your Juice which you keep in Casks. You may find the proper directions for the preservation of the juice in Casks, in the Proposal for preventing the Scurvy, p. 67, 82, 83. It would not be amiss, then, if you were to take out with you several wooden Cocks, least any should be lost or broken: and perhaps 2 or 3 strong iron-bound Casks, holding ten Gallons a piece might be very useful for taking-in a quantity of orange, lemon or lime Juices, when you touch at any place abroad where those Fruits grow; for the directions on this head see the Proposal p. 82. — Besides the Juices, I would recommend to you to carry out a quantity of Molosses, and two or three pounds of the best Chio and Strasburgh Turpentine, in order to brew Beer with, for your daily drink, when your Water becomes bad. The rules for brewing this kind of Beer you will find in the Appendix to the Proposal. In this case you will want Yeast, and the manner of preserving this at sea you may also meet with in the Appendix p. 103. So small a quantity of Molosses as two Gallons, or two Gallons and an half are said to be sufficient for making an hogshead of tolerably good Beer. And this method of brewing Beer at sea, will be peculiarly useful in case you should have stinking water on board; for I find by Experience that the smell of stinking water will be entirely destroyed by the process of fermentation. I sincerely wish you and your companions a most prosperous Voyage, and a safe return to old England, loaded with all the honours you so justly deserve; and am,