Pringle, John

A Discourse upon some Late Improvements Of the Means for Preserving the Health of Mariners. Delivered at the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society, November 30, 1776. Extract from the second volume of James Cook, A voyage towards the South Pole (London: Strahan & Cadell, 1777)



4to (9 x 6 5/8 in.; 228 x 168 mm). Half-title, pages 369-396, the pagination after 369 stamped in the margins; lightly browned. Modern boards.

lightly browned. Modern boards.
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A reprint, "corrected by the author," of the President of the Royal Society Pringle's commentary on Captain James Cook's paper "The method taken for preserving the health of the crew of His Majesty's ship the Resolution during her late Voyage around the World" both of which papers first appeared together in the Philosophical Transactions, volume 66 (1776). Cook's "paper" was actually two letters sent to Pringle in which he attributed the prevention of scurvy and disease to the use of malt, sauerkraut, vegetable broth, lemons, oranges and the maintenance of a clean ship.

Cook's paper followed right after Pringle's commentary in the Phil. Trans. but in this issue, the final footnote remarks "... but as the substance of that publication is now contained in the last pages of Captain Cook's voyage, it was judged unnecessary to repeat it here."