3 20 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



advantages over the Greater Antilles, in that they lie in the path 

 of the northeast trade winds, and, being small, the winds sweep 

 over them as over the deck of a ship. There is no alternating sea 

 breeze and land breeze, because there is not sufficient land to be 

 heated by day to form an upward current, and to cool by night 

 and form a downward and outward current ; but there is always 

 a gentle movement of the air toward the west, without the inter- 

 vals of calms which characterize the Greater Antilles. But any 

 of the West India Islands, no doubt, furnish many locations in 

 good sanitary condition where the intelligent invalid may find 

 bodily and mental repose, and let his muscles relax and take com- 

 fort, while his enfeebled skin, long constringed by cold and de- 

 bilitated by clothing, is stimulated by genial warmth to doing its 

 long.-neglected duty, for a time at least, while the kidneys, heart, 

 and lungs are given a much-needed rest. 



It should be understood that I do not think all cases would be 

 benefited by a sojourn in a tropical climate, but I feel assured 

 that for a large number of carefully selected cases no resource of 

 climate can be so promotive of improved metabolism as a well- 

 selected location and suitably regulated life during several win- 

 ter months in the tropics, from time to time, especially if closely 

 followed by a change to a higher latitude or altitude and cooler 

 locality during the following summer. 



Not least among the advantages of a tropical climate for a 

 temporary sojourn in certain cases is the change of food which is, 

 or at least ought to be, always effected. It would be a very un- 

 wise proceeding to subsist upon a diet essentially the same as one 

 is accustomed to at home. In the first place, there are not many 

 of our American stomachs that do not need a rest, and one of the 

 objects to be sought in living in a warm climate is to give the 

 overworked stomach a chance to recuperate ; not only because 

 there is no necessity for the same amount and quality of food to 

 be digested, but we can find in the fruits of a country food which 

 is not only very easily digested, but which supplies nearly all the 

 requisites for wholesome nutrition under the changed conditions. 

 The best fruits of the tropics are very perishable so much so 

 that we never see them in New York. Now, I am not advocating 

 an exclusively fruit diet ; but I think when people from the north 

 go to the tropics for " climatic therapeutics " they should make 

 it a point to eat very sparingly of meats and even farinaceous 

 food, and endeavor to supply Nature's wants by using largely of 

 the fruits of the country especially those soft, sweet, and perish- 

 able fruits which do not last more than a day or two. Thus we 

 have, besides the influences of steady warmth and moisture, the 

 added advantage of a change of diet, which is no small factor in 

 modifying the metabolism which we seek. 



