Stewart's Present 



GEOLOGY. 



No fossil remains of animals have 

 been discovered in this island; but, on 

 the tops of some of the mountains, shells 

 and otiicr marine cxnvias have been 

 found. The rocks arc chiefly chalk, 

 q'larlz, and limcslono. Both in the in- 

 terior and near the sea arc numerous 

 « averns, some of which arc of consi- 

 derable size, and contain many speci- 

 mens of stalactites, particularly one in 

 the parish of SI. Ann, which covers a 

 large space of ground, and is intersected 

 throughout by stalactite colunuis of 

 various diitunsions and shapes, like the 

 massy pillars of a Gothic cathedral. 

 Copper and lead are the only metals that 

 have been ascertained to exist; no pre- 

 cious stones have been found. Minora- 

 logical discoveries are not in fact made; 

 the inhabitants find it more profitable to 

 draw wealth from the surface of the 

 earth, than explore its bowels for the 

 precious metals; and researches of a 

 j)urely scientific natine, after the raiitics 

 of the mineral kingdom, seldom engage 

 any one's attention. 



DISEASES. 



The most common diseases in 

 Jamaica arc, malignant epidemic fever, 

 commonly called yellow fever, common 

 bilious fever, typhus fever, and intermit- 

 tent lever, dysentery, pleurisy, and liver 

 com|)laint. 



Of all the diseases of tliKS country, the 

 most violent and fatal is the malignant 

 epidemic fever. Its ravages are at 

 times as rapid and destructive as those 

 of the plague. It is most fatal to new- 

 comers; pcisons long resident in the 

 island, and consequently inured to the 

 climate, generally escape it, while hun- 

 dreds of the former are perishing around 

 them. It is attended by a highly inflam- 

 matory febrile alfection of the wlwlc 

 system, w ilh a part icular determination to 

 tlio head, violent headache, nausea and 

 irritation oi the stomach, restlessness, 

 ])ain and weakness of the sjiine, deli- 

 rium, and an utter prostration of 

 strength. In two or three days, if tbo 

 febrile and inllammatory symptoms bo 

 not in some mc-asure subdued, the pa- 

 tient is cut oil', though a few may linger 

 Komew hat longer. Youth, strength, the 

 most robust frame, avail not in with- 

 standing this t( rrihlo foe ; on these it 

 Ojierales most violently and rapidly. 



In IHW a malignant fever made 

 dreadful ravugcH in Kingston and its 

 vicinity, particularly among the troops. 

 Of two ngimcnts (the 60tli and l>2d), 

 two-thirds wero destrojed within the 



Monthly Mag. No. 38-1. 



State of Jamaica. 60t 



space of about two months ; most of the 

 olEcers and their families perished ; a 

 panic seized the survivors ; men who 

 had faced death, on the field of battle, 

 with unshrinking intrepidity, now dread- 

 ed the oflSce of attending at the sick-bed 

 of their comrades. It would appear, 

 tiiat the instant the soldiers were seized 

 with this fatal epidemic, they too gene- 

 rally gave themselves up as lost: and 

 this unhappy despondency often fatally 

 seconded the virulence of the disease. 

 The miserable remnants of these regi- 

 ments were subsequently, though too 

 late, removed on board of ship for the 

 benefit of the sea air, and the fever from 

 this time gradually subsided. 



INFECTION. 



Of the infectious influence of this 

 disease there are various opinions. Some 

 medical men decidedly conceive it to be 

 contagious, while others are of a differ- 

 ent opinion. Much may be said on 

 both sides of the question. That conta- 

 gion exists to a certain degree will 

 hardly be denied. It may, however, be 

 communicated to some, while others are 

 exempt from it. M:ich depends on the 

 predisposition of the body to receive ot 

 resist it. Medical men of some stand- 

 ing in the country are seldom attacked 

 by this disease frwm attending patients 

 afflicted by it ; but persons not inured to 

 the climate, and with a predisposition of 

 body to receive disease, must neces- 

 sarily be aftected by the morbid effluvia 

 in the sick-room of a patient under ma- 

 lignant fever, and probably, in nine 

 cases out often, catch the disease. But, 

 on the other hand, tiiere is no proof that 

 this malady is so violently infectious as 

 to be conveyed, like the |)lagiif, by con- 

 tact, from one country to another. It 

 no doubt takes its rise from a peculiar 

 state of the atmosphere, which, after 

 long draughts, and especially in the 

 neighbourhood of stagnant marshes, be- 

 comes impregnated wiih miasmata. 



It is a curious fact, that the negroes 

 and people of colour arc not subject to 

 the attacks of this epidemic. While 

 the malady is raging in its greatest 

 height among the whites, both of the 

 first-named classes may be perfectly 

 healthy ; while, on the other hand, the 

 whites may be healthy when fever pre- 

 vails among the negroes. The people 

 of colour are by far the most healtliy and 

 hardy of the three classes. 



SUGAR PLANrATIONS. 



On most of the sugar plantations in 



.Tamaica there is a variety of soils, but 



some have a f.tr greater diversity thaji 



otlicis. It is not unusual to find, within 



4 II the 



