TREATMENT OF YELLOW FEVER. 339 



afterwards learned, Mr. White, who is engaged in 

 business in the city, was in the habit of hospitably 

 entertaining his friends at a spot which naturally 

 attracted frequent visits, and at length judiciously 

 turned his house into an hotel, where a moderate 

 number of guests find charming scenery, comparative 

 coolness in the hot season, and far more of creature- 

 comforts than are to be had in the hotels of Rio. 



Time allowed me no more than a short stroll in the 

 immediate neighbourhood before the hour of dinner, 

 at which I met several intelligent and well-informed 

 gentlemen, and amongst them three English engineers, 

 from whom I received much information as to the 

 country which they have made their home. 



Amongst other questions discussed was that, so 

 important to Europeans, regarding the annual visita- 

 tion of yellow fever and the best method of treatment. 

 I was especially struck by the experiences of the 

 youngest of the party, who had come out from Eng- 

 land a {^.^N years before to superintend some consider- 

 able new works for the drainage of Rio. For two 

 years he lived altogether in the city, constantly requir- 

 ing to go below, and sometimes remaining for hours 

 in the main sewers. During that time he was never 

 attacked by the fever, and no fatal cases arose among 

 the workmen engaged in the same work. Since its 

 completion this gentleman had been engaged on other 

 works of a more ordinary character, and had habitually- 

 slept in the country during the hot season ; but, under 

 conditions apparently more favourable, he had been 

 twice stricken by the fever. The first attack, which 

 was probably slight, was at once cut short by a large 



