134 TRINIDAD. 



happens from the third to the fifth day. It sometimes, how- 

 ever, exhibits the malignant character at the very first onset. 

 Intermittent fever is often mashed, — the neuralgic form being 

 the most frequent. The appearance of pain — sometimes very 

 severe — in a limb, or any other part of the body, preceded 

 or accompanied by cold hands and feet, or even by regular ague, 

 and followed by either a gentle or profuse perspiration — after 

 three, six, twelve, or more hours' duration — and a complete 

 remission of the predominant symptoms, are sure indications of 

 the nature of the complaint. Quinine is the surest, if not the 

 sole remedy. It has been said of verminous affections, that they 

 are Proteus-like ; but remittent and intermittent fevers are the 

 real Protean malady. 



Dysentery. — Next to fever, dysentery is the most prevalent 

 disease in Trinidad ; it is even endemic in a few localities whicl 

 are otherwise regarded as healthy. Every ten or twelve yeai 

 however, there are returns of epidemic dysentery. The diseas 

 commonly begins at the commencement of the wet season, viz. 

 in July and August, and lasts for several months ; so thai 

 atmospheric moisture seems to have an undeniable influence on 

 the production of dysentery. 



It has also been remarked that, in those localities wherein 

 dysentery is endemic, there is always a coincidence between the 

 breaking out of the distemper and the overflow of rivers after 

 the first heavy showers. This is mainly apparent in our valleys 

 and such other districts as are covered with high woods. 



Dysentery may appear under four different forms, consti- 

 tuting, as it were, four distinct species, and having different 

 seats : — The mucous or gastric, in which the stomach, and the 

 bilious or hepatic, in which the liver, evidently participates ; the 

 inflammatory, which seems to attack the whole of the intestinal 

 tube ; and the putrid, or adynamic, known here by the name of 

 Bicho, which has its seat in the rectum and descending colon. 

 Each variety of this malady requires a different treatment. 

 Chronic dysentery also is not unfrequent. 



Dysentery attacks all classes and ages; the Europeans and 

 the foreign whites are, however, far less subject to it than the 

 natives and the coloured class. This may be attributed to the 

 different mode of living of the two classes. Europeans and 

 other whites generally enjoy more comforts, are better lodged 



