io8 JAMAICA. 



been flopped for feme days, tlie eating of any fort of food which 

 had a putrid tendency, fuch as even a mefs of broth, would fome- 

 times in a few hours bring on a return of the difeafe, accompanied 

 with all its violent fymptoms. Neither did this proceed from any 

 fource of infedion in the hofpital, or from its being too much 

 crowded with patients. Thefe things happened even when a fmall 

 number of patients were lodged in the beft-aired, and in the clean- 

 eft, wards. The mortality in this houfe was fo great, and the 

 caufe of it fo obvious, that there was a neceflity for deferting it ; 

 no more fick were permitted to be fent thither. During the lafl 

 war, it was made ufe of as a place of confinement for the French 

 prifoners, and proved fatal to feveral hundreds of them. Even the 

 foldiers, who were fent in good health from the garrifon at Port 

 Royal, to mount guard there, were in a few days taken ill, and 

 many of them died ; which obliged the commanding officer to re- 

 lieve the guard almoil: daily ; by which means he faved the lives 

 of thofe, who, by too long a continuance on tliis duty» would 

 otherwifc have fallen a facrifice. The caufe of this endemia has 

 been, with great appearance of reafon, afcribed to the falt-marfties 

 and fwamps, the putrid fogs or exhalations, which infcfl: this part of 

 the country, and are naturally adapted in a hot climate to produce 

 all thefe baleful effeds. 



*rhe large traft of falina, lying to the Northward of the hofpital,. 

 and extending from Hunt's Bay towards Water-houfe Savannah, is 

 frequently overflown by falt-water, when ther€ happens any confi- 

 derable furge in the harbour.. It is alfo liable to be deluged by ths 

 brackifh water of the Lagoon, or Ferry River. Much of this 

 water remains afterwards ftagnant, and becomes highly putrid. It 

 is impoffible not to.be feufible of it in traveling over this falina to 

 Kingdon, efpecially at an early hour, in the morning, when the 

 flench of the ooze is often remarkably foetid ; and a vapour may 

 be obferved hovering over thefe lagoons, and l>amps, of a mofl 

 dilapreeable fmell. It may well therefore be fufpedled, that z.- 

 Wefterly land-wind, wliich fometimes blows between the moun- 

 tains behind the Ferry, elpecially after a violent rain there, may 

 impel thefe effluvia into tlie town of Kingfton. I have been in- 

 formed, by an experienced phyfician, who prafliled in this town, 



that 



