7 14 JAMAICA. 



" leamen In the merchant fervice to recover from the yellow fever, 

 ♦' fokly by having the benefit of a free and conftant admifTion of 

 *' ail- into a Ihip anchored at a diftance from the fhore ; where 

 " they lay utterly deilitute of every affiftance in ficknefs, and even 

 *' of common neceflaries ; having nothing but cold water to drink, 

 " and not fo much as a bed to lie upon ; while gentlemen newlv 

 ♦' arrived from England, by being fluit up in fmall, clofe, fuiTo- 

 « eating chambers at Kingfton and Port Royal, expired with the 

 " whole mafs of their blood dilTolved, and flowing at every pore ; 

 " the (lifling heat of their rooms having produced a (late of uni- 

 " verfal putrefadion in the body even before death." Such flran- 

 gers, upon their arrival, are generally obliged to take up with the 

 common lodging- houfes ; the owners of which, in order to make 

 the moft advantage of their bufinefs, convert every little clofet and 

 hole into a bed-chamber. The healthiefi: perfon would find it dif- 

 ficult to refpire freely for a whole night in one of thefe dungeons. 

 How improper then mufl they be for thofe who are feized with a 

 fever, and are thus excluded fiom that conftant refrefliment of air 

 upon which their recovery fo much depends, that, without it, all 

 medicines are xnefFedual ! The houfes of towns in this climate 

 cannot be too airy ; and on this account the jealoufy-lhutters, as they 

 are called, which freely admit the air, are very excellent contri- 

 vances ; and no bed-chamber fhould be unfurniflied with them; 

 for bv their means the fmalleft apartment may be conflantly ven- 

 tilated. 



There are fome other remarkables in this town, which, fo far as 

 they appear inconfiftent with the general health, deferve to be 

 noticed. 



The firft is, the praftice of cramming fo many corpfes into a 

 fmall church-yard in the centre of the town; intlead of providing 

 a proper cemetery at a diftance, and to leeward from all the 

 houfes. 



The fecond is, a filthy cuftom of ufiiig tubs, and empty butter- 

 firkins, inftead of vaults ; and exonejating them of their contents 

 every day at the wharfs; by which inceflant accumulation of putrid 

 matter, the mud in thofe parts is rendered (till more offenfive, and 



injurious 



