5o6 JAMAICA. 



Such an air may therefore be confidered truly poifonous to the hu- 

 man conftltution ; for which reafon, a firft and principal caution is, 

 to avoid it as imich as poffible ; or, at leaft, to correft its baneful 

 quality, or tendency, as much as may be, by fuitable antifeptic re- 

 medies. 



As we remark, that water, whether on fhore, or in the ocean, will 

 grow corrupt in this climate, if, for any length of time, it is not put 

 in motion ; fo the fluids in the human body will become putrefcent, 

 if due exercife is too long neglefted : hence we may conclude, that 

 habitual indolence and inactivity are likewife to be reckoned among 

 tlie predifpofing caufes of bad fevers, in a hot climate. There are 

 praftical irregularities in regard to the reft of what phyficians have 

 called the jion-naturals, which mny tend either to generate or exafpe- 

 rate fuch fevers, and which I (hall occafionally advert to. Men who 

 commit thefe, fin with their eyes open ; but from the evils of a nox- 

 ious atmofphere ; numbers cannot fly, by realon of the duties of fer- 

 vice, and the exigencies of bufinefs. 1 fhall therefore give a firft atten- 

 tion to the injuries deriveable from this fomxe; and, bringing together 

 fuch general remarks on the means of (banning or couuterafting them, 

 Jis gentlemen of the faculty, the moft eminent for their fkill and know- 

 ledge in the fubjetl, have beneficently given to the public, apply ihem 

 more particularly to this ifland. In this detail 1 fliall endeavour to 

 fecond the humanity of their defign; claiming indulgence, at the fame 

 time, for thofe fupplemental precepts and ftrldures which may be inter- 

 fperfed, and meant to correfpond to the fame view. 



The ingenious Dodor Lind remarks, that every country has its 

 healthy and unhealthy fituations j and he inftances, in refpedl to tKe 

 former clafs, the ifland of Portfea, near Portfmouth, and ihe town of 

 Brading, in the ifle of Wight ; he might have added the marflies of 

 Kent, Eflex, Lincolnfhire, and Cambridgefliire, and perhaps fome 

 other fpots in England. In the Weft Indies fuch low fwampy fpots 

 are ftlll more fat.il ; and they are infcfted with mulkeetos, which feem 

 as if placed there by the hand of Providence, to aftault with their 

 ftings, and drive away, every human being, who may ignorantly ven- 

 ture to fix his abode among them. It is inoft dangerous to pafs the 

 night in fuch places, and it is at fuch time that theie infects colleft in 

 fwarms, and make war on every daring intruder. In foipe parts of the 

 2 South 



