512 JAMAICA. 



or at 54 ; where the ground is cleared from wood and buflies ; has 

 310 flagnating water upon or near its furface ; where the foil is 

 fertile, and favours the cultivation of European plants, and the 

 health of European animals; and, laftly, where flieep, brought from 

 England or North Araerica, ftill retain, without inconvenience, a 

 ileecy covering. There are fpots of ground, in all the mountains 

 and hills adjacent to the towns in Jamaica, which, by induftry and 

 cultivation, might be converted into the moft healthy and delight- 

 ful rural retirements. In fuch places, on thofe eminences where 

 at prefent the chillnefs of the evening renders a fire comfortable, 

 and requifite to an European conflitution, the improvement of the 

 foil would gradually mend the quality of the air. Gentlemen, 

 who can afford to keep a horfe or carriage, after doing bufinefs 

 in Kingfton, or other maritime towns, might, before funfet, return 

 to fuch a healthy and pleafant country feat as is here recommended, 

 taking the precaution of never fleeping elfewhere during a fickly 

 feafon. Thofe, whofe circumftances and bufinels will permit, fhould 

 retire, efpecially in the night-feafon, to fuch places for health, un- 

 til they grow inured to the climate j and others, who cannot afford 

 this precaution, or whofe affairs will not admit of it, fliould be 

 immediately removed thither when taken ill. Should the change 

 of air not produce an inftantaneous recovery, it will at leaft miti- 

 gate the fymptoms of the diforder ; and, the ufe of medicines being 

 attended with more efficacy, a patient will more fpeedily I'egain a 

 vigorous ftate of health. When a perfon is feized with a fever, pro- 

 ceeding from the bad air of any place, his illnefs, whilft he con- 

 tinues there, is daily, nay hourly, aggravated, and reinforced, by a 

 conflant application of the morbid caufe. In this fituation, the beft 

 medicines, even the bark, have been ineffeiflual in relieving the pa- 

 tient, whilft thus inceffantly expofed to the fources of his difeafe. 

 'i''hey who labour under fevers, fluxes, and other difeafes of the like 

 violent nature, may be removed with the greateft fafety for change 

 of air. Such, therefore, as are taken ill during the rage of any epi- 

 demic ficknefs, Ihould be carried immediately into a purer air, ta 

 fome diftance beyond the reach of infe£lion ; and frequently, in thefe 

 cafes, this is a certain and immediate cure of itfelf: fo in 1765, 

 when a mortal ficknefs raged on (here at Penfacola, the crews of 



the 



