^.6 J A M A I C A. 



of hot dry weatlier has preceded; for the heavieft rahis always 

 ; follow fuch weather ; and all vegetables then imbibe the water in 

 a prodigious quantity, till they are faturated. At fuch times, they 

 are very improper food, and often caufe very dangerous fluxes 

 among fuch of the Negroes as make too free with them. A ve- 

 getable diet, from its extreme flatulence, occafions other diforders, 

 inflates the body into an immoderate fize, and may thus give an 

 appearance of fatnefs ; as Mr. Olheck obl'erved of the Geiitoos. 

 Some of the Negroes have the like tumefadions, which would 

 more frequently occur, if they did not ufe flilt apd the country 

 peppers very liberally. The flefli of fowls and cattle comes fooner 

 to maturity here than in Europe. The texture of it is loofer, and 

 the mufcular and tendinous parts lefs rigid. I'heir flefli, therefore, 

 is not fo grofs, heavy, and hard of digeftion, as in Northern cli- 

 mates; but approaches nearer to vegetable food in its nature. A 

 total abftinence from animal food, in Jamaica, would probably 

 increafe the relaxation already promoted by the climate, and debi- 

 litate the bodily vigour to a very dangerous excels. Even the 

 Gentoos, we find, do not wholly abll:ain ; for they ufe milk and 

 butter (perhaps no fmall portion of their meal), which are nu- 

 trimental, and help to qualify the deleterious efFefts of their 

 vegetables. 



The moft appropriated diet, in my opinion, for thfe Weft-Indies, 

 is a conftant mixture of animal and vegetable food, (if any thing) 

 inclining to the vegetable ; that is, it an equal proportion be ex- 

 ceeded, it ought to be in favour of the vegetable [/(']. And fuch is the 

 variety and multitude of this clafs, moil, of which are adapted to 



[k] It is certain, that, fo long as men have plenty ot vegetables, and will ufe them, they are 

 never troubled with the fcurvy, whether they live in moill, wann, or cold climates. On the con- 

 ciary, where there is a total want of them, all writers agree, that this clifordtr (or tendency of the 

 animal juices to putrefaction) is the immediate confequence. 



Dr. Falconer has a very judicious remark in refpedl to the preparation of flefh-meats in hot 

 cViinates. " Meats Htfk dene" fays he, " are certainly eafieft foluble; but they are, at the fame 

 " time, c.vccedingly akakfccut, and run quickly into putretaction ; fo that it is much to be qvie- 

 " ilioncd, whether they are to be chofen for thofe who eat a large proportion of animal food, as 

 " fuel', diet would be apt to induce a habit of body highly fcorbutic, or tending to putrefaiflion, 

 " except taken v.'ith a large proportion of vegetables." On this account, he fufpec'b, that the 

 French (^who, for a warm climate, eat a large quantity of animal food) eat their meat fo much 

 loailed, or boiled, from a kind of natural inftin£l, in order to obviate its feptic tendency, which ij 

 rr.i'ch augmented by the greater heat of the cliipite. 



jl nourifh, 



