528 J A M A 1 C A. 



Chocolate is wholefome, and well-adapted to repair the lofs 

 fuiiained by liberal perfpiration ; but it ought not to be too freely 

 ufed by Europeans at their firft arrival at lead, unlefs it is well di- 

 luted with milk and water, in which way many of the Creoles 

 prefer it. 



All thofe fubftances fliould be cautloufly fliunned which difpofe 

 the blood to putrefadion. Such are all rancid fats and oils; tainted 

 flefli or fifh ; a fle(h or fifh diet, diluted with fimple water alone; 

 and excefs in all fpirituous liquors. Inftead of this, fuch a diet 

 fhould be obferved as tends to acefcency ; for this intention are all 

 the varieties of vegetables, combined with found frefli meat of Hefh 

 and fifli ; and the lubacid fruits, as lemons, oranges, fliaddocks, &c. 

 and wine, particularly Madeira, which, diluted with water, is one 

 .of the wholefomeft drinks in the Weft-Indies; it is highly anti- 

 leptic, flrengthens the ftomach and organs of digeftion, and far 

 preferable to the French wines. Next to this is weak punch, 

 made with ripe fruit, and rum of at leaft a twelvemonth's age. 

 The vaft abundance of mild, vegetable acids, as well as the various 

 fpecies of peppers, diftributed to thefe climates by the hand of na- 

 ture, is a moft benevolent provi(ion. The moderate ufe of them, 

 confidering the tendency of the folids and fluids to be relaxed, and 

 contradt a putrefcency, is abfolutely necelTary ; and we find the na- 

 tives, white and black, covet them with a fingular avidity. 



The bilcuit and flour, imported from North-America, are very 

 apt to harbour weevils, efpeciaily when they are kept for any 

 length of time. Thefe inl"e6ls have fuch a cauftic quality, that, 

 when applied to the Ikin in form of a poultice, they will raife a 

 blifter like cantbaridns. How baneful then muft their effefts be 

 on the tender coats of the Uomach and bowels ! The beft means 

 of driving them away, or deftioying them, is by expofing the flour, 

 or bifcuit, to the fun, in the heat of the day, before it is ufcd, or 

 heating it in a hot oven : the former method compels thefe infedls 

 to fhift their quarters ; the latter kills them, and takes away the 

 mufty fmcll they have occafioned : care, however, muft be ufed to 

 pick out all the dead, which ought never to be mixed with food. 



Diforders of the putrid clals are the moft to be dreaded by Eu- 

 rcpeans in this climate. Perfons, indeed, living in England and 



colder 



