530 JAMAICA. 



emption are, the warmth and moifture of the crimate, ccpious 

 perfpiration, and acidulated druiks. Excefs in eating, drinking, 

 and exercile, between the Tropics, neither corroborates the fohds, 

 nor increafes the denfity of the blood: thefe errors in the non-na- 

 turals may render the Wefl-India blood acrid ; but they certainly 

 render the bile peccant both in quantity and quality. This is the 

 paffport to all the fevers in the Wefl- Indies ; for it may well be 

 doubted, whether ever the blood is the primary feat of a fever, 

 unlets in perfons newly arrived in the lorrid Zone. Of courfe, 

 the impropriety of frequent bleedings, as always praftifed by the 

 French, and too often by the Englilh furgeons, mufl be obvious ; 

 and the neceffity of carrying off the peccant matter by vomit and 

 flool, no lefs apparent. This opinion is flrengthened by ex- 

 perience of the almoft conflant fuccefs which attends the treatment 

 of them in this way ; and the great mortality which has followed 

 the free ufe of the lancet : and hence likewife appears the great 

 efficacy of antimonial preparations, and of James's powder in par- 

 ticular, which operate in the manner recommended, and feldom 

 fail of making a cure, if relbrted to in time [;«]. 



Fevers in the Weft-Indies feldom put on the appearances of in- 

 flammation beyond the firfl: twenty-four hours ; after that, they 

 become putrid, or malignant, and nervous.. In the firft Itage only 

 of the difeafe, blood may be let, and even then in a very fmall 



[*■/] Tl'.e firft change, caufed by the tranlition from a cold into a hot cliinate, is a rarefailion of. 

 aji the humours in the body,, and of the blood among the reft ; and, when the containing veflels. 

 do not expand fufficiently to give it a free circulation, the confequence muil neceflarily be a fe- 

 verifli heat, anxiety about xha prceconlia, a difficulty of breathing, violent pains in the head, and 

 iineafinefs. Thefc lymptoms are fometimes relieved by a fpontaneous bleeding at the nofe, which 

 anUvers the end of venefeftion : and it is to be underftood, that I do not mean to condemn 

 bleeding in all cafes, becaufe, where the party is young, vigorous, and contiads a fever imme- 

 diately afrer his coining to the Well-Indies, moderate bleeding, in the beginning of the diforder, 

 niay otten be not only lafe, but neceflkry ; and, for thi;, the particular fymptoms aie the bell indi- 

 Otion,. But it fliould be u!ed in the Weft-India fevers with great caution, and ftrift regard had to \ 

 the, age and habit of body, the, time that the patient has rdided in the Well-Indies, his general 

 diet, and fuch other ciicumllnnces as may lead to the forming a competent judgement whether 

 ojiening a vein be proper or not. .Where there is a very ftrong pulfc and great heat, which is often 

 oibfervable in young, florid perfons, newly arrived from a cold climaie, venefeclion is often found J 

 ferviceable, to check the too rapid motion of the fluids, and gain more time to treat the diforder 

 properly. But fuch fymptoms rarely occur, after an European has been a twelvemonth in the Weft- 

 Indies ; unlefs it m:iy happen in Jamaica, by a fudden check of the perfpiration, on the firft ^ 

 fettlng-itu of tlie cold Northerly winds. , 



quantity.. 



