BOOK III. CHAP. VI. 549 



The diet moft fit to prcferve health in hot climates muft confift (for 

 the greater part) of vegetables, and of thofe fubftances, which produce 

 the greatefl: quantities of air, In order to afford a fufficient quantity of 

 antifuptic vapour, to make up for the extraordinary wafte of air, which 

 is carried off from the fluids by Infenfible perfpirationj and thofe per- 

 fons muft inevitably fall into putrid difeafes, who eat much animal 

 food, which produces but little air; who drink much of fpirituous li- 

 quors, which contain no nir in themielvcs fcarcely, and prevent the 

 ready extrication thereof from the aliment, during the dlgcftlve pro- 

 cefs ; and who incautloufly expofe themfelvcs to a moift atmofphcre,- 

 which hinders any thing but the aerial part of the perfpirable matter 

 from being carried off. 



The great efficacy of vegetables confifts partly in their containing a 

 large quantity of this fixed antifepric air or vapour, and their impreg- 

 nation with a very fweet juice, or mixture of faccharlne oil and fait,- 

 which doftor Tlffbt obfervcs is highly lalutary. All the culinary 

 roots, even in Europe, are full of this kind of fugar, which may eafily 

 be extradled from them. Experiments to this effeft have been tried on 

 feveral; and, in particular, eight ounces of the juice of fkiri-et yielded^ 

 one ounce and an half of fugar [«]. This faccharlne juice predominates 

 in moft of the fruits and efculent roots in Jamaica in a very furpriiing. 

 degree, as if the Divine Being hid meant peculiarly to adapt them as> 

 neccffary correftives of thofe putrefcent humours, which a diet on ani- 

 mal food is apt to generate in this climate. Thus we find, that the 

 IrlOi potatoe, when tranfplanted into this foil, acquires a fweetllh tafte, 

 whi-h fhews its impregnation with faccharlne principles; the fweet po- 

 tato?, the native of this climate, is largely fuppllcd with the like im- 

 pregnation; fo are the yams, eddos, cocos, nioft of the different forts 

 of pulfe, and almoft all the truits. The plantain, when ripe, and dried 

 in the fun, Is a perfed conferve, without the aid of any more fuoar, 

 than what is naturally contained in it; the banana is ftill more luf- 

 cious, but with a flight aftringent quality, which has made it extreme-- 

 ly remedial in fluxes; correding the putrid humour by its antifeptic 

 virtues, fiieathlng the acrimony with its balfamic oil, rendering the 

 bowels gently foluble, and yet ftrengthenlng their tone by its mild 

 afliringency. The China oranges here,, when full ripe, and in a good- 

 fa] Margralf's Mere, 



foil,. 



