556 JAMAICA. 



honey they fpread on caflava cakes ; the affinity between thefe two 

 fvveet fubftances need not be infifted on. 



That malignant and terrible difeafe, called the black vomit, was un- 

 known at Carthagena (as it is faid) till about the year 1729. It was 

 fiifpedted to have been firft brought thither from PortoBello. It made its 

 appearance in that year on board the guarda coftas and galleons lying 

 in the harbour, and deftroyed almoft the whole of their crews. The 

 Spanifli phyiicians attributed it to the fait meat on which the feamen 

 were fed, as it was obferved to rage more among them, than thofe 

 who had been able to live on more wholefome food ; they confidered 

 fait meat as tending to bring on this diflemper, and that the humours 

 it generated, together with the labour and hardships of duty, inclined 

 the blood to putrefadion; but it is certain, that the failors alone were 

 not its only victims ; for even paflengers, who had not taftcd any 

 fait meat during the voyage, felt is effedts ; it was therefore, with more 

 appearance of truth, imputed to the pellilential air of Porto Bellow 

 It is remarkable, however, that the natives of Carthagena^ and thofe 

 who had lived there fome time, were not, nor ever are, affedled by it j 

 but enjoy an uninterrupted health, amidft the dreadful havock it 

 makes among others ; it feems rational to fuppofe, that tliis difordcr 

 .has its fourcce at firfl; in a high degree of the fcurvy, which, from 

 the baleful influence of the fwampy effiwuia at Porto Beilo, degene- 

 rates into a putrid fever of the worft fpecies. This is sonfonant to 

 the idea of our iingli(h wi-iters on the fubjc(ft, who afTert, that fuch 

 as have zny fcorbutic fymptoms are in porportion more fuhjecl to the 

 dvfentery, and malignant putrid fever s\ and likewife are the mo4l: 

 feverely handled by thefe diftempers. A proof of this theory, was 

 the memorable deftruflion of the feamen belonging to admiral Hofier's 

 Ibuadron, at the Bajlimentos, whicli began with the fcurvy, and was 

 compleated by a malignant putrid fever, and dyfentery, contraftecf 

 from the fatal air of that place. The diet of the native Spaniards, and 

 others, who naturally fall into their cuftoms at Carthagena, preferves. 

 them free from any fcorbutic acrimony, or difpofition in their humours 

 to breed cr admit the entrance of putrid difeafes. The fame good 

 confequence would probably enfue at Kingjlon in Jamaica, if the 

 inhabitants of that town would adopt a diet, and regimen of life, 

 limilar to thofe of the Spaniards at Carthagena. For although this 



difeafe 



