158 TRINIDAD. 



Many localities, under the same latitude, which enjoy the privilege 

 of a dry atmosphere, are salubrious : such are, for instance, 

 Cumana and the Island of Margarita, both of which enjoy a very 

 dry though warm climate ; such are, also, the islets in the Gulf of 

 Paria. The Portuguese, and other white immigrants, have no 

 objection to field-work during the heat of the day; but they have 

 much dread of rain, and of humidity generally. They all agree 

 in saying, " that the sun will not cause fever, whilst rain in- 

 variably does so." 



In order, therefore, to allow of a free and speedy drainage, 

 houses should be built on a gentle elevation ; whilst carefully 

 made and well-paved gutters should carry off the surplus water. 

 Dwelling-houses should be raised on brick or stone pillars to give 

 free access to a current of air beneath the flooring, and means 

 of ventilation provided by a sufficient number of windows and of 

 ventilators in the upper part of the apartments. The sleeping- 

 rooms should be as large as possible; and, finally, it is very 

 important that houses should be protected on the marsh side by 

 a plantation of trees, always, however, at a certain distance from 

 the dwellings : bamboos would answer admirably. 



As may have been anticipated from the above remarks, 

 Trinidad is mainly subject to those diseases which belong to a 

 warm damp climate, viz., to fevers and dysenteries; these are, in 

 fact, the most prevalent maladies ; and the observation made by 

 Annesley, that two-thirds of the deaths in tropical regions are 

 caused by the effects of marsh effluvia, is fully borne out in 

 Trinidad. 



Remittent and intermittent fevers attack all classes ; the 

 female sex and the aged, however, are less subject to them ; they 

 are particularly prevalent amongst children convulsions being 

 one of the most common symptoms in severe cases. 



Europeans and unacclimatised persons, as well as children, 

 are commonly attacked with the remittent, and native adults with 

 the intermittent type. Congestions of the different organs, but 

 mainly abdominal plethora, accompany remittent fevers : these 

 may under unfavourable conditions terminate in black vomit, 

 thus showing the great analogy, almost the identity of nature, in 

 the remittent and yellow fevers. And though Trinidad is, per- 

 haps, more subject to remittent fever than the Great Antilles, 

 Vera Cruz, and New Orleans, yet yellow fever that plague of 



