VOL. XLVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 663 



corruption of the blood and humours, from whence is supposed to proceed the 

 vomito prieto. Yet passengers and others, who go the voyage under the greatest 

 advantages, with regard to the conveniences of Ufe, are not free from being ex- 

 posed to it. It is remarked also, that those persons who, after having been 

 used to this climate, go from thence, and are absent even 3 or 4 years, are not 

 liable to it at their return, but retain their health like the other inhabitants ; 

 though in their way of living they have not observed the most exact regimen. 



The desire of knowing the cause of this terrible calamity has occupied from 

 time to time the minds of the surgeons who make this voyage in the galeons, as 

 well as those of the physicians of the country ; the physicians are of opinion, that 

 it chiefly takes its rise from the labour to which the ships crews are constantly ex- 

 posed, and their maimer of living. Doubtless these may greatly contribute to 

 it; but then it will be difficult to conceive, why persons who are better circum 

 stanced are likewise liable to it : and it is somewhat extraordinary, that, notwith- 

 standing many endeavours have been made towards finding out remedies against 

 this disease, none have been discovered, either as specifics, or preservatives ; for 

 the inconstancy of the symptoms is so great, that they are not in the beginning 

 to be distinguished from those which are in common to this with slighter dis- 

 tempers ; but the principal complaints are at first a weariness, and great disorder 

 in the head. 



This distemper does not always attack the ships of Europe at their arrival in 

 the bay of Carthagena; nor is it very ancient in that country ; for what heretofore 

 was called Chapetonada, so denominated, as those from Europe were only liable 

 to it, were indigestions ; and though they were in that climate always attended 

 with danger, the women of the country, as they do now, cured them with ease, 

 especially when they are taken in tiine. The ships afterwards going from Car- 

 thagena to Porto Bello, it was there succeeded with the great mortality, which 

 was always attributed to the unseasonableness of the climate, and to the fatigue 

 of the ships crews in unloading their ships, and in the business of the fair 

 there. 



The black vomit was not known at Carthagena, nor in its neighbourhood, 

 until the years 1729 and 1730, when first it carried off a great part of the crews 

 of the ships of war, which Don Domingo Justiniani then commanded, and 

 were then there as gunrda costas. These ships were first attacked at Santa 

 Martha, where the severity of this distemper, and its great slaughter, had cast 

 a great terror on their crews. The second attack of this distemper, was on 

 board the galeons commanded by Don Manuel Lopez Pintado, when its mor- 

 tality was highly formidable, and death followed the attack so quick, that per- 

 sons who were one day seen walking at large, were next day met carrying to their 

 graves. 



