602 The Andes and the Amazons. 



convalescence which has been interrupted at times by 

 slight febrile manifestations, attended with the disagreea- 

 ble feeling of emptiness and sinking referred to the pit of 

 the stomach, which did not follow any unusual nausea, 

 however. I have not been able to learn any thing as re- 

 gards the mortality in this epidemic. The whole affair 

 has been one altogether without precedent on the Maranon. 



In July of this present year [1872] there prevailed in 

 Iquitos an epidemic of influenza, of which there were 

 some two hundred cases, none fatal.* It lasted some two 

 months, and was the first noticed on the Maranon. The 

 marked beneficial effects of quinia, which seemed, in fact, 

 the only drug which made any impression on the symp- 

 toms, which had a remittency about them in most in- 

 stances, has induced the opinion of the malarial -febrile 

 origin of this demonstration of one of the Neuroses. The 

 pain in the temples, especially among the women, some- 

 times became torture, nervous susceptibility in most trop- 

 ical complaints being an element more pronounced and 

 more difficult to combat than in our more temperate 

 climes. The disease under notice appeared indifferently 

 among all ages, but was more noticed among the women, 

 especially the mestizo class of the community. The epi- 

 demic disappeared about the last of August. 



In the last few days (October 10) there has appeared 

 here in Iquitos another epidemic form of disease which 

 has been characterized by the following symptoms, men- 

 tioned in order of frequency: constipation, often most 

 obstinate ; abdominal and epigastric pain, the former more 

 frequent, lasting for days, more commonly preceding the 

 constipation, coming on at intervals of a few moments, 

 generally most severe, causing the greatest suffering, men 



* This appearance of influenza is to be found almost yearly about the lat- 

 ter part of the dry season. 



