TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 171 



Indians, who are very susceptible of imbibing the 

 poison, bring the disease to maturity with the 

 greatest difficulty, and frequently fall victims to it ; 

 which is attributed to the thickness and hardness 

 of their skin. The physician, who compares many 

 diseases in Brazil, such as the small-pox, syphilis, 

 &c. with tliose in other parts of the world, is led 

 hereby to remark, that as each individual is sub- 

 ject, at every stage of life, to particular climacteri- 

 cal diseases, so whole nations, and ages, more easily 

 receive and develop certain diseases, according to 

 the respective state of education and civilisation. 



From this account it may be inferred, that at 

 Rio de Janeiro there are indeed dangerous diseases, 

 but none that can be properly called endemic. 

 Perhaps even the hydrocele is only conditionally to 

 be considered as such. It may be easily supposed 

 that where so many strangers, from many different 

 climates resort, the mortality must be greater in 

 the city than in the country ; but this is not a proof 

 of any malignant character of disease. We endea- 

 voured, but without success, to procure lists of the 

 deaths and burials, which would have given us 

 some information respecting the degree of mortality 

 usual there. In general, much remains to be 

 effected by the future efforts of the government, 

 for the improvement of public regulations, and 

 laws on this subject ; as well as for the cleaning of 

 the streets, which at present is left to the care of 

 the carrion vultures, which are protected on that 



