THE SECRETS OF HEALTH 391 



drying itself in the sun after its prolonged annual 

 shower-bath, its exhalations, mingling with the 

 unhealthy odour of the now rapidly decaying 

 vegetation, are distinctly prejudicial to the health 

 of the white man. This time of year, moreover, as 

 we have just seen, finds the human system less 

 buoyant, less capable of resistance, owing to the 

 enervating, weakening effect of the long period of 

 torrid heat which has but now come to a close. 

 The mosquitoes are still extremely numerous ; and 

 all these influences acting in unison strew malaria 

 broadcast along the banks of the Zambezi. 



In spite of all these menaces, however, the whole 

 secret of the maintenance of health at this, or any 

 other time of the year, may be summed up in two 

 words which should be written in letters of gold — 

 Moderation and Care — moderation in aU things 

 relating to the creature comforts of life, and care 

 to avoid sudden chills and needless exposure to 

 the sun. 



Nowadays, thanks to the introduction of forms 

 of nourishment by home providers which enable 

 the remotest exile to furnish himself with an ex- 

 cellent and varied selection of palatable and highly 

 nutritious forms of food, one hears less of the 

 terrible waves of fatal forms of malarial sickness 

 which were wont, years ago, from time to time, to 

 hterally decimate the country. We have, I fancy, 

 discovered a manner of life which enables us, if not 

 wholly to bid defiance to the rigours of climate, at 

 least to take such precautions as enable us to 

 minimise their virulence, and to fortify our systems 

 against the day of their attack. 



