THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 393 



I can, without hesitation, assert that the climate of the Bahama Islands is 

 well adapted for selected cases of pulmonary troubles, and if the natives who 

 suffer from pulmonary tuberculosis could be placed in a suitable hygienic en- 

 vironment and be supplied with proper food, their chances of recovery would 

 be excellent. 



Venereal Diseases. 



Syphilis. — We did not see many cases of syphilis, although the physicians at 

 the various islands which we visited told us that they met with about the usual 

 number, which was generally brought to the natives by sailors from foreign 

 vessels. The few cases I saw showed tertiary manifestations, and did not 

 appear to be, considering their poor treatment, especially virulent. It is prob- 

 able that the amount of syphilis is very much overestimated, as many cases, 

 thought by the natives to be. such, proved on examination to be simple varicose 

 ulcerations or chronic eczemas, etc. In view of the fact of the large amount of 

 degeneracy and locomotor-ataxia found among these Islands, it is rather inter- 

 esting to note the small proportion of syphilitic eases. In most instances where 

 the conditions of degeneracy, locomotor-ataxia, and other defects of the nervous 

 system, were studied, we were able to get a history covering several generations, 

 and were surprised to find but little syphilis. This question will, however, be 

 taken up again later under the chapter on degeneracy. 



Gonorrhea. — ^We were informed that there was about the usual amount of 

 gonorrhea that one might expect to find. I met with a few cases of bladder and 

 prostatic affections which were probably due to this source. On some of the 

 islands this disease can easily be spread, as the relation of the sexes is most- 

 promiscuous and probably a large proportion of the children born are illegiti- 

 mate. We met with a fair number of cases of gonorrheal ophthalmia, which in 

 one or two instances were most pitiful, as they had received practically no 

 treatment. 



Malaria. 



We were unfortunate in the time of the year for the study of this disease, 

 the cases usually not appearing, so I was told, until the end of July, from which 

 time on until the winter months they are quite prevalent. Although we ob- 

 tained a number of histories of former chills and fever, probably dating only 

 a few months back, surprisingly little malaria was encountered. 



We did not feel justified in puncturing the spleens of any of these natives, 

 as our visits were usually so short that we could not follow the effects of such 

 procedure. 



