THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 9l 



saturated and parched, and consequently there is al- 

 ways more or less fever prevailing. But it is at the 

 commencement of the dry season, when the rivers 

 that have been swollen by the heavy rains, fall to 

 their usual level, and the low grounds and marshes 

 that have been inundated, become dry, that we look 

 for what may be termed strictly the sickly season. 



Dysenteries and diarrheas prevail more com- 

 monly during the wet season, and for very obvious 

 reasons. Notwithstanding the elevation of the sun 

 during the day, the nights are often quite cool. Now, 

 there is nothing more favorable to the development 

 of these diseases than sudden changes of tempera- 

 ture ; and here we have them. The laborer at work 

 in the field first swelters under the hot sun, and then 

 is suddenly cooled off by a shower of rain, and most 

 likely sleeps at night exposed to the chilly air, which, 

 under all circumstances, should be most scrupulously 

 avoided. 



With such influences as these acting, it would be 

 very unreasonable to expect but that the country 

 would be more or less unhealthy, which is truly the 

 case ; yet four-fifths of the cases of disease which 

 occur there are simple intermittent fever, or ague 

 and fever, which the judicious use of fifteen grains 

 of quinine will entirely remove, leaving the patient, 

 after one paroxysm, as well as he was before. 



Diarrheas and dysenteries are also usually very 

 light in their character, and easily controlled by the 

 appropriate remedies. Of the more severe forms of 

 epidemical diseases, it was not in my experience to 



