72 AFRICAN FEVER. Chap. IN. 



the strength is as quickly restored. It had long been 

 observed that those who were stationed for any length of 

 time in one spot, and lived sedentary lives, suffered more 

 from fever than others who moved about and had both 

 mind and body occupied ; but we could not all go in the small 

 vessel when she made her trips, during which the change 

 of place and scenery proved so conducive to health ; and 

 some of us were obliged to remain in charge of the expedition's 

 property, making occasional branch trips to examine objects of 

 interest in the vicinity. Whatever may be the cause of the 

 fever, we observed that all were often affected at the same 

 time, as if from malaria. This was particularly the case 

 during a north wind : it was at first commonly believed 

 that a daily dose of quinine would prevent the attack. 

 For a number of months all our men, except two, took quinine 

 regularly every morning. The fever sometimes attacked the 

 believers in quinine, while the unbelievers in its prophy- 

 lactic powers escaped. Whether we took it daily, or omitted 

 it altogether for months, made no difference ; the fever was 

 impartial, and seized us on the days of quinine as regularly 

 and as severely as when it remained undisturbed in the 

 medicine chest, and we finally abandoned the use of it as a 

 prophylactic altogether. The best preventive against fever 

 is plenty of interesting work to do, and abundance of whole- 

 some food to eat. To a man Avell housed and clothed, who 

 enjoys these advantages, the fever at Tette will not prove a more 

 formidable enemy than a common cold ; but let one of these 

 be wanting — let him be indolent, or guilty of excesses in 

 eating or drinking, or have poor, scanty fare, — and the fever 

 will probably become a more serious matter. It is of a 

 milder type at Tette than at Quillimane or on the low sea- 

 coast ; and, as in this part of Africa one is as liable 



