252 A few Remarks on the diseases of Seamen. 



mortality, though it has not done so of late. Hepatitis is by 

 no means so common, as many suppose. The rareness of 

 primary affection of the organs of respiration and of circula- 

 tion is remarkable, as also the infrequency of acute rheuma- 

 tism, considering the great changes of temperature to which 

 seamen are exposed. Syphilis is usually very mild, and 

 scurvy is very rare, and commonly slight. We believe that 

 there are no means of ascertaining with any approach to ac- 

 curacy, what the actual loss of life among Europeans visiting 

 this port may be : but it is undoubtedly much greater than is 

 ordinarily supposed; nor shall we wonder at this, when we con- 

 sider the reckless habits of sailors, the loaded state of their 

 bowels so frequent after a long voyage, their sudden and ex- 

 cessive indulgence in unripe fruit and poisonous spirits, on 

 arriving in the river ; their frequently having to work under a 

 midday sun, their wandering through the bazars in the day- 

 time, their indulgence in every species of excess on shore, 

 and their returning on board at night to lie on a damp deck, 

 deterred by its closeness from entering the forecastle : — add to 

 this, the sudden changes of temperature (at times amounting 

 in the course of a short north-wester, to 10° Fahrenheit,) 

 and that at some seasons many vessels lie in shore exposed to 

 the most nauseous effluvia from the mouths of sewers ; and 

 we shall not be surprised at the production of disease. 



We wish that we could say that, when produced, it was 

 promptly treated ; but it is unnecessary here to enter upon 

 that ungrateful subject. 



In comparing the proportion of deaths to admissions, it is 

 to be remembered that the cases are always more advanced, 

 and usually more severe, than those admitted into military 

 hospitals. 



