of the late Sickness at Akyab. 31 



the atmosphere, by absorbing deleterious, and giving out healthy, 

 gases, but it is equally certain, on the contrary, that the moment 

 vegetation becomes unhealthy, a marked change takes place, and its 

 powers of assimilation are either entirely lost, or so far impaired, as to 

 become, by a languid action, almost useless ; not only does this 

 change in function take place, which would only give a negative 

 result, but an active injury ensues, and deleterious gases are thrown off, 

 where formerly, and in a state of health, these gases were of an oppo- 

 site tendency. Supposing, however, as it happens in many cases, death 

 of the vegetable substance, decomposition ensues, which is even worse 

 than the former case. The deduction, therefore, is that any thing 

 which tends by its presence, or otherwise, to produce diseased vegeta- 

 tion, should be sedulously avoided. A crowded vegetation is especially 

 injurious, as the plants become diseased from want of light, air, and 

 nourishment, — the three essentials for health in the animal as well as 

 the vegetable kingdom. By applying this rule to the gardens and 

 compounds of the native population of Akyab, abundance of room is 

 found for the exercise of remedial influence. Trees of all descrip- 

 tions, and of the most miscellaneous character are crowded together 

 in the smallest possible space, not only causing decomposition by 

 the death of the weakest plants, but, as will be hereafter shewn, 

 impeding ventilation and drainage. This is an evil which demands 

 correction. In the very heart of the town, vegetation springs up in 

 the most heterogeneous confusion, and the greatest quantity appears to 

 exist in the exact ratio with the number of inhabitants ; the existence 

 of a few houses in any particular spot, is the sure nucleus for vegeta- 

 tion ; and this is the first commencement of the evil. 



14. The drainage of a place like Akyab is attended with diffi- 

 culties not often met with, and the principal difficulty consists in the 

 geological nature of the ground. The whole town is situated on a 

 loose sandy soil, which appears to have been thrown up by the sea, 

 and superimposed on a ridge of sandstone, which takes its origin at 

 the Fakeer's rock, and extends across the island to the Myoo river, 

 in a north-westerly direction. The town being situated on the banks 

 of an estuary from which the soil was formed, it is but at a very slight 

 elevation from the surface of high-water mark ; and this is the re- 



