52 Medical Topography of Malacca. 



hills more inland, and around the base of which these paddy flats 

 spread out, consist chiefly of laterite super-imposed on granite. Thus 

 the town of Malacca, may, speaking generally, be said to be sur- 

 rounded on its three land-sides by much flat or swampy land. Its 

 fourth side or coast, likewise, twice in the twenty-four hours, or 

 at the ebb of each tide, presents an extensive mud flat, stretching 

 out a distance varying from half to one and a half mile ; the bank 

 itself extending from one and a half to two and a half miles ; yet the 

 town is allowed to be very healthy. 



Fevers contracted in the town are rare, though intermittents and 

 even fevers of a malignant type are contracted in the interior, 

 either by the natives, or occasionally by some of the inhabitants 

 themselves, visiting those parts ; or, as these mostly come under the 

 notice of the medical officer, by the convicts when employed on road- 

 work in the interior. Even the worst forms of congestive fever 

 are said to be contracted in the interior, but no case of any such 

 fever has been brought to hospital, though many cases of intermit- 

 tent and slight remittent fevers, contracted when at work at Jyer, 

 Panus, Rheim, to the east ; or at Roombiyah ; or at the out-post of 

 Alor Gajah, to the north-west have been admitted. 



The base of Mount Ophir would, under peculiar circumstances 

 of temperature and season, seem likewise pregnant with malaria or 

 morbific influence, of a very deadly nature ; as exhibited in the 

 account of Dr. Oxley's trip to Mount Ophir in January 1839, 

 when this officer, and five of his native attendants, were taken ill of 

 fever accompanied with violent delirium. He was the first attacked, 

 but recovered by active treatment. The natives, refusing all European 

 medicines, died from between the 3rd to the 7th day from the first 

 attack. However, Lieut. Newbold, Sir W. Norris and son, and 

 their respective parties, at a different time and season, all visited the 

 same with perfect impunity from any ailment whatever ; and I am 

 likewise aware, that persons from the town are in the habit of 

 occasionally visiting the same neighbourhood at all seasons for the 

 purposes, of traffic, and with perfect impunity. This is however 

 readily accounted for, by the fact of the danger being dependant on 

 the development of the morbific agency by the heat following im- 

 mediately upon the rainy season, bringing the same into powerful 



