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JOURNAL R. A. S (CEYLON). 



[Vol. III. 



part of the country particularly subject to fevers, and then 

 three or four grains of quinine taken in coffee in the morning 

 will, I believe, give us a very good chance of escaping an 

 attack. This medicine, in skilful hands, is to fever as water 

 is to fire, but when given at improper times, or in insufficient 

 doses, it is generally worse than useless. Change of air 

 is another remedy of great benefit to invalids, but is often 

 much abused and misunderstood. A sea voyage is, unless 

 peculiar circumstances forbid it, generally the best change 

 from this climate : not to the coast of India, or any place 

 still hotter than Ceylon ; such a change can seldom be of 

 any use. A trip by sailing vessel to Mauritius, Australia, 

 or the Cape, will generally be the best ; and the worst of 

 ail changes, unless the person is convalescent, and able to 

 bear much fatigue, I consider to be the Overland Journey 

 home. It is astonishing, after the numerous deaths that 

 have occurred among invalids on this route, that any 

 medical men should still be found to advise their patients to 

 risk their lives by such a proceeding. The journey is 

 most fatiguing to any one, and doubly so to an invalid. 

 I can only conceive one circumstance which can justify 

 the adoption of the Overland Journey by a person seriously 

 ill, and that is when recovery is impossible, and the 

 patient has a wish, at any risk, to die among his or her 

 friends at home. Of course, there are instances where a 

 permanent cure is best effected by the change to the 

 climate of Europe, bat the sick person should at any rate 

 possess a sufficiency of strength and convalescence, to 

 enable him to bear the excitement and fatigue of the 

 journey ; and if this cannot be brought about by proper 

 medical attention here, I fear it must very frequently 

 happen that the patient will not reach home alive. It 

 is seldom, perhaps, that medical attendance is to be had 

 on a voyage hence to Australia or round the Cape ; but 

 I really believe, that in nine cases out of ten, the patient 

 in this case would have a better chance without a Doctor, 

 than on the Overland Journey with a dozen, 



