No. 12. — 1860-1.] HEALTH AND DISEASE IN CEYLON. 371 



A few words in conclusion, on the change of locality, to be 

 obtained by invalids within the Island. To those living in the 

 interior, a visit to Colombo will, in nearly all cases prove, except 

 during the hottest months, a most salutary change. I believe, 

 however, the advantage of Nuwara Eliya as a sanitary 

 station to be rather overrated. I cannot speak from personal 

 observation, but from the description of others, it is 

 apparently excessively damp ■ and tb e great range of 

 temperature during the twenty-four hours, from actual frost 

 at night, to tropical heat during the day, leads me to think 

 that there are many places, at a lower elevation, far more 

 generally adapted as a residence for invalids. Of all parts 

 of the Island which I have as yet visited, the Kelebokka 

 Valley is certainly that to which I should be inclined to send 

 any patient of mine, to whom a change from the low country 

 was necessary. I have seen the thermometer there down to 

 49° in the early part of the year, a temperature sufficiently 

 low for invalids who have probably been residing in an 

 atmosphere, where the thermometer seldom stood below 70°. 



Change for the mind is, however, often nearly as efficacious 

 in producing a return to health, as change of locality ; and 

 it is for this reason that I am inclined to think highly of 

 Mauritius, as we may there obtain those social amusements 

 in which our Island is unfortunately so deficient, and which 

 I feel sure form no unimportant element in the preservation 

 of health in this climate, where, as I have before said, almost 

 the sole amusements to which many can look forward after 

 the labours of the day, are the pleasures of the table. 



