434 



JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol III. 



ON HEALTH AND DIET, WITH ESPECIAL 

 REFERENCE TO CHILDREN AND 

 YOUTHS, IN CEYLON. 



By Barcroft Boake, b.a„ Vice-President, Asiatic 

 Society, Ceylon. 



None who have had any opportunities of acqainting thern- 

 salves with the past and present state of Ceylon, and who 

 have taken any pains to avail themselves of those opportu- 

 nities, can have failed to observe that the character 

 of the climate has materially improved, as regards its effects 

 upon the health and longevity of Europeans resident in the 

 Island. 



In former days, Trincomalee was regarded as so pestilential 

 that it was the custom of Insurance Offices to make a special 

 exception with reference to it stipulating that the policies 

 which they issued were not to hold good if the person insured 

 took up his residence there. It is not many years, indeed, 

 since a gentleman who was making a voyage round the 

 Island, felt himself compelled to remain on board during the 

 whole time that the vessel in which he was a passenger 

 remained in that port, fearing lest, by landing there he should 

 vitiate the insurances which he had effected to a considerable 

 amount upon his life. Many persons now prefer the climate 

 of Trincomalee to that of Colombo. 



In like manner, the road between this and Kandy was 

 known to be very dangerous to any travellers who passed 

 over it otherwise than rapidly and during the bright hours of 

 the day. There are sundry grave-stones which stand close to 



