TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 86 



an oppression and pain in the head, and proceeds 

 through a series of the most disagreeable sensations 

 to more or less painful contractions in the stomach, 

 which terminate in continued and violent vomit- 

 ings, which sometimes even cause the bursting of 

 a blood-vessel ; or it happens that the patients, 

 from the disgust excited by the smell or sight of 

 food, fall into consumption for want of proper nou- 

 rishment, and in long voyages are often in danger 

 of their lives. He who has experienced the tor- 

 ments of this disorder, knows that a person at- 

 tacked by it would willingly exchange all earthly 

 happiness, for a single hour on shore, and will 

 therefore consider it as no unimportant object in 

 in the journal of a voyage. Several remedies have 

 been proposed to remove or to alleviate this dis- 

 agreeable sickness. Seafaring people especially 

 recommend oranges, and the rust of the anchor. 

 The most approved means against this evil are 

 dietetical, and require above all things to remain 

 as much as possible upon deck in the open air, and 

 near the main mast, where the rocking of the ves- 

 sel is least felt ; not to look at the surface of the 

 sea at all, or not steadfastly; to accustom yourself^ 

 instead of fluid, and especially warm nutriment, to 

 solid, cold, particularly acid food, and such as re- 

 quires good digestion ; for instance, salt fish, ham, 

 &c., but principally to overcome the first attacks 

 of the sickness, and even the disposition to vomit, 

 by immediately taking heavy food, however re- 



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