NOTES OK BRAZIL. 



51 



kind, which are often violent and fatal. The small pox, too, when it 

 makes its appearance, carries off multitudes ; but lately its ravages have 

 been checked by vaccination. 



There are in Rio many blind people* a greater proportion, I think, 

 than in most cities. How far this may be owing to the heat and glare of 

 the climate, it is not easy to determine ; but as these sensibly produce very 

 severe irritation in the eyes, it is probable that their influence to destroy 

 the sight is not small. In their manner, these unfortunates appeared to me 

 different from what 1 had observed elsewhere. In Europe, most of the 

 blind people had an open glaring eye, and walk erect, carrying the head 

 backward, and looking up to the illuminated air, as though seeking for 

 light. In Rio de Janeiro, those who have once enjoyed the benefit of 

 sight, and have lost it, bend the head downward, and stoop, as if desirous of 

 sheltering the countenance from oppressive splendour ; the eyelids of almost 

 all are much compressed. Eyes are found here, as in other countries, 

 defective from conformation ; the habits of persons thus circumstanced 

 are much the same every where. 



Our countrymen, who carry good looks to Brazil, seldom fail soon to 

 lose them ; but there is more change in appearance than in reality. Where 

 they have been indisposed, their ailments were not, in general, to be 

 ascribed to the climate, or to the sickliness of the country. If they 

 arrived in health, they were at first, little affected by the heat, used more 

 exertion, and required less indulgence, than the natives. They partook 

 more of the common lassitude in the second or third year, and then 

 appeared to need the repose of the afternoon, as much as those who had 

 been accustomed to it from their birth. The more important effects of 

 change of climate appeared to depend greatly on constitution, previous 

 habits, and on the modes of living, which were adopted. With their 

 utmost care, however, many of them fell into bilious complaints, which 

 they might probably have escaped at home, and suffered from them more 

 than the old inhabitants. 



On the whole, the climate may, I think, be considered as a 



healthy one. The influence of extreme heat is greatly counteracted by a 



G 2 



