550 
APPENDIX, 
on shore. A quarter-gunner, one of the most athletic and useful men in 
the ship, lost his life by a fall on shore, when in a state of intoxication, and 
a case of phthisis terminated fatally. The only cases of importance that 
occurred wore several cases of hepatitis and intermittent fever. At this 
season (their summer months) dysenteries and inflammation of the liver 
prevail among the natives, and the former frequently prove fatal. T 
attended a case of the latter in a Mr. Blanco, a gentleman who had been 
educated at our military academy at West Point, and promised much future 
usefulness to his young country ; he had resided several years in the port, 
and was much debilitated by previous indisposition. The progress of the 
disease was twice arrested, and every indication was favourable ; but, not- 
withstanding the most vigorous treatment, suppuration took place, which 
put a period to his existence. We spent one hundred and sixty days at 
Valparaiso, at different seasons of the year, and uniformly had a small 
sick-list. The chmate of Chili is one of the best in the world ; and tliis 
port was so peculiarly grateful to the Spaniards who came here from the 
•coast of Peru, that they gave it the name of the " Vale of Paradise." 
The Chilanoes are a robust and vigorous race, and frequently reach a 
great age, are capable of enduring much fatigue, and spend much of their 
time on horseback. , The smallpox is endemic, and destroys many per- 
sons annually ; and the state of medical science is so low that vaccination 
has not yet become universal. 
An inflammatory fever, attended with much cerebral congestion, pre- 
vails during the autumn months, and sometimes assumes the form of an 
epidemic, which proves very fatal, and is consid.ered to be contagious by 
the natives, who give it the name of chaoolunga ; and which they treat 
with the infusion of conchelagua, an indigenous plant, which is a pow.erful 
.diaphoretic. 
The state of the medical sciences is very low on the coast, as there 
are no schools of medicine, and the native practitioners being from the 
lower orders of life, and uneducated, they command little respect ; and 
their practice, which consists in the administration of the plants of the 
country, is attended with little success. 
9th of February, sailed from Valparaiso, and met with head winds, which 
continued until we reached the fiftieth degree of south latitude, with cold, wet 
weather ; on the 6th of March we were off Cape Horn, in 67° south latitude, 
,at which time the thermometer stood at 46°, and the barometer at 29.80, 
with thirty-six on the sick-report. The character of the diseases had 
much changed since our departure from Valparaiso ; pleuritis (pleurisy), 
cynanche tonsillaris (sore throat), and rheumatism, now swelled the list, 
and many of the crew were unwell who did not go on the list, as they 
were desirous to continue on duty during the passage home. After 
doubling Cape Horn we met with fresh, favourable breezes, which con- 
tinued until our arrival at Rio de Janeiro. The lowest point reached by 
the thermometer during the passage was 42°, and the average on the 
sick-list was thirty-three ; three fourths of which were labouring under 
inflammatory affections, produced by the cold and wet weather. 
Arrived at Rio on the 23d of March, where we remained sixteen days. 
This is the rainy season ; and although there were frequent showers during 
the day, the quantity of rain was very small. The average standing of 
