30 
Climatic Influences on Disease. 
stands thö Pul lie Buildings, which includes all the, Official Departments.- 
Its purity of style shows that architects are likewise to be found in 
Georgetown who have kept free from the mixture so affected at the pres- 
ent day. The huge imposing structure which is detached, is built of brick 
and ornamented with ample but simple stucco, at an expenditure of under 
£50,000. All public executions take place on the splendid, large, open 
space in front of its chief fagade.* Alongside are the Main Guard and 
the pleasant Scotch Church : somewhat farther away is the Cathedral of 
the Episcopal Church, likewise of brick, which cost about £26,000. Christ 
Church, not less imposing, was built by a company of shareholders. The 
Church of the Catholic community, several years ago, when Guiana was 
enlarged to an apostolic vicariate under the titular bishop of Oriense 
with five priests, was raised to a Cathedral. Besides the church build- 
ings mentioned, there are eight Chapels under the charge of Wesley- 
ans, Baptists, the London Missionary Society, and Mico Charities. It is 
surprising that only an exceptionally few negroes pass over to the State 
Church, most of them joining Catholicism and the different church com- 
munities, particularly the Baptists. 
104. I have already spoken of the new Colonial Hospital and need 
only add, that as regards construction, it can be held up as a model for 
Ihe tropics. The whole is intended for 300 patients. Not far off is to be 
seen the Hospital for Sick Seamen, with the Madhouse closely annexed. 
Five-sixths of ihe latter’s occupants are negroes. 
105. Yellow fever stands at the head of the diseases prevailing in 
Georgetown and its immediate environs as well as generally the whole 
coast-line: following it are intermittent and acute fevers, the oft-times 
very dangerous dysentery, diarrhoea and dropsy. Pthisis, like the differ- 
ent forms of consumption in general is unknown on the coast, and people 
so afflicted coming here from Europe or North America have found com- 
plete recovery. Syphilis in all its varying stages is found particularly 
among the mulattoes and negroes, though it is far from being so des- 
tructive in its effects as in colder climates: amongst the Indians of the 
interior it is quite unknown. Almost without exception diseases run an 
uncommonly quick course, so that Health and Sickness border on a mar- 
ginal limit that is hardly ever experienced in colder zones. In perfect pos- 
session of all one's strength and energies, one has no guarantee that he 
may not be robbed of them within the next hour: on the other hand there 
appears to be a markedly increased vitality in the transition from serious 
sickness, absolute exhaustion and weakness, to the restoration of com- 
plete health — the convalescence is just as rapid as the onset.t 
* The Demerara Ice House Hotel is now situate practically in the centre of this space, 
(J.R.) . ‘ 
t If we omit Yellow Fever, this is almost a faithful picture of present-day conditions The 
observation with regard to the remarkably favourable influence exerted in Tuberculous disease 
in those who have contracted it in Europe or N. America by residence in this Colony is amply 
borne out by the writers’ own experience. The conspicuous absence of glandular and bone- 
infection in children, the universal prevalence of the pulmonary type, the remarkable constancy 
of a family history of the disease, the very rapid course in the negro in this Colony are all 
evidence in favour of its recent introduction and probably spread by the direct agency of in- 
fected secretions. _ The observation with regard to Syphilis is a remarkably accurate one. 
Tertiary Syphilis is comparatively rare in the post mortem room, while Locomotor Ataxia and 
General Paralysis are far less common in the negro and mulatto than in the European in 
Europe, (F,G,R.) 
